With the international fixture calendar robbing us of first team football, attention turns to the reserves and Academy, where plenty has been going on.
With Sunday's match still fresh in the mind, Matthew Harding season ticket holder Giles Smith adds his voice to those who've had their (highly unbalanced) say.
Well-travelled in his time, columnist and former Blues star Pat Nevin has had smoother passages than his one from Madrid last week. Chelsea fans kept him sane.
On Monday the official Chelsea website catches up with the expert summariser from the club's radio partner, BBC London 94.9, for analysis of the weekend's game.
Carlo Ancelotti praised his players' start to the season after a solitary goal against Manchester United put us five points clear at the top of the Premier League.