A blog of two halves

Chelsea travel to Birmingham at the weekend for Saturday’s early kick-off against doomed Aston Villa.

Sebastian Polter could have been lining up against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League had he not chosen QPR over Wolfsburg last summer.

There was something disturbing, yet oddly nostalgic, about the aftermath of Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with West Ham at the weekend.

After gaining seven points from three mid- February matches Fulham should have provided strong opposition for Middlesbrough but the visitors enjoyed an easy victory.

After failing to win a game against any of their neighbours since November 2013, the Hoops secured a resounding 3-0 victory over Brentford.

Trophyless, listless, hopeless and graceless, Chelsea’s grim 2015-16 season appeared to end at Goodison Park as the Blues were knocked out of the FA Cup.

Chelsea’s FA Cup clash with Everton at Goodison Park this weekend assumes new significance after the Blues were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.

Clint Hill dusted down his boots for a rare appearance against Derby midweek and will need them again on Saturday.

Tjaronn Chery enjoyed his first start since New Year's Day last weekend.

Blues defender Kenedy was the unlikely scorer of the Premier League’s fastest goal of the season this week, netting in 39 seconds at Norwich as Chelsea continue their extraordinary belated surge.