When Chelsea last met with Birmingham City at St. Andrews they were stymied to a goalless draw. But they weren't going to take any of it from the in-form promoted side on Wednesday. Chelsea took control of the game from beginning to end and rode their home field advantage to an easy 3-0 victory.

(No, I didn't forget to post after the FACup win, it just gave me nothing to write about it. What was I supposed to say? Chelsea beat Preston North End. And in other news, the sky is blue and water is wet.)

A lot of rumors have surrounded Joe Cole throughout this transfer window as he has struggled to retain a consistent spot in the starting eleven. Contract negotiations have struggled but remain ongoing as the likes of AC Milan are alleged to desire his services. But if he stays, and there's nothing to suggest that he won't, many will look back at Wednesday's match as the moment that solidified his place at Stamford Bridge. Cole had shown flashes of quality since returning from knee surgery but had yet to but together an entire game as he did against Brim yesterday. It was vintage Joe Cole and, by association, vintage Premier League football. He kept the chalk on his boots all night and supplied a beautiful cross to Tracy Chap... sorry... Florent Malouda that brought back memories of 2005-06.It was truly a sight for sore eyes, let me tell you. This is the Joe Cole that needs to, and can, show up every night.

Oh yeah, and frank Lampard's pretty good too. I'd watch out for this guy. He might turn into a pretty good player one day. *wink*

Speaking of contract negotiations, those that are supposed to keep Nicolas Anelka in blue have stalled. You really get the sense, or at least I do, that Anelka enjoys playing in West London. He road the pine so long in the beginning that he would have been gone long before is this wasn't the case. So hope this is an issue that can be resolved sooner rather than later. Once again he was the focal point of the Chelsea attack in the absence of Didier Drogba and to lose him would be huge as Sturridge, though talented, lacks the intangibles of an everyday forward. Here's hoping those talks perk up.

                                                                     

And since I mentioned the Dark Destroyer, guess who's back early from Angola? Hopefully he returns to England with every intention of snatching the Golden Boot back from Wayne Rooney, and maybe a four goal performance of his own (Please?).The looming issue of his absence was no laughing matter, especially as the team began to drop points as the new year swung in. But dominating team performances, and a little help from the weather to avoid the match congestion, made this ACN fly by. Now, with the exception of a newly injured Michael Essien and a still competing John Mikel Obi, the weapons are back in time for what is turning out to be a close race for the top of the table. Chelsea have a couple of recent sweethearts in Burnley and Hull on the docket; should prove to be an excellent chance for Drogba to hit the ground running.

It is, at the very least, fun stuff to watch.

Since January is quickly approaching its end, I thought I'd share the most "Ridiculous Transfer Rumor of the Week/Day/Hour": Raul's agent is claiming that Chelsea are willing to pay $70 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge. LOL WHAT? Maybe four years ago. But right now? Raul plays, if at all, the last 20 minutes of matches, and Chelsea are really going to shell out a little short of Kaka's price tag for him?You gotta love the transfer window.

Written by Nick Degel, the Official Chelsea Blogger of the Goalmouth Scramble