Chelsea send Sunderland packing and warning to rivals

Carlo Ancelotti?s Chelsea side laid down an impressive marker in the Premier League title race with an emphatic 7-2 victory over Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard led the way with two goals each with Florent Malouda, Ashley Cole and Michael Ballack completing the rout.

Bolo Zenden and Darren Bent claimed Sunderland?s consolations but Steve Bruce’s men will count themselves lucky to have left west London with only a five-goal deficit after a hopelessly one-sided game that showcased Chelsea’s impressive strengths.

Ancelotti reflected this week on the failure of Chelsea?s main rivals in the title race to make the most of his side?s recent slips and declared himself to be a “lucky” coach.

That may be the case, but it quickly became clear that no luck would be needed to dismiss the threat of a patched-up Sunderland side that had been ravaged by injuries.

With four central defenders missing, Bruce was forced to press Lorik Cana into action as an emergency centre-back and the Albanian midfielder looked hopelessly out of place.

The pattern for the game was set after just two minutes when Florent Malouda released Joe Cole only for the England midfielder to scuff his shot – hardly the best way for a player locked in contract negotiations to start the game.

Fortunately for Cole, his team-mates were in a more ruthless mood and that miss was quickly forgotten when Anelka got the scoring underway just six minutes later.

Anelka was back in the side after recovering from a hamstring injury and ready to assume responsibility for leading the attack in the absence of Didier Drogba, absent on international duty with Ivory Coast.

And he wasted no time in rising to the challenge, getting in behind the Sunderland defence to collect Ballack?s superb threaded pass and round keeper Marton Fulop before finishing into an empty net.

Ten minutes later the game was effectively over when Malouda – another Chelsea player anxious to prove a point and convince Ancelotti he should get more starts – shrugged off a challenge near the halfway line and ran at the heart of the back-pedalling visitors defence.

The Frenchman was invited to run unchallenged into the area where he produced a right foot finish that gave Fulop no chance.

Gaps were appearing all over the pitch and it was clear that Chelsea – and Ashley Cole in particular – were beginning to enjoy themselves.

The England left-back was able to attack Sunderland full-back Phil Bardsley at will and he deservedly claimed the 22nd minute third after latching onto John Terry?s chipped through ball before clipping the ball calmly over Fulop.

It was all about damage limitation for Sunderland but they couldn’t even manage that effectively and twelve minutes later Chelsea made it four through Lampard.

Once again Ashley Cole was involved, this time serving up a teasing cross that Lampard volleyed home from six yards out.

Surprisingly Chelsea didn’t add to their tally before the break although it took them just seven minutes of the second half to rediscover their scoring touch through Ballack who headed home unmarked from Joe Cole?s cross.

Sunderland at least managed to restore a small amount of pride when Zenden scored his first goal for the club, firing home right-footed from Kenwyne Jones?s knock-down in the 56th minute.

But Anelka’s second of the afternoon put them back in their place nine minutes later.

Lampard headed home from Anelka?s cross in the last minute of normal time before Bent scrambled a second Sunderland goal in added time.