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Page last updated at 21:40 GMT, Wednesday, 19 October 2011 22:40 UK

Wednesday football as it happened

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By Chris Bevan
BBC Sport

2231: And this is where I bid you farewell. I hope you enjoyed tonight, whether it was Chelsea's goalfest versus Genk or Arsenal's Ram Raid in Marseille. Phil Dawkes will take you through all the Europa League action on Thursday, and I'll see you again at the weekend for the Manchester derby and much, much more. Chris Bevan out.

TheRetroRecall on Twitter: "Some of these Champions League teams are terrible, why cant the play-offs have more teams? Yes, I am a Spurs fan."

OptaJoe on Twitter: "0 - Plzen are only the 2nd team to fail to manage a shot in a CL game in the last five seasons (after Arsenal vs Barça in 10/11). Blank."

2225: Don't forget that Celtic, Tottenham, Birmingham, Stoke and Fulham are all in action in the Europa League on Thursday. Who fancies nine wins out of nine for British clubs in Europe this week?

philbeck10 on Twitter: "Koscielny played well, but didn't really have much to do. Could've been different if Marseille set out a bit more positively."

From Ahmed West Ak, via Text: "Good win for the Gunners tonight, not all the quality of the team delivered but surely a huge confidence boost. My man of the match is Koscielny. 5 out of 6 games won is surely no crisis. Well done boys."

DrewwC17 on Twitter: "Re ChrisJack28. I could watch the whole 90 minutes again, boring but best defending from Arsenal this season!! "

2215: Here's Infostrada Sports with a statistical round-up too. We already knew Chelsea matched their record Champions League win tonight but did you know Marseille's defeat means Real Madrid are the only club left with a 100% record after three matches? Well, it does.

Full time
FULL-TIME Marseille 0-1 Arsenal
Saj Chowdhury reports: "Arsenal left it late but Aaron Ramsey came to the rescue and they now look likely to qualify for the knockout stages. Problems? What problems?"

Full time
FULL-TIME Chelsea 5-0 Genk
Stephan Shemilt reports: "Little more than a stroll for Chelsea with Meireles and, perhaps more importantly, Torres, hugely impressive. It bodes well for the return meeting in Belgium, when victory will all but assure their passage to the last 16."

2212: Whatever Manchester can do, London can do, er, the same. Here's how Chelsea and Arsenal kept England's 100% record in the Champions League this week...

OptaJoe on Twitter: "69 - Following today's win by Barca, only Raul (79) has won more Champions League matches than Xavi, (Giggs 68). Legends."

Arsenal fan iainjones1985 on Twitter: "We haven't won a game like that in a while! Showed great mentality and determination! Some of that in the PL please!"

2205: Some bad news from that Leicester-Watford game in the Championship. Hornets winger Michael Kightly, who is on loan from Wolves after recovering from a succession of injuries in the last couple of years, limped off after 20 minutes of his side's 2-0 defeat. When he's fit, Kightly is a class act so I just hope it doesn't prove to be serious. He deserves a bit of luck, to be honest.

From Tim O'Sullivan, via text: "Just finished work to find Arsenal had won! Don't care how they played, at the end of the day we're taking home three points! C'mon Gooners!

sam25barker on Twitter: "Blah blah, english teams did fantastic but Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia first in their group - drew with Porto! Worth a shout-out!"

OptaJoe on Twitter: "90 - Both of Aaron Ramsey's goals in the Champions League have come in the 90th minute or later (also vs Fenerbahce in 2008). Rescue."

DavidM33 on Twitter: "Good win tonight, plenty of positives, Torres seems like he's getting back to his best and Romeu looks a real find."

2157: Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas after his side outclassed Genk at Stamford Bridge: "It was very good display by the team, very focused. The boys kept going through the first half fantastically well, keeping the rhythm high. In the second half we missed a couple of passes but increased the tempo in the last 10 minutes, which was good. It was a good result and puts us in a good position for the last three games."

JohnnyMagrinho on Twitter: "Being excited because you've painted the fence after the paint dry is about the same as being excited after Arsenal win a game."

fraserbacon on Twitter: "Any Arsenal fan who moans about that is an idiot. That was the type of win we thought we had seen the last of!"

2154: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger on his side's last-gasp win in Marseille: "For the qualification, it was a very important goal - and for our confidence too. It was a scrappy game. Marseille defended well but in the last 15 minutes we started to create chances and it was a case of patience, discipline and intelligence. The spirit was good and our attitude was right."

2152: Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who did not exactly have a busy night as his side thrashed Genk 5-0: "I think we knew it was not going to be easy if our mentality was not right, but our mentality was right and we made it look easy. We deserved a result like that because of how we approached the game."

2150: Arsenal move top of Group F, and Chelsea stay on the summit of Group E. Tonight's results mean they have seven points from three games at the halfway stage of the Champions League group stage, and one more win from their remaining matches should be enough for both of them to reach the knockout stages.

From anon, via text: "As a Gooner who slept from the 6th to the 89th minute, I think I'm the real winner in all of this!"

Full time
FULL-TIME Barcelona 2-0 Plzen

FULL-TIME AC Milan 2-0 BATE Borisov

FULL-TIME Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 Zenit St Petersburg

Full time
FULL-TIME FC Porto 1-1 Apoel Nicosia

FULL-TIME Olympiakos 3-1 Borussia Dortmund

FULL-TIME Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Valencia

2148: Here's tonight's other Champions League scores. Not quite the goalfest we anticipated at the Nou Camp in the end, was it? ...

Football League full-time update: "Leicester, pre-season favourites for promotion, moved to within a point of the play-off spots with an easy 2-0 win over Watford in the Championship. In League One, Sheffield United moved to fifth place - leapfrogging opponents Preston - thanks to two debut goals from Matt Phillips in a 4-2 victory.

BBC Radio 5 live
Former England boss Graham Taylor at Stade Velodrome on BBC Radio 5 live:"For Arsene Wenger, the fact that he has won hides the disappointment about that performance. But you take things like that and Arsenal go home with the three points. At the end of the day, this game is about winning."

mattharding007 on Twitter: "All four English teams win in Europe this week. That's better..."

Arsenal fan amorris1988 on Twitter: "5 wins in the last 6 games now. Crisis? What crisis?"

ChrisJack28 on Twitter: "A win away from home, a clean sheet and now top of the group. I could watch that game over and over again."


The last 90 seconds maybe, but surely not the whole 90 minutes!?

2138: Boos ring out at the Stade Velodrome at the final whistle and you can see why the Marseille fans are unhappy after such a negative display that, ultimately, fails to bring them even a point. Nothing but joy for Arsenal, though. That win means they are top of Group F.

2137: FULL-TIME Marseille 0-1 Arsenal

Goooooooaaaaaaaaal
Arsenal goal: The perfect way to finish a poor game, if you are a Gunners fan anyway. Gervinho cannot control a deep Johan Djourou cross from the right but the ball spins into the path of Aaron Ramsey, who has time and space on the edge of the area to plant his low shot between Steve Mandanda and his right-hand post. Looks like Arsene Wenger is going to win in Marseille tonight, finally.

2135: GOALFLASH Marseille 0-1 Arsenal (Aaron Ramsey)

2133: Time for one last Arsenal attack as we move into stoppage time. Gervinho embarks on a mazy run and slides Robin van Persie clear, but Steve Mandanda is equal to his low first-time shot.

Full time
2132 FULL-TIME Chelsea 5-0 Genk

pp0u20e8 on Twitter: "Re 2125. Without wishing to tempt fate, Koscielny is my man of the match tonight for Arsenal. Strangely calamity free!"

2129: We are into the last five minutes at the Stade Velodrome. So, do Marseille want to win this one or not? It doesn't look like it because they have made a like-for-like switch in their final substitution, with Charles Kabore on for another defensive midfielder Benoit Cheyrou. Looks like their boss Didier Deschamps is indeed happy with a point.

2127: GOALFLASH Barcelona 2-0 Plzen (David Villa )

2125: I haven't written the sentence 'good defending by Arsenal' too many times this season, and certainly not with the words 'Laurent' and 'Koscielny' in there too. He has looked solid tonight though, albeit against an unambitious Marseille side, and got in a timely tackle here to stop a cross reaching Andre-Pierre Gignac.

From Alex from Birmingham via text: "Marseille are such a dull side, showed no ambition tonight and even less in the fixture against Man Utd in the last 16 last season. Arsenal to nick a late goal."

2124: GOALFLASH Olympiakos 3-1 Borussia Dortmund (Francois Modesto)

From Vikram in Aberdenn via text: "What do you think of Oriol Romeu, Chris? Barca have an option to buy him back."


He's looked good tonight, but then so would you and I against this Genk team.

2122: Another switch at Stamford Bridge too. Jelle Vossen is off and the snappily named Kennedy Nwanganga is on. He's known as Ken to his mates.

Football League latest: Sheffield United are back in the lead in a cracker at Deepdale. Lee Williamson cuts in from the right and his shot squirms under Preston keeper Ian Turner.

2120: There's been more substitutions than chances at the Stade Velodrome, which tells you how exciting that game has been. Arsenal have made another change, with Aaron Ramsey on for Andrey Arshavin.

InfostradaLive on Twitter: "Chelsea are leading 5-0, equal to their biggest CL win (5-0 at Galatasaray on 20 October 1999)."

From Luje via text: "I'm a Chelsea fan in Milan on business, being made to watch the Milan game... Looks like I am missing an impressive performance. Torres is class!"

2118: Marseille have made a couple of changes as we move into the last 15 minutes at the Stade Velodrome. Andre-Pierre Gignac is on for Loic Remy and Morgan Amalfitano replaces Lucho Gonzalez. I could be wrong but it looks like both sides are happy with a point.

Yellow card
2116: Arsenal substitute Johan Djourou slides in on Jeremy Morel and gets all of the ball, so he is as confused as I am when the referee flourishes a yellow card in his direction.

Chelsea goal: Jose Bosingwa makes this one, with a delicious cross from the right. Fernando Torres should really complete his hat-trick, but fires straight at Laszlo Koteles. Nevermind, though, because Salomon Kalou is on hand to slot home the rebound from close range.

BBC Radio 5 live
Former England boss Graham Taylor at Stade Velodrome on BBC Radio 5 live:"The game is very much like it was in the first half - a real lack of quality. Arsenal would take a draw with the home game to come, but not a good game in terms on deliverance."

From anon via text: "Arsenal v Marseille is one of the worst quality Champions League games I have watched. Not dull - but both teams just lack confidence and can't play any sort of killer pass."


It hasn't exactly been a thriller, has it.

Footballl League latest: The goals keep coming at Deepdale, with Preston's Iain Hume scoring with a neat turn and shot to make it 2-2 against Sheffield United.

2113: GOALFLASH AC Milan 2-0 BATE Borisov (Kevin Prince Boateng)

2112: GOALFLASH Chelsea 5-0 Genk (Salomon Kalou)

2111: And, while I'm at it, Genk have replaced Elyaniv Barda for Dugary Ndabashinze, who for text commentary reasons was their substitute I least wanted to come on. Salomon Kalou has just had another long range effort for Chelsea, again saved by the keeper.

2110: Arsenal have made a change too. Gervinho is on for Theo Walcott.

2109: Any sign of a Genk comeback? You're joking, right. Their keeper Laszlo Koteles has just had to keep out raspers from Jose Bosingwa and Raul Meireles, either side of a subsitution which saw Frank Lampard replaced by Salomon Kalou.

2106: This is a much better chance for the Gunners. Theo Walcott latches on to a Tomas Rosicky ball and rides a weak tackle by Nicolas N'Koulou on his way into the box. N'Koulou recovers and does just enough to put Walcott off as he shapes to shoot... and his rather tame effort is straight at Steve Mandanda.

2104: Robin van Persie has been kept pretty quiet tonight, save for that header which was cleared off the line - no sign of the sort of form he showed on Sunday against Sunderland yet anyway. He has just had a snapshot from the edge of the box but it did not have enough power to trouble Steve Mandanda in the Marseille goal. By the way, the Gunners are back up to 11 players because Johan Djourou is on for Carl Jenkinson.

2104: GOALFLASH Shakhtar Donetsk 2-2 Zenit St Petersburg (Viktor Faitzulin)

2103: Arsenal are currently down to 10 men while Carl Jenkinson has treatment on a calf injury. Not sure he will be able to continue either.

2012: Marseille come to life, with Loic Remy's deep cross almost reaching Lucho Gonzalez. Three Arsenal defenders combine to desperately scramble the ball clear. Half an hour left and still goallless at the Stade Velodrome.

2100: Raul Meireles is having so much fun tonight he can afford to smile even when he lashes a shot wide after nicking the ball from Fernando Torres inside the box. This game is still embarrassingly one-sided and the Blues should probably have had a penalty too, when Frank Lampard was sent tumbling in the box. Nothing given.

2059: It's been a while since Chelsea have scored, but they are still attacking. Frank Lampard releases Florent Malouda down the left but his angled shot is kept out by Laszlo Koteles. Malouda probably should have squared it but I guess every Blues player wants a goal tonight.

2057: GOALFLASH Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Valencia (Sidney Sam)

From Nick in Derby, via text: "Re 2043. Several West Ham flags in that end behind the banner so not convinced it's for Scunthorpe."

sahilsampat on Twitter: "So many players in that Arsenal team just making up the numbers. Worrying times!"

2055: GOALFLASH Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Valencia (Andre Schurrle)

MrGudBoi on Twitter: "Arsenal look much like the home team... Marseille giving us the ball whenever we lose it."

2053: Robin van Persie takes this one, from nearer the right flank. It is aimed for Per Mertesacker but again Marseille clear. Still, this is encouraging for Arsenal because they are seeing an awful lot more of the ball than the home side.

2051: Andre Santos tries to whip in a free-kick for Arsenal, but it fails to beat the first defender. The Gunners will have another go, though, because Tomas Rosicky has just been fouled. Per Mertesacker has gone forward again.

Whistle
2048: We are now back under way in Marseille too.

2047: Chelsea pick up where they left off, by going on the attack. Nicolas Anelka fires in a tempting low cross but there is no-one in blue in the area to get on the end of it.

2046: Genk have made a substitution as well. Fabien Camus is on for Abel Masuero. I wonder what their manager Mario Been's half-time team-talk involved, apart from him banging his head repeatedly against the wall...

2045: A change for Chelsea at the break. Paulo Ferreira is on for Ashley Cole. The second half has just started too.

2043: The other thing I've just spotted at Stade Velodrome is a large 'Come on you Iron' banner in the Marseille end. Scunthorpe fans on holiday, I suspect?

2042: I've just seen both those first-half penalty shouts at Stade Velodrome again and, as suspected, both of them should have been penalties. Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson clearly handled a cross, which was hardly at point-blank range either. At the other end, it was Souleymane Diawara who handled the Mikel Arteta corner which Robin van Persie eventually headed goalwards. The cheeky blighter got back to nod Van Persie's effort off the line too.

CalumReeve on Twitter: " Is it just me or is Andre Santos clueless?"


He certainly hasn't had his finest 45 minutes, has he?


footballingguru on Twitter: "Chelsea looking strong, but I wouldn't put a goal past Genk with John Terry absent in defence."

2037: Chelsea are home and dry but for Arsenal and Marseille, things are still very much in the balance. I'm not expecting many of you to predict a Genk comeback but which way do you see things going in the Stade Velodrome? Tweet the commentary via the hashtag #BBCFootball, Tweet me @chrisbevan_bbc or text in via 81111 (UK).

BBC Radio 5 live
Former England boss Graham Taylor at Stade Velodrome on BBC Radio 5 live:"It's been a disappointing game because both teams have lacked concentration. Neither side are playing to their full potential."

2035: GOALFLASH Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Zenit St Petersburg (Da Silva Luis Adriano)

Half time
Marseille 0-0 Arsenal
Saj Chowdhury's HT snapshot:
"Arsenal have had plenty of possession and look dangerous in attack with Robin van Persie, again, looking threatening. On the downside they keep giving away the ball too."

Half time
Chelsea 4-0 Genk
Stephan Shemilt's HT snapshot: "Have Chelsea ever had an easier evening in the Champions League? Genk have offered little, but that takes nothing away from how well the hosts have played."

2031: Andre Santos is a very lucky man. The Arsenal defender is already on a booking and he has conceded a rather ridiculous free-kick, blatantly handling the ball as he tried to control it. Referee Damir Skomina did see that one, but decides not to show him another yellow card.

Football League latest: Jermaine Beckford is finally off the mark for his new club, scoring Leicester's second against Watford. In League One, Matt Phillips has scored his second of the night to give Sheffield United a 2-1 lead over Preston.

Goooooooaaaaaaaaal
Chelsea goal: The Blues just keep on scoring, and the men in hot pink seem powerless to stop them. From that free-kick, Florent Malouda curls the ball in and Branislav Ivanovic nods past Laszlo Koteles. Far, far too easy.

2028: GOALFLASH Olympiakos 2-1 Borussia Dortmund (Rafik Djebbour)

2028: GOALFLASH Chelsea 4-0 Genk (Branislav Ivanovic)

Yellow card
2026: Another booking at the Bridge, where Daniel Pudil is shown yellow for sending Nicolas Anelka tumbling. In Marseille, Arsenal are working hard to keep possession and get forward. Carl Jenkinson is playing a big part in that down the right.

Daniel_Waite on Twitter: "A strong case of: Form is temporary, Class is permanent from Fernando Torres. Still so lethal."


Hmmmm, or possibly a strong case of Genk being a good team to be playing against if you need a goal.

lee2241 on Twitter: "This is going to be a demolition, Chelsea are just too good."

2022: Again, Marseille threaten. Mathieu Valbuena's quick cross catches the Arsenal defence napping and Lucho Gonzalez is first to it at the near post. The Argentine midfielder gets a decent contact on the ball but cannot direct it properly and it flies across goal and wide. He should really have hit the target from there.

2021: GOALFLASH AC Milan 1-0 BATE Borisov (Zlatan Ibrahimovic 33)

2020: GOALFLASH Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 Zenit St Petersburg (Roman Shirokov)

2019: Here's a stat from Stamford Bridge which shows Chelsea's absolute dominance: They have completed 232 passes in the first 35 minutes. Genk have managed 74. In terms of goals, the Blues have three and the Belgians have zero. Expect that first figure to increase in the next hour or so.

2018: So far Marseille have been a bit flat going forward but they just got a whole lot better. Some super skill by Loic Remy sees him dance past Per Metersacker and Carl Jenkinson and get away a shot in the Arsenal area, but Jenkinson gets back to get a vital block.

DavidM33 on Twitter: "Fernando Torres Chelsea's number 9! The class is returning "

samcandlin on Twitter: "I'm sat in my lounge actually clapping some of Chelsea's moves. I know Genk are a 'minnow' but is this normal?!"

OptaJoe on Twitter: "7 - Genk are the seventh side against whom Torres has scored in the CL, and the first who haven't previously played in a CL final. Minnows."

BBC Radio 5 live
Former England boss Graham Taylor at Stade Velodrome on BBC Radio 5 live:"I don't think the quality we expect from both these teams has been there tonight. The ball has been given away too many times."

2013: GOALFLASH Olympiakos 1-1 Borussia Dortmund (Robert Lewandowski)

Goooooooaaaaaaaaal
Chelsea goal: It already looks like being a case of 'how many' for Chelsea tonight. Raul Meireles and Fernando Torres have been fantastic so far and the latter has just bagged his second of the night, heading home a Meireles cross with a precise header. Genk are defending in numbers but it is not helping them much.

2012: GOALFLASH Chelsea 3-0 Genk (Fernando Torres)

Football League latest: David Nugent has opened the scoring for Leicester, finishing well from Paul Konchesky's through-ball. It's the striker's fourth goal of the season.

2010: GOALFLASH Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Valencia (Oliveira Jonas)

2008: It looked like a handball by a Marseille defender just before that Robin van Persie header too, but referee Damir Skomina didn't spot that one either. Still 0-0, with just over 20 minutes gone.

2008: GOALFLASH FC Porto 1-1 Apoel Nicosia (Ailton Jose Almeida)



2006: Arsenal's best chance by far has just come and gone. Mikel Arteta's corner is eventually met by Robin van Persie, whose header is going in until it is cleared off the line by Souleymane Diawara

Yellow card
Yellow card
2005: A couple of bookings at Stamford Bridge too, where there have been a few wild challenges flying in. First, Genk's Khaleem Hyland is booked after a cynical challenge on Florent Malouda, whose run was driving a hole through the Genk defence. Frank Lampard puts the resulting free-kick high over the bar. At the other end, David Luiz is shown yellow for a similarly poor challenge on Jelle Vossen, and promptly goes diving in at the next opportunity too. This time he escapes punishment.

BenElshaw on Twitter: "That Torres goal was made by how lethal Lampard's shooting is, made defender go to block Lampard."

Yellow card
2003: Another booking at the Stade Velodrome, where Arsenal defender Andre Santos is punished for bodychecking Mathieu Valbuena. It's not all bad news for the Gunners, though, because Carl Jenkinson is getting forward well down the opposite flank and one of his crosses has just caused a bit of panic in the Marseille defence.

2002: GOALFLASH Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 Zenit St Petersburg (da Silva Willian)

2002: GOALFLASH FC Porto 1-0 Apoel Nicosia (Porto)

tejverrao on Twitter: "WE WANT A RUGBY SCORE."

Yellow card
1959: Drama at the Stade Velodrome. Andre Ayew goes in Slovakian referee Damir Skomina's notebook for protesting about a decision and TV replays show why. Carl Jenkinson had handled a cross which flew into the box, but Skomina didn't seem to see it.

1958: Arsenal are having trouble keeping hold of the ball in Marseille, but they have had one dangerous moment when Theo Walcott whipped in a ball from the right which Robin van Persie headed two feet wide. However the linesman had already flagged for offside.

Football League latest: Matt Phillips, on loan from Blackpool, has given Sheffield United an early lead at Preston. Not a bad way to mark your debut.

big_brainson Twitter: "Theo Walcott definitely needs a good game tonight or the fans will be calling for Mr Chamberlain. Arsenal fans believe!!"

1957: GOALFLASH Barcelona 1-0 Plzen (Andres Iniesta)

Goooooooaaaaaaaaal
Chelsea goal: Correction, Fernando Torres has now scored his first Champions League goal for the Blues. He latches on to Frank Lampard's through-ball and coolly slots home. Not the start Genk were looking for, to say the least.

1952: GOALFLASH Chelsea 2-0 Genk (Fernando Torres)

Goooooooaaaaaaaaal
Chelsea goal: The Genk defence is still at sixes and sevens after that last Chelsea attack when the home side take the lead in spectacular style. Raul Meireles has time and space to let fly from outside the box and his low shot rockets into the bottom corner of the net, taking one bounce on its way in.

1953: GOALFLASH Olympiakos 1-0 Borussia Dortmund (Jose Holebas)

1952: GOALFLASH Chelsea 1-0 Genk (Raul Meireles)

Someone has struck the woodwork
1952: Chelsea's first sight of goal and they should be ahead. Raul Meireles clips the ball over the Genk defence and Fernando Torres is through on goal... but fires against the post with only Laszlo Koteles to beat. He is still yet to score in the Champions League for the Blues.

Yellow card
1938: Marseille's first attack and it is an immediate worry for Arsenal. Alex Song's mistake allows Loic Remy to pounce and Song has to bring him down, about 25 yards from goal. That's a booking and a free-kick, which Mathieu Valbuena bends straight at Wojciech Szczesny.

1948: Petr Cech took a bit of a chance there, actually, using his chest to intercept the bouncing ball just outside his area. Might have been messy if it had spun up and hit his arm.

1947: Speaking of kits, Genk are wearing hot pink, as you would, er, expect. Chelsea are in blue and completely dominating possession in the first couple of minutes, although Kevin De Bruyne has just brought Petr Cech into action, sprinting out of his box to cut out a bending throughball.

Whistle
1946: We are a little slower to start in Francem where Marseille are wearing orange and Arsenal are in blue. It's started now though.

1945: And we are off. Chelsea's first ever meeting with Genk is under way.

1944: Some good news: Give this page a manual refresh and you can listen to live commentary of Marseille versus Arsenal on BBC Radio 5 live.

1942: The players emerge at Stamford Bridge and the Stade Velodrome, which is absolutely jumping. Anthem time, coming right up...

blackonblondeuk on Twitter: "Hope Arsene Wenger will put the ghost of the 1993 Ligue 1 title n a shaky start to the season to rest with a great win tonight."

tgsgirl on Twitter: "Genk fan following the action here. I respectfully request Chelsea don't completely squash us. No humiliation is all I ask."

1938: I remember watching a game at the Stade Velodrome on TV during a French exchange trip a good few years back, when Chris Waddle (and his poodle haircut) plus Jean-Pierre Papin's goal, were so good they almost made me choke on my escargot burger. There was an electric atmosphere that night, somethig that hasn't changed one bit 20 years on. The SV is going to get a makeover ahead of Euro 2016 and get a roof - I hope it doesn't lose its magic.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas on making six changes to the side that beat Everton on Saturday: "We have a lot of talent at our disposal and we've decided on this 11. Everyone has been performing well and we have confidence in every player. Although we have made six changes, this is a quality side. We want to get back to winning ways in the Champions League after we were close in Valencia. Genk have enough talent in the squad to surprise us, so we have to be focused."

1931: In the absence of John Terry, who is rested so not even on the bench, Frank Lampard will skipper Chelsea tonight. Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge are among the substitutes.

From Chris, via text: "There is so much vulnerability in Arsenal's back line tonight, I dont see us not conceding."

Ellguitar on Twitter: "The Marseille attack even makes me (a Man City fan) jealous. Combined with Arsenal's full backs? There will be goals."

CharlieFee on Twitter: "I love the complaints that Chelsea are resting their best players....when they have Torres and Anelka up front-not exactly bad."

OptaJoe on Twitter: "7 - During his time at Monaco, Arsène Wenger never managed an away win at Marseille in Ligue 1 (three draws, four defeats). Outfoxed."

1926: A couple of games in the Football League for us to stay across too. Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester host Watford in the only Championship encounter tonight, and there's only one winner if you look at the formbook. The Foxes have not dropped a point at the King Power Stadium for two months, while their opponents have won only two of their last 16 away games. In League One, Preston and Sheffield United meet at Deepdale, with both clubs holding promotion aspirations.

1924: Elsewhere in the Champions League, a few of you are predicting a few goals at the Nou Camp tonight, and there might be a few at the San Siro too. Barcelona and AC Milan can take a big step towards the knockout stages tonight when they host Plzen and BATE Borizov respectively in Group H. Plzen, from the Czech Republic, are making their debut in the competition and face a Barca side which has scored 23 goals in the last five games at the Nou Camp. Their goalkeeper Marek Cech might be in for a busy night.

1922: I was surprised to read today that, until now, Arsene Wenger has not been back to the Stade Velodrome since he left French football in 1994. But he hasn't got great memories of the place, to be honest. During his time as Monaco boss in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Marseille were his side's main rivals and the end of that era was dominated by the bribery scandal that saw Marseille president Bernard Tapie jailed and his team stripped of the 1993 Ligue 1 title.

Chelsea v Genk line-ups
Chelsea:
Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Romeu, Lampard, Meireles, Anelka, Torres, Malouda. Subs: Turnbull, Mata, Mikel, Ferreira, Kalou, Sturridge, Alex.
Genk: Koteles, Ngcongca, Masuero, Tozser, Pudil, Buffel, Vanden Borre, Hyland, De Bruyne, Vossen, Barda. Subs: Sandomierski, Camus, Dugary, Durwael, Nwanganga, Ogunjimi, Limbombe.
Referee: Alexei Nikolaev (Moscow)

Barry_Gavin on Twitter: "Arsenal to get a 2-1 win away from home, Chelsea to scrape a draw as they've left out their most creative players!"

manavm1 on Twitter: "Nice to see Arshavin starting-he deserves it after the Sunderland match. Big match for him and Rosicky."

CHELSEA v GENK TEAM NEWS
Stephan Shemilt reports: "Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas again shuffles his pack in the Champions League, making six changes to the side that beat Everton at the weekend, including five of his front six. Captain John Terry is rested, replaced by David Luiz, while there is a start up front for Fernando Torres, who is currently serving a three-match domestic ban. Genk, hit by defensive injury problems, are boosted by the fitness of striker Jelle Vossen, who has recovered from a twisted ankle."

MARSEILLE v ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Saj Chowdhury reports: "Arsenal
make two changes to the side that beat Sunderland 2-1. Kieran Gibbs [stomach muscle] is replaced by Andre Santos while Andrey Arshavin is picked ahead of Gervinho in attack, having replaced him during the win at the weekend. Loic Remy starts in attack for Marseille, with Andre-Pierre Gignac on the bench after making his return from a groin injury at the weekend.

Marseille v Arsenal line-ups
Marseille:
Mandanda, Azpilicueta, Diawara, N'Koulou, Morel, Diarra, Gonzalez, Cheyrou, Valbuena, Remy, Andre Ayew. Subs: Bracigliano, Gignac, Kabore, Traore, Amalfitano, Sabo, Roland.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Andre Santos, Song, Arteta, Walcott, Rosicky, Arshavin, van Persie. Subs: Fabianski, Ramsey, Djourou, Gervinho, Chamakh, Benayoun, Coquelin.
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

MARSEILLE v ARSENAL (GROUP F, 1945 BST)
Saj Chowdhury reports: "Arsenal
boss Arsene Wenger said his side will be playing a team that they can empathise with. "They are under pressure a little bit like we are in the league because they didn't start as strong as they would have expected," he said. Arsenal are 10th in the Premier league, but Marseille are 15th in the French league. "I don't want to be too pessimistic about our situation," said manager Didier Deschamps. Good to hear."

ChelseaRob93 on Twitter: "No Terry, Mata or Sturridge? Surely I'm not the only worried #CFC fan out there tonight? We've underestimated Genk big time!"

1907: Blimey, I've only used one stat so far and I made rather a large mess of it. Chelsea haven't lost in the Champions League GROUP stage since 2003. They have lost at Stamford Bridge in the knockout stages of the competition a few times since then. I'll get my coat...

CHELSEA v GENK (GROUP E, 1945 BST)
Stephan Shemilt reports: "The Blues' latest campaign for Europe's top prize will be all but guaranteed to continue past Christmas if they beat Genk tonight and in Belgium in two weeks' time and manager Andre Villas-Boas has again demonstrated his confidence by resting some of his top names. Serene progress through the group stages doesn't always equate to success though, just ask the five managers who Roman Abramovich has sacked."

1903: How bad has Marseille's start to the season been? Er, pretty woeful actually. They already slipping out of contention for the Champions League places in Ligue 1, and currently a relegation battle looks more likely. Their defender Rod Fanni has a theory why: "The team is unwell - it's difficult to explain. Without doubt, it's a confidence problem."

MARSEILLE v ARSENAL (GROUP F, 1945 BST)
Saj Chowdhury reports: "Arsenal
return to the comforting arms of European competition. They're sitting pretty in Group F and a win or draw tonight would put them in a good position going into their two home matches. If you thought the Gunners's league form was poor then here's a snap-shot of Marseille's: One win in 10. Now, that's not very good is it?"

From Mike, Arsenal fan, via text: "Just want a win tonight - will do wonders for the boys. Let's get on top of this group!!!"

1901: By the way, this is the task facing Genk coach Mario Been tonight. He is hoping to inflict Chelsea's first home Champions League group defeat since they lost to Besiktas in October 2003. In other words, a long time ago.

1900: Chelsea clearly know all about Belgian side Genk, because they signed their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the summer and were in for their star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, or so he claimed anyway. Did you know De Bruyne's mum was born in Ealing? You do now.

Arsenal fan N_M_M_H on Twitter: "Need a convincing win to banish the demons of August/September."

TraumaticThrash on Twitter: "Good win for both Manchester clubs last night. Hopefully Arsenal & Chelsea can get themselves a win tonight."

1856: Just one thing missing at the moment, and that's you lot. Want to get involved? It's easy: Tweet the commentary via the hashtag #BBCFootball, Tweet me @chrisbevan_bbc or text in via 81111 (UK).

1853: That's interesting: No John Terry for Chelsea either. Anyway, I'll bring you full line-ups in just a jiffy.

BREAKING ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Andrey Arshavin is in for Gervinho and Andre Santos replaces the injured Kieran Gibbs, who did not travel to Marseille.

1850: BREAKING CHELSEA TEAM NEWS
No Juan Mata, Didier Drogba or Daniel Sturridge in the Blues starting XI. Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres start up front.

1848: Yep, Arsenal and Chelsea are both in action tonight, looking to build on some encouraging, if unspectacular, results in Europe. Both are unbeaten so far, and both are looking to stay that way tonight. Standing in their way are Marseille and Genk or, to give them their full title, Koninklijke Racing Club Genk. I'll be calling them Genk.

1845: Hello. So, Manchester has led the way with two convincing (cough) wins in the Champions League this week. Time to find out if London can follow suit...



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Champ Lge Group A table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Bayern Munich 3 4 7
2 Napoli 3 2 5
3 Man City 3 -1 4
4 Villarreal 3 -5 0

Champ Lge Group B table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Inter Milan 3 1 6
2 CSKA Moscow 3 2 4
3 Trabzonspor 3 -2 4
4 Lille 3 -1 2

Champ Lge Group C table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Benfica 3 3 7
2 Man Utd 3 2 5
3 FC Basel 3 -1 4
4 SC Otelul Galati 3 -4 0

Champ Lge Group D table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Real Madrid 3 8 9
2 Ajax 3 -1 4
3 Lyon 3 -2 4
4 Dinamo Zagreb 3 -5 0

Champ Lge Group E table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Chelsea 3 7 7
2 Bayer Leverkusen 3 1 6
3 Valencia 3 -1 2
4 Genk 3 -7 1

Champ Lge Group F table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Arsenal 3 2 7
2 Marseille 3 3 6
3 Olympiakos 3 0 3
4 Borussia Dortmund 3 -5 1

Champ Lge Group G table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 Apoel Nicosia 3 1 5
2 Zenit St P'sbg 3 1 4
3 FC Porto 3 -1 4
4 Shakhtar Donetsk 3 -1 2

Champ Lge Group H table snapshot

As it stood on 19 Oct 2011 23:59 UK

Position Team P GD PTS
1 AC Milan 3 4 7
2 Barcelona 3 7 7
3 BATE Borisov 3 -7 1
4 Plzen 3 -4 1

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