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Well, at least I'm not writing this on my laptop at work, and I'm not actually going to rate anyone, just give my opinion, without pictures.

I always thought that Ray Wilkins was a dull enough individual to be honest, and dull is an apt description of what we have seen from league leaders Chelsea since I last posted. Since the Special One departed, I am alaways worried when Chelsea go a goal down-they are no longer a team that seems to be able to wrest momentum from the opposition. For much of the 2nd half last weekend, they bossed the game, but never really looked convincing to the point you could say that they deserved anything more than they got from the game. The difference in the end was a timely return to form for Fernando Torres-without his goals Liverpool will not amount to much. Fortunately for them, he is certainly showing signs of life of late, and it's hard to believe that this team was in the bottom 3 around a month ago.

For Chelsea, Michael Essien was both hero and villan during the week. A crucial goal, and then an ill-judged (and potentially dangerous) lunge at Clint Dempsey deep in injury time, means that Chelsea will now be without both him and Frank Lampard for at least the next 3 Premier League games (home to Sunderland, away to Birmingham and Newcastle), at a time when they are struggling to score goals (5 in the last 5 domestic games, after starting with 21 in their first 5). Of course, the opposition has been better in some cases, but all through those 6-0 victories, Chelsea never convinced me that they were going to run away with the Premier League this year. A case of "It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" I guess.

Man Utd had cut Chelsea's lead to 1 point before their stalemate at the City of Manchester Stadium on Wednesday night, and that was without the recuperating Wayne Rooney, who, you have to believe, will come back from the US with a vengance in time for the glut of fixtures over the festive period. At the moment, I'm watching them struggle against Villa, but they are very much still in the game, and Villa are missing some key players, especially in the middle. Remember, Chelsea were held here not so long ago, it will be interesting to see if Utd can better that result.

Arsenal, shorn of their better players through injury much of the time, appear too inconsistent to mount a season long challenge, and this weekend face perhaps the toughest test of the Top 4 with a trip to Everton, who, like their Merseyside rivals, have begun to get things going. History is on Arsenal's side; they are unbeaten in the last 6 games at Goodison and won the corresponding fixture 6-1 last season. Still, I don't have much faith in a centre back pairing of Djourou and Squillaci doesn't augur well in an away game. Arsenal do have van Persie back in the frame, and can pair him with a striker in form in Marouane Chamakh.

Elsehere in the league, Spurs may be winning plaudits for their exploits in Europe, but conceding 4 to Bolton isn't likely to help should they wish to play in next season's Champions League. Rafael van der Vaart certainly looks worth every penny of the reported £8m transfer fee, and Roman Pavlyuchenko is beginning to show more and more flashes of class. However, at the back, they are a mess and this will be their downfall. Also, at home to Inter Milan, they showed the usual British shortcomings-they cannot keep the ball, their only have 'attack' and 'defend' modes, with little control exhibited in between.

Ian Holloway had a good old rant during the week (on whether the Premier League would fine him for making 10 changes to his lineup for a midweek game away to Villa, fielding a nominally weaker team), I have to say I probably agree with him, he's the manager, and a 3-2 defeat doesn't smack of a team that wasn't in a postion to get something from the game. Good for you Ian, let's hope the LMA come out and support you.