Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard and Rafa Benitez will need a win versus PSV Eindhoven to keep pace with Atletico Madrid in their Champions League group.

Wednesday sees Chelsea and Liverpool’s second Champions League matches, with the Blues in Romania to face CFR Cluj while the Reds welcome PSV Eindhoven to Anfield. The day’s key matches, however, will be in France and Italy. AS Roma goes to France for a match with Bordeaux with each side is trying to rebound from a disappointing first matchday. In Milan, a contrast in styles sees a controlling Internazionale host the wide-open Werder Bremen.

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Chelsea right back José Bosingwa scored the first and set-up the second goal in the Blues’ defeat of Stoke.

Nobody is going to forget José Mourinho any time soon, but if José Bosingwa puts in more performances like he did Saturday at the Britannia Stadium, there will be another José which comes to mind when you mention Chelsea football.

The first-year Blue scored the opening goal and set up Nicolas Anelka for the second as the league’s best side regained the Premiership’s top spot, 2-0 over Stoke. Read the full story

Park Ji-Sung, Manchester United’s unlikely goal scorer, gave the Red Devils an early lead.

The Red Devils gave Premier League fans a glimpse of what could be, using their speed and movement to put Chelsea on their heals, a state the Blues had rarely found themselves during their first four matches.  But after an initial shock, Chelsea rebounded, showing their quality throughout a match where they also showed their first signs of vulnerability.

Overcoming a deficit they had chased for most of the match, an 80th minute goal by substitute Salomon Kalou equalized for the home team, helping Chelsea keep their home unbeaten streak alive by drawing with Manchester United, 1-1.

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John Terry, who was given a straight red card in the 77th minute of Chelsea’s Saturday victory over Manchester City, will be able to play Sunday against Manchester United after Chelsea successfully appealed the red card to the Football Association.  Today the FA rescinded the red card and the three game suspension that would have gone with it.  Chelsea’s captain will now be available for their match on Sunday at Stamford Bridge against Manchester United.

Terry was given the red card by referee Mark Halsey after bringing down City striker Jo as he was also to a breakaway.  The referee gave a surprise red card, seeing as Terry’s partner Ricardo Carvalho was still ahead of the play.  It was later learned that Halsey’s red card was said to have been awarded for use of excessive force, a judgment which carries with it an automatic three game suspension (as opposed to the one game suspension of a red card).

Chelsea’s appeal on the grounds of wrongful dismissal was upheld, much to the chagrin of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.  Ferguson, whose center back Nemanja Vidic will miss Sunday’s match after picking up two yellow cards against Liverpool on Saturday, accused the Premier League’s head of referees, Keith Hackett, of a pro-Chelsea bias in dismissing Terry’s red card.

The referee who made the decision was reported reassigned to League Two games.

Last year’s Champions League ended in penalty kicks. Today, Chelsea starts the road back to the final.

Can you hear the song?

We are only hours away from the start of the UEFA Champions League, with eight matches kicking off the competition’s group stage. Chelsea and Liverpool start play for the Premier League, each being matched up against opponents from Ligue 1. Bordeaux comes to Stamford Bridge off a weekend draw with Marseille, who will host Liverpool. And while we focus on the Premier League’s match-ups below, the day’s marque match-ups may be in the Netherlands (Atletico Madrid visiting PSV Eindhoven) and Greece (Panathinaikos hosting Internazionale).

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Frank Lampard scored the game winning goal at Eastlands on Saturday.

It has been nearly a month since Chelsea’s 4-0 season opening win over Portsmouth put the English Premier League on notice.  In the two matches that followed, Chelsea was lackluster in beating Wigan and outright vulnerable in drawing at home with Tottenham.  That form, combined with the dawn of a new, financially brilliant era at Eastlands, made Saturday’s visit to Manchester City look dangerous.  But after ninety minutes of the free-flowing, attacking football that had characterized their preseason and first match against Portsmouth, Chelsea showed why they are still the class of the league.

Goals from Ricardo Carvalho, Frank Lampard, and Nicolas Anelka overshadowed Robinho’s opener - his debut goal for City - as Chelsea won 3-1 to stay at the top of the Premier League.

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Chelsea - the version that raced to a dominant Premiership start - failed to show up for their home affair with Tottenham on Sunday. In their stead for their London derby they sent their understudy which, unfortunately, was a complacent side unwilling to push a outgunned Spurs team. The result was quiet day for the keepers and a 1-1 draw featuring two inglorious goals.

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Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack suffered a foot injury in the Blues’ season opener against Portsmouth.  The German star left that game and was considered doubtful for last Sunday’s match against Wigan.  Although he played through that match, Ballack has been unable to resume training and has now been ruled out of this weekend’s match against Tottenham.

The early quoted time line, two weeks, would have him return for Chelsea’s trip to City of Manchester Stadium on September 13 to face Manchester City.  Ballack is expected to miss Germany’s two World Cup qualifiers next week, at Liechtenstein and Finland.

In each of the two previous weeks of the season, Chelsea had missed a main component of their crowded midfield.  Against Portsmouth, Michael Essien was out of the lineup, while Jon Obi Mikel sat against Wigan.  This week, both Essien and Mikel should play with Frank Lampard and Deco when the Blues face Tottenham in their derby on Sunday morning.

Ballack has been no stranger to injury some coming over to Chelsea from Bayern Munich two seasons ago.  In the two preceding Premiership campaigns, Ballack has played a combined 44 matches (out of a possible 76).  Chelsea’s depth has always allowed Ballack, now 31 years old, the time to rest his injuries.  With the current roster having five players vying for spots in the middle of the field, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari will have be to give Ballack full rest.

Chelsea fans:  another convenient injury keeps Luiz Felipe Scolari from having to decide amongst the five, core midfielders.  Is this injury convenient?  A mild blessing?  And will it even matter on Sunday?  Let us know your thoughts in our comments section, below.

As ASR starts to catch-up with two busy days of transfer activity and continental soccer, we start in London, following one winger’s trip back westward to where his career started.

Over the last two days Shaun Wright-Phillips had been telling the press that he would not be moving to Everton or Manchester City, two clubs who were said to have approached Chelsea about his services.  It turns out Shaun was only half right.

Wright-Phillips will be rejoining Manchester City after signing a four-year deal today.  The 26-year-old right winger has passed a medical and will join Manchester City immediately, with an expected debut this weekend at Sunderland.  The fee was not officially disclosed, though speculation has Manchester City paying around £10 million.

Wright-Phllips started his career with Manchester City in 1999 and spent six seasons with the club.  In the summer of 2005 he moved to Chelsea, where he spent the last three seasons. Over the last year, Wright-Phillips has rarely been selected for Premiership and Champions League matches, having last his right wing spot to Joe Cole.

Wright-Phillips has steadily lost playing time at Stamford Bridge and had been rumored with a move all summer, with Portsmouth’s Harry Redknapp publicly declaring his interest in him.  Over the last week, as the transfer deadline approached and it became clear Pompey did not have the money, Everton and Manchester City emerged as suitors.

On Thursday, Wright-Phillips agreed to move back to Manchester City after speaking to new manager Mark Hughes.  The right winger signed a four year deal and is expected to be selected immediately, giving City some needed pace and width.

His resumption of regular playing time could see Wright-Phillips’ name resurface in England international discussions.  After making 21 appearances between 2004 and 2007, Wright-Phillips has had his name dropped from consideration for international duties because of his lack of playing time with Chelsea.

The Wright-Phillips era in London is over.  Money well spent for City?  And what of his England aspirations?  Let us know in the comments, below.

The determining moment of Chelsea’s 1-0 win at the JJB may have come before kickoff. Wigan goaltender Chris Kirkland, having missed England’s Wednesday international with back trouble, was ruled out of Sunday’s match a recurrence in warm-ups. His absence may have proved costly for a home team whose 1-0 loss fell on the end of an early, possibly savable, direct kick.

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