GAMES don't come any bigger in the Premiership than Chelsea at home.

Jose Mourinho's defending champions are the scalp everyone wants to claim, so Mark Hughes certainly won't need to deliver a Churchilian-style team talk before Sunday's meeting at Ewood Park.

As Ryan Nelsen recently pointed out, these are exactly the type of games players live and breathe for.

As a footballer, you always want to test yourself against the best, and they don't come much bigger or better than the reigning champions.

Whatever you think of Mourinho and his methods, no-one can deny the fact he's managed to create an aura around this Chelsea side, which is why they've just completed back-to-back title wins.

But no team is truly invincible, no matter how great everyone thinks they are, and Chelsea certainly found that out at Middlesbrough on Wednesday night, where they lost 2-1.

Mark Hughes must have had mixed emotions when he heard that result filter through from the Riverside.

On the one hand, Boro showed Rovers the way by getting stuck into the Londoners' ribs and grinding out a shock result.

On the other hand, though, Hughes will also be acutely aware of the fact that Chelsea very rarely lose two on the spin, which makes the task of beating them on Sunday all the more difficult.

That said, I'm sure Chelsea won't be relishing a trip to Ewood if their two previous visits are anything to go by!

Mark Hughes' gameplan will be simple. Whenever you play a side like Chelsea, it's vital you get at them right from the first whistle.

That means shutting them down early, getting a foot in to stop them from playing, and, basically, trying to do everything you possibly can to upset their rhythm.

If you give good players time and space to hurt you, that's exactly what they'll do.

When you go through the Chelsea team, it's difficult to see a weakness because they've got at least two quality players for every position.

The problem Mourinho has is keeping everyone happy. There have been signs of disharmony within the Chelsea dressing room this summer.

First, Damien Duff quit the Bridge after becoming disillusioned by his lack of first team starts. Now, William Gallas looks like following him through the exit door after growing fed up at being played out of position.

It's going to be interesting to see how Mourinho plays it over the next nine months.

After adding Michael Ballack and Andrei Shevchenko to his cast of all-stars this summer, Mourinho's squad is now even stronger than it was last season.

But so, too, is the determination within the rest of the Premiership to knock Chelsea off their lofty perch.

That's why they won't have it all their own way this season.

Middlesbrough have shown the way. Now, Rovers must look to follow suit.