Chelsea rounded off the Champions League group stages with a goalless home draw against Valencia on Tuesday night, which sees us progress to the knockout rounds unbeaten in our six games.
With the group already won, Chelsea had nothing to play for other than maintaining two unbeaten records, that in Group B of the Champions League, and a 49-game home run extending back to February 2006.
Such is the Chelsea nature under Avram Grant though, the team didn't sit back, and forced visiting goalkeeper Santiago Canizares into a string of top saves throughout the 90 minutes.
Grant was able to welcome back Petr Cech and Paulo Ferreira from injury, while Claudio Pizarro was recalled for his 50th appearance in Europe's elite club competition. Michael Essien's suspension applies only to domestic football, so he was recalled in a two-man midfield alongside Frank Lampard.
Andriy Shevchenko continued in a lone role up front, while Wayne Bridge and Tal Ben-Haim came in at the back for Ashley Cole and Alex.
It was Valencia who needed the points, but Chelsea began the game on the front foot, with Shaun Wright-Phillips twice threading neat balls through the visitors' backline.
From the second, Lampard angled a pass across the box for the unmarked Shevchenko, but the Ukrainian lacked the extra half inch in his legs to make enough contact, and Valencia keeper Santiago Canizares was able to turn the ball around the post.
Inside the ten-minute mark, Canizares was busy again, beating away Wright-Phillips' goal bound cross before being beaten himself, but Shevchenko's header fell just past the post.
Such a busy start was enough to warm the flag-bearing home crowd on a bitterly cold night at Stamford Bridge, and there was almost more cheer when after 27 minutes Lampard forced another tremendous save from the Spaniard.
The midfielder struck a thunderbolt destined for the top corner, but Canizares was equal to it, diving to his right and pushing the ball out with one hand.
It took Valencia some 42 minutes before registering their first effort on target, which was expertly saved by Cech at his near post.
David Villa raced clear, and exchanged passes before firing hard, but it was at the right height for the returning Chelsea man to save.
At the other end Canizares again denied Lampard and then Shevchenko and Pizarro as his defence seemed to willingly part at the sight of Chelsea advancement.
Grant used the half-time break to reshuffle his pack, perhaps with Arsenal at the weekend in mind, replacing Shevchenko with Makelele and shifting the formation to a 4-3-3, Pizarro the figurehead with Kalou and Wright-Phillips providing wing assistance.
With little incident in the opening quarter hour of the second half, Grant opted to rest Lampard for the remaining 30 minutes, and give Joe Cole a run on the left wing.
Valencia, who surely knew by then that Schalke were 3-1 up in Germany, were lacking any urgency in their play, and Ronald Koeman decided to introduce former Everton and Portsmouth loanee Manuel Fernandes, replacing Miguel.
Once again though, if anyone looked like breaking the deadlock it was Chelsea. First of all Kalou had a goal chalked off for offside, and then Pizarro side-footed straight at Canizares.
Chelsea's final substitution saw Belletti replace Ferreira at right-back. It had been a successful return to action for the Portuguese.
Shortly after, Pizarro presented Kalou with the best chance of the game as he headed across an empty goal for the Ivorian to knock in, but somehow his shot rebounded out off the crossbar.
Two minutes later Valencia had the post to thank, as again the 37-year-old Canizares showed no signs of his age, producing a superb stop from Pizarro, pushing the shot on to the upright and behind.
If that was fortunate for Canizares and Valencia, our next effort was ludicrously lucky. Joe Cole danced his way into a shooting position, and unleashed a decent effort from 25 yards, which Canizares allowed to slip through his grasp and on to the post.
The ball bounced out to defender Sunday, who casually knocked the ball back towards his keeper, who was forced to improvise and head the ball behind for a corner to prevent a comical own goal.
Cech, who hadn't had much opportunity to test his calf, was called into action as he smothered Morientes' advance in the closing stages, and that was the final action of a quiet second half. Both sides appeared happy to come off the field, Chelsea unbeaten and without injury, Valencia ready to catch the plane back to Spain as they prematurely crashed out of Europe.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ferreira (Belletti 71), Ben-Haim, Terry (c), Bridge; Essien, Lampard (J Cole 61); Wright-Phillips, Pizarro, Kalou; Shevchenko (Makelele 45).
Valencia (4-1-4-1) Canizares; Miguel (Manuel Fernandes 64), Albiol, Helguera, Moretti; Marchena (c); Silva, Sunday, Vicente (Mata 74), Villa (Arizmendi 49); Morientes.
Booked Canizares 90
By Andy Jones
To see highlights of the game log on to Chelsea Plus from 11pm on Thursday, or for the full 90 minutes, Chelsea TV is the place to be.
By Andy Jones
