By Rob Parrish Last updated: 15th August 2008
Deco: Lampard delight
Chelsea is a team of stars on the field and in the dressing room, so there is no reason for us to fear anybody.
Deco.
Quotes of the week
Deco is delighted Frank Lampard has committed his future to Chelsea and is eager to line up alongside the England midfielder.
Lampard ended months of speculation over his future on Wednesday evening by putting pen to paper on a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
And Deco, who joined the Blues from Barcelona this summer, believes they can dovetail effectively in Luiz Felipe Scolari's side.
He told the Daily Star: "With the way that I play it will be sensational to play with Lampard.
"I have always been confident he would stick around and I for one am pleased because I want to be in the same team as him.
"Adapting has not been a problem. A player born in Brazil and with big experiences in Portugal and Spain will not fail in England.
"Chelsea is a team of stars on the field and in the dressing room, so there is no reason for us to fear anybody.
"I am exciting about being in the Premier League. Now I can't wait for the season to start and get on with winning silverware."
The Brazil-born Portugal international admitted that the appointment of Scolari as Chelsea's new manager this season played a big part in his decision to move to West London.
Deco played under Scolari during his time at the helm of Portugal, and the playmaker believes his former international boss will have few difficulties settling into life in the Premier League.
He added: "Scolari is prepared for this challenge. During the past few weeks I have seen him show a lot of spirit and hunger to succeed.
"Arriving in a new country is always complicated, but I have no doubt he will be a success in the Premier League. He only needs a little time to adapt to what is going on.
"Scolari's position at Chelsea was crucial to my decision to join the club. He explained his plans to me and then I decided it was the best option for me as I left Barca."
Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign live on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday with a home meeting against Portsmouth.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 22nd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Chelsea vs Newcastle |
| 15:00 | Liverpool vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Man City vs Arsenal |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Portsmouth vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Stoke vs West Brom |
| 17:30 | Aston Villa vs Man Utd |
| Sunday 23rd November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Tottenham vs Blackburn |
| 16:00 | Sunderland vs West Ham |
| Monday 24th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Wigan vs Everton |
| Saturday 29th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Aston Villa vs Fulham |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough vs Newcastle |
| 15:00 | Stoke vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs West Brom |
| Sunday 30th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Man City vs Man Utd |
| 15:00 | Portsmouth vs Blackburn |
| 15:00 | Tottenham vs Everton |
| 16:00 | Chelsea vs Arsenal |
| Monday 1st December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Liverpool vs West Ham |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 16th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Everton 1 - 1 Middlesbrough | |
| Hull 2 - 2 Man City | |
| Saturday 15th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 0 - 2 Liverpool | |
| Newcastle 2 - 2 Wigan | |
| Fulham 2 - 1 Tottenham | |
| Arsenal 0 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| Man Utd 5 - 0 Stoke | |
| Blackburn 1 - 2 Sunderland | |
| West Brom 0 - 3 Chelsea | |
| West Ham 0 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Sunday 9th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Blackburn 0 - 2 Chelsea | |
| Man City 1 - 2 Tottenham | |
| Aston Villa 1 - 2 Middlesbrough | |
| Fulham 2 - 1 Newcastle | |
| Saturday 8th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Arsenal 2 - 1 Man Utd | |
| Wigan 0 - 0 Stoke | |
| Sunderland 1 - 2 Portsmouth | |
| Hull 0 - 1 Bolton | |
| Liverpool 3 - 0 West Brom | |
| West Ham 1 - 3 Everton | |
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