Chelsea 6 - 0 Man City

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Chelsea 6-0 Manchester City

29 October, FA Premier League, Stamford BridgeMichael Essien's early breakthrough put Chelsea on the road to victory at Stamford Bridge, as the home team hit Sven Goran Eriksson's Manchester City for six.Didier Drogba scored a goal either side of half-time, before Joe Cole put the game beyond all doubt with the fourth goal on the hour mark. Chelsea pressed on, and Salomon Kalou netted his fourth goal of the season before Andrei Shevchenko completed the rout to see Chelsea into fourth place.With Manchester City flying high, it was only a matter of time before a team burst their bubble, but even the most optimistic of Chelsea fans would not have expected such an emphatic display from their team, with faultless performances by Michael Essien, Juliano Belletti and Frank Lampard.Despite a man of the match performance in midweek, Florent Malouda was not included in the sixteen, and Shaun Wright-Phillips' exclusion from the squad raised several eyebrows. Avram Grant saw fit to bring John Obi Mikel into midfield in place of the French winger, with Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou supporting Didier Drogba in a 4-3-3 formation.There was a place on the bench for both Shevchenko and Pizarro, and the pair would be instrumental in the second half. The game was also Petr Cech's 100th Premier League appearance, the Chelsea stopper put in an excellent performance to hold back Manchester City and the in-form Elano Bulmer.But the early pressure was piled on by the visiting side, with Petr Cech reacting well to push away Elano's chipped pass to Stephen Ireland, who failed to make a connection with the ball. The Czech international then pulled off a stunning save, tipping away Martin Petrov's superb free-kick.These two signals of intent from City were enough to galvanise the Blues, and it wasn't long before Michael Essien gave the home side a much-deserved lead. Lampard's clever pass put Essien through, and the Ghanaian made no mistake, thumping home from eight yards. With Lampard taking much of the applause, it was no wonder to see the Chelsea captain enjoying himself.He had a hand in the second goal, with a wonderful pass to Drogba splitting open to City defence. The England midfielder bent the ball with the outside of his boot to Drogba and beyond Micah Richards, with the Ivorian talisman slipping home his fourth goal of the season.Chelsea were rampant and could have had five before the break. With two genuine penalty claims turned down, included a blatant trip by Didi Hamann, it took a fine save from Joe Hart to prevent Kalou from getting on the score sheet.However, City's resistance was short-lived, as two goals within the first fifteen minutes of the second half put the game beyond all doubt. Drogba showed a great deal of strength to burst into the box before hammering home from seven yards, before Joe Cole put Chelsea 4-0 to the good. Latching onto Drogba's cushioned header, the midfielder surged past Micah Richards and smashed home his first goal of the season. Kalou had skied over an earlier chance.Drogba could have had a hat-trick but fired wide, before Lampard had a shot on goal saved well by Joe Hart. The young goalkeeper berated his defenders, but with the midfield not helping out with defensive duties, it was no wonder to see City fall even further behind when Salomon Kalou scored his second goal in three league matches.Michael Essien turned provider, and picked out Kalou with a clever pass. The Ivorian striker planted the ball into the bottom corner before substitute Andrei Shevchenko fired home the sixth after Essien and Pizarro combined.The win is Chelsea's fifth consecutive victory in all competitions, and the Blues have yet to concede a single Premier League goal since September. With Leicester in the Carling Cup, followed by a trip to the JJB Stadium to play Wigan, top spot is certainly on the agenda for Chelsea Football Club.Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech, 7 Belletti, 8, Alex, 6, Carvalho, 7, Ferreira, 6, Lampard, 9, Mikel, 7, Essien, 9, Kalou, 7, Joe Cole, 8, Drogba, 9Subs Used: Shevchenko, 6, Pizarro, 6Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Ben Haim, MakeleleBooked: LampardMan City (4-4-2): Hart; Corluka, Richards, Dunne ©, Garrido; Johnson, Hamann (Ball 65), Petrov, Ireland (Vassell 63); Elano (Bianchi 71), Samaras.Booked: Richards, JohnsonAttendance: 41,883Referee: Mike RileyStar ManFrank Lampard