BlueLion.

Despite beating Bolton and Liverpool and drawing with Arsenal, thus allowing us to regain top spot and go six clear of the Gunners, Spurs are still in the bottom three! Happy days indeed!

You're not wrong

Okay, everyone copy my use of Russian translators

Welcome back you old fart

привет к Talk Chelsea Is that right?

I feel quite confident about this game, to be honest, Roma can't sit back and defend because they're at home, and Italian fans are quite happy to vent their frustration at sides when they lose. I think it was in 2006 in a match between Siena and Udinese, that Siena didn't have one shot on goal and at full-time they were met by a volley of coins and bottles. They're going to have to attack us and the pace and quality we have up front will make them pay. If they score first they will shut up shot and play for the 1-0 win, but if we score first then they have no choice but to come at us and we will play them off the park for that reason. Either way, they've been shit, so far this season, and we should win.

Says it all

Everyone misses chances, Lampard has missed more than just a couple of sitters this season but because its him, people forget it.

AS Roma vs. Chelsea Football Club Chelsea crushed Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in 2003. Chelsea travel to Italy with the possibility of guaranteeing progression into the knock-out rounds of the Champions League. 5 years to the day of a famous Chelsea victory in Italy, Luiz Felipe Scolari takes his side to Rome to face Italian giants AS Roma. Despite a faltering start to their league campaign, players such as Francesco Totti, Mirko Vucinic, Rodrigo Taddei and Daniele de Rossi will be looking to get their season kick-started in the right direction. Chelsea, on the other hand, are flying high in Europe and in their own domestic league, and are top of Group A and the Premier League thanks to their superior goal difference in both competitions. Five years to the day of this fixture, Chelsea went to Italy searching for a much-needed win in the Champions League in a game against Lazio. In the Olimpic Stadium, the Blues won 4-0 - the biggest winning margin by a foreign team on Italian soil that has since been equalled by Arsenal. Can the Blues emulate the score line under Claudio Ranieri to ensure qualification for the next round with two games remaining? Match chat here! Predict the result here!

As it happens, yes

You can't fault Anelka, if he goes missing for half a game but still manages to find the net, its the sign of a good striker. Yes, most of them are tap-ins, but we're nine goals better off thanks to him this season.

Don't get me started on this again You can't learn to save penalties, its pure pot luck.

A Liverpool defeat is almost as good as Chelsea win

I smell bullshit...

Spot on, anything from Goal is pure bullshit.

I guess your source is Tribal Football? I would give him an extra year's extension, he's been brilliant when asked to play this season, can't fault his professionalism.

I feel better, all of a sudden Hah, I wish

Absolutely phenomenal record, though. 100 clean sheets in 180 games - its insane. True Chelsea legend, he's already Chelsea's greatest goalkeeper IMO. Bonetti was fantastic but Big Pete has been world class since he joined. The best signing we've ever made, bar none.

This has to be the pefect weekend... Liverpool, Arsenal AND Fulham all lost, Chelsea won... Am I dreaming?

WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE

My match report: http://www.talkchelsea.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2930 Have a read, you know you want to

Chelsea F.C. 5 - 0 Sunderland November 1 2008, Premier League, Stamford Bridge, West London Nicolas Anelka scored a hat-trick as Chelsea thrashed Sunderland at Stamford Bridge to return to the top of the Premier League. The Frenchman fired home from close range early in the second half to complete his treble in what was a superb performance by the Chelsea forward. Alex da Costa opened the scoring, sliding the ball into the net after Martin Fulop had spilled Joe Cole's shot, before Anelka completed a 23-minute hat-trick after Frank Lampard had headed Joe Cole's cross beyond the Sunderland goalkeeper. It was a magnificent performance which sees the Blues embark on a new unbeaten home run in style, with every single player performing to the best of their ability. From Petr Cech's safe goalkeeping, to John Mikel Obi's quietly effective display, to Florent Malouda's devastating display on the wing, the Stamford Bridge faithful were treated to some of the best football seen in West London for many years as several milestones were met in the match. Chelsea matched their own 5-0 record away demolition of Middlesbrough to equal the biggest win of the season in the Premier League, whilst also scoring their 1000th goal in the division. At a personal level, Petr Cech secured his 100th Chelsea clean sheet on his 180th appearance, whilst skipper John Terry capped off an imperious performance with his 350th start in a blue jersey. Frank Lampard also netted his 100th top flight goal in England on a perfect day for the home side - and an Arsenal loss at the hands of Stoke and an Everton victory over Fulham did nothing but multiply the enjoyment of the Chelsea fans. With Ricardo Carvalho injured, Luiz Felipe Scolari elected to bring in Brazilian centre-half Alex into the Chelsea side that was otherwise unchanged. Sunderland were hit by changes as Roy Keane made his dissatisfaction clear from his side's poor display in a loss to Stoke in midweek, as former Fulham and Tottenham winger Steed Malbranque was met by a resounding boo from the Matthew Harding End. Chelsea begun the game like a house-on-fire, despite the pouring rain at Stamford Bridge. The pitch was saturated and the ball was zipping along the surface - an environment that suited Chelsea's one- and two-touch passing game. Chelsea were dominating possession but despite seizing control of the game, the London side were limited to only two decent efforts in the opening exchanges, as Florent Malouda shot narrowly wide before Ashley Cole wasted a decent opportunity after Anelka had inadvertently flicked the ball into the path of the England full-back. Deco's delicate strike came back off the bar on 16 minutes as Chelsea's dominance was becoming gradually more apparent. The Portuguese magician found himself in a yard of space just outside the Sunderland box, and his effort managed to beat Martin Fulop but the crossbar stood firm. Malouda had had another effort moments beforehand, but his strike from 20 yards lacked the accuracy to seriously trouble Martin Fulop as the goalkeeper - a stand-in for the injured Craig Gordon - gathered comfortably. Chelsea made the breakthrough on 28 minutes as Alex scored a goal from a position a centre-back had no right to be in. Joe Cole collected the ball and cut inside his marker brilliantly with a fantastic piece of skill, before his shot was partially stopped by the hand of Fulop. The greasy ball spun off the goalkeeper's glove and into the path of Alex, who made no mistake from 2 yards out. It was the defender's first goal of the season and his first since the 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, and he was almost at it again two minutes later. Lampard's ball across the box was aimed towards Alex, who slid in for what would have been a carbon-copy of his earlier strike, but the ball skimmed off of the surface, onto Anelka and into the net. There was a hint of offside about the goal, as Anelka was in front of the ball when it was directed into his path by the Brazil international, but the goal stood and Chelsea were looking rampant. The Chelsea of recent years may have been happy to accept the 2-0 score line as a safe result, but under Scolari's tutelage, the Blues were looking devastating in front of goal and their attacking persistence paid off as Anelka fired home from Malouda's pass in first-half stoppage time. The former-Lyon winger received a ball from Lampard to put him one-on-one with Fulop, but rather than take the shot on himself, the French international squared the ball to his compatriot, Anelka, who finished with aplomb from five yards. Stamford Bridge erupted with a roar of jubilation as the nonchalant Chelsea number 39 celebrated in trademark 'butterfly fingers' style. As they had done in the first-half, Chelsea opened up the Sunderland defence twice in the space of three minutes to put them 5-0 up with barely 53 minutes on the clock. Joe Cole's brilliance in the box beat ex-West Ham full-back George McCartney with ease, and his teasing cross to the back post was headed home by Frank Lampard, who continued to show his stunning early season form by scoring his eight goal of the season and his fifth in the Premier League, which incidentally was his 100th goal in top-flight English football. Anelka secured his hat-trick moments later as he found the net with the aid of an error by Fulop. The Frenchman shot from the edge of the area as Chelsea hit Sunderland on the counter-attack, and the ball skimmed off the surface and Fulop could only help the ball into the net. It was an unfortunate error that was not helped by the horrendous conditions, but Chelsea were rampant and at one point looked like they were capable of netting double figures. However, the Blues eased their foot off of the pedal, and comfortably played out the remaining 30 minutes comfortably; passing the ball amongst themselves and encouraging the beleaguered Sunderland players to attack them. Mineiro was introduced with 15 minutes remaining for his Chelsea debut and slotted in perfectly to the well-oiled midfield machine, and Didier Drogba was also welcomed back to club duties after a period on the sidelines. Despite not scoring again before the conclusion of the game, the Blues were dominant throughout and Sunderland could only muster one decent attack, which saw Petr Cech excellently deny Djibril Cissé when one-on-one with the ex-Marseille forward - a fitting response from the Czech as he went on to reach his 100th Blues clean-sheet. The final whistle blew with Chelsea piling the pressure on Liverpool, and memories of that ill-fated match against the Merseysiders is almost forgotten following two sensational performances against Hull and Sunderland. The Blues are back in town, and with Liverpool losing 2-1 to Tottenham at White Hart Lane, Chelsea's incredible goal differences means the Blues are back on top of the Premier League. ___________________________________________________________________ Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Bridge, Mikel, Kalou, Deco, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka Subs: Bridge, Mineiro, Drogba Sunderland: Fulop, Chimbonda, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, McCartney, Waghorn, Malbranque, Whitehead, Tainio, Richardson, Jones Subs: Cissé, Henderson Attendance: 41,693 Star Man : Nicolas Anelka

Today was Cech's 100th Chelsea clean sheet, in 180 games for the club.

Plus points to take from the game: A perfect response from the Blues.Lampard's 100th career top flight goal.Cech's 100th Chelsea clean sheet!Anelka scoring a hat-trick - he is now joint top scorer with Amr Zaki with eight goals.Alex on the scoresheet - fantastic to see a defender in that position!Lampard continuing his stunning form.Clean sheet - Cech, Mikel, Terry and Alex were quietly brilliant today.1004 Premier League goals for Chelsea Malouda, Joe Cole and Deco - all fabulous.Mineiro with a sound debut today.Arsenal lost 2-1

Full-time, 5-0 Chelsea have thrown down the gauntlet.