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Columnist and veteran of London derbies Pat Nevin is handing out marks after Sunday, and there are nines galore.

Was there a mistake somewhere, apparently Carlo Ancelotti didn't get the January Manager of the Month award?

If it wasn't for the fact that my old friend Davie Moyes at Everton got it, I suspect I might have been a bit upset and maybe I would even have been questioning the integrity of the board.

Oh well, there is always February I suppose. Certainly Sunday's match against Arsenal will have underlined to most that it is most likely to be between ourselves and Manchester United between now and the end of the season for the big domestic prize.

For all Arsenal's passing and pretty patterns, their manager's considered analysis and ever more complex tactical tricks, Carlo's simplicity won the day with a bit to spare. Forget systems and players playing in 'half positions', how about getting together a bunch of defenders who love to defend and strikers who can score when the opportunities present themselves?

Obviously all the focus, particularly of the TV cameras, was on John Terry before, during and after the game. Certainly the skipper had a fantastic 90 minutes once more under the spotlight and it made me wonder if the TV Man of the Match award would be just too hot a political potato to give to him. In the end Didier got it and it was certainly a toss up between the two but I could just imagine the debate behind the scenes.

'If we give it to JT he will not do the post-match interview, there will be a moral backlash from some of those watching and we will be accused of stoking the fires. On the other hand, there is a pretty persuasive argument he deserved the accolade.' Personally I would love to know how it was chosen.

In the end though he was just another fantastic defender on a day where we witnessed a masterclass in the art from all of those in Blue. Against Arsenal you have to be totally concentrated for the entire game, a moment's lapse and they will create as Fabregas and Arshavin in particular are outstanding talents.

Unusually I would go across the back line in this match and give each one a minimum of 9/10 for their performances. Ricardo was back to his committed hard-hitting and hard-thinking best. He had to be. Ashley Cole was, well just being himself this season, and Branislav Ivanovic just gets more assured and more fun to watch every week. In times gone by I suspect he would have been the 'cult' player in the side with the fans, high praise indeed.

More than that of course was the organisation of the group, where the cover was seamless and selfless throughout. Two others played a large part in snuffing out Arsenal of course. In front of the back four I think Mikel had one of his best games in a Chelsea shirt as he continually broke up play and covered team mates throughout. Behind the back line, Petr Cech also had one of his best games for a long, long time.

Quick to leave his line, his timing was generally superb and of course there were a couple of goal-saving moments when he was in the right place at the right time making himself big and putting off the strikers. Coaches love it when they get a clean sheet, but one like this is extra special because of the amount of ball the opposition had and the creative quality they possess in their team.

Of course there is no let up in the schedule with Everton the opposition tomorrow night. The Toffees have got their season back on track after a dreadful start, hardly of their own making however as they have had a horrible run of long-term injuries to key players. As I said before the fact that Davie Moyes was given the Manager of the Month was the only thing that made it palatable to me. He has got them back to something like their best and this will be a battle for the points.

Even though the London Derby was a shift and a half for our lads at the weekend, I suspect the Merseyside Derby has taken more out of Moysie's men. Having played in a few of them I know that they are extraordinary occasions up there in Liverpool and this week was no different with a rash of bookings and players sent off, along with some outrageous tackles.

In some ways then it is maybe not a bad time to visit one of the toughest grounds in the Premier League. It would however be nice if we had the opportunity to spend a little bit more time attacking this time, even our back four could do with a break now and then.

Last week I asked which former Chelsea player started out in his pro career at French side Caen. Most of you correctly noted that it was one William Gallas, a man not universally welcomed back, it has to be said, on Sunday at the Bridge. Many also pointed out that Graham Rix also spent time at that club and what a classy player he was. The winner however, chosen at random by the chick with a stick who scored a hat trick for the school hockey team this week, was Elnur Abilov from Azerbaijan.

This time to be in with a chance of winning a DVD review of last season, could you tell me who was the opposition for Graham Rix's first game as player/coach for Chelsea? Quite a tough one this week I am sure you will agree? Answers as ever to pat.nevin@chelseafc.com and good luck with that. Good luck also of course to the team at Goodison tomorrow and any of the loyal fans travelling up for it.

As Chelsea grow in confidence, Michael Ballack believes the season's success so far can be put down to the strong bond between the squad.

It's a bond that has developed with the side playing together for so long. Only Daniel Sturridge, Yury Zhirkov, Nemanja Matic and Ross Turnbull arrived in the summer, which did little to upset the foundations of the team.

Now with a trip to Everton tomorrow, the midfielder feels confident ahead of a hard fixture.

'We are a good team and it's great to play in a team like this,' reports Ballack.

'Everyone fights for everyone, there is some good experience and we have played together for a few years.

'We play for Chelsea, that's our job, and that's why we have to win games and that's what we have to do now.

'The team are confident, settled and it's important to win, even in difficult situations.'

One player who stands out for the German is frontman Didier Drogba. The Ivorian has thrown himself back into the limelight following a break from English football in Africa.

'He is a very individual type of player,' said Ballack, 'he is different from [Wayne] Rooney or [Andrey] Arshavin.

'He is unbelievable, with physical strength and technical ability. He's a striker but also a freekick taker. In fact, he is a striker with a lot of other qualities. Not many players have this.

'You see in the big games like Arsenal, he was there. That is why he is a big player.'

Chelsea head to Goodison Park on the back of our weekend's win against Arsenal and a two-point lead at the top of the table.

But despite our current position, a trip to Everton is never an easy game, and the Toffees have already managed to score three against us at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season.

However, Sunday's fixture saw some tactical football from the Blues, as Arsenal controlled possession but we bided our time and struck on the counter-attack.

The side stayed compact and defended with vigour while in attack we were consistently aware of opportunities and advantages, which we took with force to earn our place at the top of the League.

'We knew the way they would play. It's always a little bit of the same style and if you know the tactics, you can beat them,' explains Ballack.

'Football is not about possession or playing a nice passing game. Football is about winning games.

'We had to win and that's why we showed we deserved to stay in first position at this moment.'

Chelsea will meet Watford at Vicarage Road in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final, after the Hornets were 1-0 winners against Liverpool at Anfield on Monday night.

The Blues will now travel to Watford on Wednesday, 17 February with a 7pm kick-off. Admission will be £3 for adults and £1 for children. The game will be live on Chelsea TV.

So far we have beaten Charlton, Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth, looking for a first win in the competition since 1961.

Charlie Cooke will be Chelsea TV's latest guest this Friday when the Seventies star joins the team for Friday Night Live.

The Scottish winger will take part in the live phone-in show from 7pm, as the Blues prepare to host Cardiff City in the FA Cup.

The champion of FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup crowns will answer fans' questions live on air, as Jonny Gould and Kerry Dixon host.

There will be plenty to discuss following the Blues' dissection of Arsenal on Sunday and tomorrow's result against Everton.

And the last time we played in the world's biggest cup competition, we expelled Watford with a 5-0 thumping. You can relive that game too.

Also, before Friday is the clash with Everton, and Chelsea TV will have all the build-up to the midweek match, including the team news first, as well as exclusive player interviews and Carlo Ancelotti's thoughts ahead of the game. All this in Matchnight Live from 6pm.

Then, once the result has been decided, the phone lines will open and fans can air their views on the game from 10pm by calling 0844 543 4969.