The Nevin family including wife, son and daughter, arrived en masse for the game at Middlesbrough. And just like everyone else, we turned up with a little bit of trepidation considering the injury list. Oh ye of little faith as they say.

Plenty has been written and said already about the quality of the performance on Saturday and in my comments here, I would like to be a little more reserved and sensible than most.

I would like to be but I can't, boy was that fabulous!! It really was one of the most exceptional and one-sided games I have ever witnessed at the top flight in English football.

A few have suggested that Boro weren't at their best, but that would be hard to prove in that they hardly got a kick from the first to the ninetieth minute. The passing and movement from every Chelsea player was extraordinary and it was only fitting that it should have resulted in at least five goals, a number of them of the very highest quality.

Usually I like to focus on one player but how difficult is that considering the options available. Florent Malouda for a kick off looks like nothing more than a new man, with pace, skill and vision oozing out of every pore.

Anelka did everything but score and was the fulcrum of so much that was positive throughout. Kalou looked as though he was rocket-propelled and Frank Lampard was so far above the standard of the opposition that it was bordering on embarrassing. I would hate to have been charged with choosing the man of the match, it was bordering on impossible.

I could go on talking about every player but I think it is worth singling out Juliano Belletti for what was a monumental performance. It has been said by many that his strong suit as a full back was always his attacking qualities. Well this match seemed to suggest that is because he was an attacking midfielder all along guising as a full back.

The energy levels were exceptional but more than that his passing and movement looked like that of a world class seasoned midfielder. His willingness to get forward to support the striker was as good as any player in the league, maybe with the exception of our own Frankie boy.

The wider significance is of course that the thin squad we all (with the obvious exception of the manager) thought we had is a good deal fatter than we imagined.

This week was always going to be a huge test with Roma and then Liverpool to look forward to in the space of a few days, especially considering the still lengthy injury list. Trepidation has now been replaced with excitement, but having said that, the sooner we get a few more back the happier we will all be for the sake of the players themselves.

Roma will be a test of course but their scouts must be seriously confused when Chelsea can perform at such a level with arguably seven first picks out. One or two players from the Giallorossi will not be over concerned because they are world class themselves.

It is certainly worth watching out for Vucinic up front, De Rossi in the midfield but if available then Totti is the player who really stands out for the Italian side and he has done so for over a decade.

He can be a joy to watch even when he is playing for the opposition, with the only question mark being whether the years are just maybe beginning to take their toll on him, particularly in that he has suffered a few injuries of late.

It is a game that if we can win, it puts the club very much in the driving seat for qualification and that must be the first consideration at this stage. Worries about winning the group can wait until another day as the domestic campaign heats up and will take most consideration in the coming weeks.

One thing that will be interesting to see is what happens when Didier Drogba is fully fit again. It is almost unthinkable to leave him out when he is but one thing appears to be clear, the team's style is slightly different when he isn't available.

Long balls using aerial power are utilised far less and the short sharp midfield passing, that is so pleasing on the eye, is used even more.

It may not be a case of 'either or' in the long term, as Scolari seems to be able to get the best out of everyone, no matter the system. It is however heartening to think that the club will have such very different and successful options available to use when different circumstances arise.

I should possibly be apologising for being just so gushing about the weekend's show but I should definitely be apologising for the trick question I set for last week's quiz. In my defence however there was a little clue in who we are playing at the Bridge this week.

I asked where Didier Drogba scored his first goal for the Blues. A quick look at Wikipedia would suggest Crystal Palace, and most of the hundreds of entrants did just that and duly sent in the answer, along with many who remembered the game.

However I rather sneakily didn't say competitive goal and only 10 of you suggested that he scored his first in a friendly in the USA against?you guessed it?Roma. The winner of the big man's autobiography, picked at random by a young girl still hoarse from singing 'One man went to mow?' was Vesa Saarinen from Helsinki in Finland.

This week to win a copy of the Blue Pride DVD review of last season, I would like you to tell me how many competitive goals Juliano Belletti has scored for Chelsea, answers as ever to pat.nevin@chelseafc.com

Good luck and as ever, good luck to the team this week.