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No longer singing the Blues..

It has gone unnoticed by most but after Chelsea put Huddersfield away in the Cup last weekend they are still on for the unique quadruple, the bookmakers offering 124-1 as the Blues prepare to take on Tottenham in the Carling Cup this weekend for leg one. After Liverpool's embarrassing home defeat to Barnsley, Benitez again protecting his best players for Europe by not starting them, this time, alas, like waving a white flag at the Americans to sack him, those odds will be falling fast, especially after United thumped a disinterested Arsenal. The FA Cup is there for the taking, now, as more and more premier league threats fall by the wayside, round five having the lowest amount of top flight clubs in it since 1981. It's almost as if the second string Premier League clubs don't bother to try and win it as they have got used to the big four dominating the final, preferring to push for a place in Europe the Cup offers via the top 8 in the league.. But then the Arsenals and Liverpool's rest players for round five for Champions league and it allows the Championship sides to sneak under the radar and into the final, which is what will happen this year, and those second tear prem teams should take note. The reason the top four dominate is you don't push them. A record 28 straight games without a replay this year is testament to a sea change in the world's most famous football trophy.

What makes this run even more impressive is Avron Grant's team has not only bettered Morinihios first 30 games record with the club but closed the gap on United, a United who had lost only one game in two months until the emotions and the silly strip got the better of the Reds in the Munich memorial derby. Sir Alex side without Ronaldo and Rooney have been very average and have suffered loses when one or both have been out, all five defeats, Rooneyless, and Arsenal without their big players of Fabregas and Adebeyor have also lost points, yet Chelsea without Lampard and Drogba have 'closed' the gap on both in all four competitions. They don't have a Wes Brown or Philipe Senderos weakness and so can put out 11 world class players every game.

I expect a radically improving Spurs under Ramos to edge the Carling Cup final at Wembley on Sunday but I really do fancy this side to steel through on the rails and nick the premiership, regardless of that 8 point deficit, a blue shirt perhaps dipping to break the tape in a photo-finish. The top three all have to play each

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