Quality on pitch but Blues lack class off it

You'd have thought Chelsea's season of undiluted success, ending a decade of domination by Manchester United and Arsenal, would have attracted universal acclaim.

You'd have thought that here in the capital, the prospect of a London title-winner other than Arsenal would have been warmly greeted by the neutrals among us.

Even in the great football citadels of Europe you'd have thought that a new dawn in English football would generate some excitement and intrigue.

But, if that's what you thought, you'd probably be wrong on all counts.

It seems that outside west London, Chelsea's historic season has attracted no more than grudging praise, which is unfortunate when you consider the size of the achievement and the length of time their fans have waited for it.

For me, the most disappointing aspect of Chelsea's success has been the lack of general acclaim for the quality of the football played by Frank Lampard, John Terry, Damien Duff, Arjen Robben and Co. They may not rank among the most entertaining of recent Premiership champions, but no one can dispute that, as a team, they have functioned at a level few can match.

The Carling Cup is already on the Stamford Bridge sideboard. Liverpool await in the semi-finals of the Champions League and the confirmation of their status as Premiership title holders is now surely no more than days away.

It's 50 years since Chelsea last won the title and victory over Arsenal tonight would, in a sense, be a symbolic handing over of domestic football's biggest prize. If they beat the defending champions, Chelsea would need only two more points to guarantee the title.