Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool - Click here to read Martin Samuel's match report from the Bernabeu . The timing is not perfect, considering Jose Mourinho's rare PR gaffe with Chelsea fans this week, but Wednesday night is the time supporters from all over England should lend their allegiance to the one Premier League club who are still a Champions League threat. Ouch. On two levels. First, asking a fan to back another team tends to be a wince-inducing request in any circumstances. Second, it shows how our clubs have turned into European lightweights. Tuesday night just about summed up how far the self-labelled 'best League in the world' is skidding off the map. Chelsea forward Eden Hazard puts his side 5-0 ahead against Maribor in their last Champions League game . Anderlecht's Aleksandar Mitrovic (right) heads a dramatic late equaliser for his side against Arsenal . Karim Benzema (right) celebrates after scoring the winner against Liverpool at the Bernabeu on Tuesday . Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany looks glum after conceding a late equaliser to CSKA Moscow . Arsenal 3-3 Anderlecht - Click here to read Neil Ashton's match report from the Emirates . The Premier League marketing men may still swear by the 'product' but over in UEFA land, English clubs are struggling with quality control. It does not help when Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers sticks two fingers up at what is supposed to be the blue riband of club football by playing his reserves at Real Madrid. Instant excuse in the event of a landslide, but at what price? Rodgers, supposedly one of the young managerial visionaries, may yet pay for a remarkably short-sighted decision. Then there is Arsenal. Oh, Arsene Wenger, why does it always happen to you? Three goals up and cruising. Final score 3-3. At home. To Anderlecht. No wonder the urbane Frenchman was uber-grumpy after that one. Chelsea players celebrate a goal during their 6-0 thrashing of Maribor at Stamford Bridge . Brendan Rodgers rested seven players against Real Madrid including Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Jordan Henderson (left to right) Manchester United's players could play a lucrative friendly abroad with no European football to worry about . Manchester City's continuing battle to make it out of the group stages has been well documented so no-one (apart from those wearing blue-tinted spectacles) is expecting much from that quarter. They have managed to reach the knock-out phase once in three attempts. Stop tittering at the back, Manchester United fans. No European football for you but, hey, a long flight to a meaningless friendly in the Middle East after Christmas. So, thank goodness for Chelsea, then. Things are going so splendidly for Mourinho that the only thing he can moan about is the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, which is probably not the most sensible complaint he has ever made. Library or not, the Premier League leaders are looking just the ticket in the Champions League too. England is overdue some joy in that competition. In 2014 it was Spain's turn with Atletico and Real Madrid contesting the final. La Decima went to Cristiano Ronaldo and the galacticos. The year before that it was Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich, a Teutonic battle settled by Arjen Robben at Wembley. Joe Hart fails to stop Jerome Boateng's strike as Manchester City lose 1-0 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz . Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic (right) celebrates after scoring the winner against Sporting Lisbon . Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has experience of winning the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan . Ronaldo, ex-Manchester United. Robben, once of Chelsea. Wembley, home of football. Our Champions League success is by association, only. Think back to 2009 when United, Arsenal, Chelsea – and Barcelona, sadly – reached the semi-finals. Ronaldo's 40-yard free kick contributed to a 4-1 aggregate win over the Gunners. United, bidding to become the first club to successfully defend their title, went on to lose 2-0 to Barca. Liverpool and Chelsea enjoyed their own ding-dong series, admittedly spiced up beautifully by the fact that Mourinho and Rafa Benitez cannot stand each other. In 2008 Didier Drogba's double capped an amazing 4-3 semi-final win over Liverpool during a halcyon period for Premier League clubs. England was represented in successive finals from 2005-2009. In 2012 Roberto Di Matteo oversaw a penalty shoot-out victory over Bayern Munich while the year before that United went to Wembley only to lose to Lionel Messi-inspired Barca in the final. Arsenal players (from left to right) Wojciech Szczesny, Per Mertesacker and Nacho Monreal look dejected . Roberto Di Matteo lifts the Champions League trophy in May, 2012 after leading Chelsea to European glory . City goalkeeper Hart hangs his head during his side's 1-1 home draw with Roma in the Champions League . The memory of those golden days is fading fast so, Chelsea, it is time to take up the challenge on behalf of the Premier League. To those who shudder at the thought, consider this. Once upon a time clubs like United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea could tempt the best players in the world with a realistic promise of Champions League success to go with domestic honours. The further English clubs drop off the radar, the harder it will be to attract the world's top talent. There could well be an unwanted exodus too. Think Gareth Bale, think Ronaldo. Think about the bigger picture. C'mon Chelsea.
Chelsea sit top of Group G and are on the verge of reaching the last 16 .
Jose Mourinho's side face Slovenian side Maribor on Wednesday .
Liverpool lost 1-0 to Real Madrid and may not make the knockout stages .
Arsenal threw away a 3-0 lead against Anderlecht to draw the game 3-3 .
Manchester City are yet to win a game in Group E and sit third .
Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool - Click here to read Martin Samuel's match report from the Bernabeu . The timing is not perfect, considering Jose Mourinho's rare PR gaffe with Chelsea fans this week, but Wednesday night is the time supporters from all over England should lend their allegiance to the one Premier League club who are still a Champions League threat. Ouch. On two levels. First, asking a fan to back another team tends to be a wince-inducing request in any circumstances. Second, it shows how our clubs have turned into European lightweights. Tuesday night just about summed up how far the self-labelled 'best League in the world' is skidding off the map. Chelsea forward Eden Hazard puts his side 5-0 ahead against Maribor in their last Champions League game . Anderlecht's Aleksandar Mitrovic (right) heads a dramatic late equaliser for his side against Arsenal . Karim Benzema (right) celebrates after scoring the winner against Liverpool at the Bernabeu on Tuesday . Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany looks glum after conceding a late equaliser to CSKA Moscow . Arsenal 3-3 Anderlecht - Click here to read Neil Ashton's match report from the Emirates . The Premier League marketing men may still swear by the 'product' but over in UEFA land, English clubs are struggling with quality control. It does not help when Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers sticks two fingers up at what is supposed to be the blue riband of club football by playing his reserves at Real Madrid. Instant excuse in the event of a landslide, but at what price? Rodgers, supposedly one of the young managerial visionaries, may yet pay for a remarkably short-sighted decision. Then there is Arsenal. Oh, Arsene Wenger, why does it always happen to you? Three goals up and cruising. Final score 3-3. At home. To Anderlecht. No wonder the urbane Frenchman was uber-grumpy after that one. Chelsea players celebrate a goal during their 6-0 thrashing of Maribor at Stamford Bridge . Brendan Rodgers rested seven players against Real Madrid including Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and Jordan Henderson (left to right) Manchester United's players could play a lucrative friendly abroad with no European football to worry about . Manchester City's continuing battle to make it out of the group stages has been well documented so no-one (apart from those wearing blue-tinted spectacles) is expecting much from that quarter. They have managed to reach the knock-out phase once in three attempts. Stop tittering at the back, Manchester United fans. No European football for you but, hey, a long flight to a meaningless friendly in the Middle East after Christmas. So, thank goodness for Chelsea, then. Things are going so splendidly for Mourinho that the only thing he can moan about is the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, which is probably not the most sensible complaint he has ever made. Library or not, the Premier League leaders are looking just the ticket in the Champions League too. England is overdue some joy in that competition. In 2014 it was Spain's turn with Atletico and Real Madrid contesting the final. La Decima went to Cristiano Ronaldo and the galacticos. The year before that it was Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich, a Teutonic battle settled by Arjen Robben at Wembley. Joe Hart fails to stop Jerome Boateng's strike as Manchester City lose 1-0 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz . Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic (right) celebrates after scoring the winner against Sporting Lisbon . Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has experience of winning the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan . Ronaldo, ex-Manchester United. Robben, once of Chelsea. Wembley, home of football. Our Champions League success is by association, only. Think back to 2009 when United, Arsenal, Chelsea – and Barcelona, sadly – reached the semi-finals. Ronaldo's 40-yard free kick contributed to a 4-1 aggregate win over the Gunners. United, bidding to become the first club to successfully defend their title, went on to lose 2-0 to Barca. Liverpool and Chelsea enjoyed their own ding-dong series, admittedly spiced up beautifully by the fact that Mourinho and Rafa Benitez cannot stand each other. In 2008 Didier Drogba's double capped an amazing 4-3 semi-final win over Liverpool during a halcyon period for Premier League clubs. England was represented in successive finals from 2005-2009. In 2012 Roberto Di Matteo oversaw a penalty shoot-out victory over Bayern Munich while the year before that United went to Wembley only to lose to Lionel Messi-inspired Barca in the final. Arsenal players (from left to right) Wojciech Szczesny, Per Mertesacker and Nacho Monreal look dejected . Roberto Di Matteo lifts the Champions League trophy in May, 2012 after leading Chelsea to European glory . City goalkeeper Hart hangs his head during his side's 1-1 home draw with Roma in the Champions League . The memory of those golden days is fading fast so, Chelsea, it is time to take up the challenge on behalf of the Premier League. To those who shudder at the thought, consider this. Once upon a time clubs like United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea could tempt the best players in the world with a realistic promise of Champions League success to go with domestic honours. The further English clubs drop off the radar, the harder it will be to attract the world's top talent. There could well be an unwanted exodus too. Think Gareth Bale, think Ronaldo. Think about the bigger picture. C'mon Chelsea.
Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool - Click here to read puts his side 5-0 ahead against Maribor in their last Champions League game . Anderlecht's CSKA Moscow . Arsenal 3-3 Anderlecht - Click here managerial visionaries, may yet pay for a They have managed to reach the knock-out phase Library or not, the Premier League leaders are Manchester City lose 1-0 to Bayern Munich at the against Sporting Lisbon . Chelsea boss Jose on behalf of the Premier League. To those who