Chelsea 4-0 Wolves

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Saturday 21 November 2009, the FA Premier League, Stamford Bridge, West London

Chelsea convincingly beat Wolverhampton Wanderers to maintain their five point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Florent Malouda gave the hosts the lead with a superb effort from long range with just five minutes played, and a quickfire brace from the brilliant Michael Essien put the game beyond Wolves with the first half barely half complete. An excellent performance was capped off with a goal from Joe Cole; his first for over thirteen months, as Chelsea maintained their superb start to the season.

The Blues have now won eleven out of thirteen Premier League fixtures this season, and seven from seven at Stamford Bridge, and were comfortable throughout. Mick McCarthy's side tried to match Chelsea's system and play expansive attacking football, but were ultimately undone by the Blues' superior quality, in spite of a number of absentees for the hosts.

Influential trio Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack joined Deco and José Bosingwa on the treatment table, so Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel returned to the starting line-up as Carlo Ancelotti made seven changes to the team that beat Manchester United. Chelsea were boosted by the return to fitness of Ashley Cole and John Terry, and there was a place on the bench for French starlet Gael Kakuta.

The Blues were able to show off the strength-in-depth of their talented squad as they took the lead after just five minutes. Jody Craddock's poor clearance was picked up by Frenchman Florent Malouda, and the former Lyon man lashed the ball home from twenty five yards to give the hosts the perfect start.

Chelsea's brilliant displays this season have been testament to their attacking supremacy, and only seven further minutes had passed by the time they had increased their tally. Having sent the Blues on their way to another three points, Malouda then found Michael Essien from a corner, and the Ghanaian duly converted for his second goal of the season.

Wolves were reeling from an early double blow from their hosts, and by the time Essien put Chelsea 3-0 up after just twenty one minutes, Mick McCarthy's side could have been forgiven for wanting the half-time whistle to be sounded early. Joe Cole, Malouda and Essien in particular were dominating the midfield, and though Wolves should be credited for their attacking play, they were guilty of giving the Chelsea trio too much space to exert their influence on the game.

The West Midlands side improved as the half progressed, however, and only a stunning reflex save by Petr Cech denied Sylvain Ebanks-Blake from reducing the arrears before half-time. Wolves weren't given much respite and found themselves even further behind following a patient start to the second period from Chelsea.

Joe Cole's shot squirmed under the glove of Wayne Hennessey to give Chelsea a handsome and deserved 4-0 lead, and the England star wheeled away to celebrate his first goal since October 2008; also against Birmingham opposition in the form of Aston Villa.

Chelsea had worked their fourth goal brilliantly, with the move starting with goalkeeper Cech, and a brilliant Anelka run and Kalou lay-off later, Cole arrowed his effort into the bottom corner.

Essien then saw a shot skim the outside the post as he went looking to complete his first Blues hattrick, and a superb save onto the bar from Hennessey denied him from doing so with a drilled effort from range. Chelsea seemed content with their lead, and Ancelotti made sure to bring on Kakuta, Fabio Borini and debutant Nemanja Matic for some valuable first-team football.

Kakuta showed glimpses of brilliance and went close twice in the dying minutes; finding the side netting from an acute angle and then flashing an effort from distance just wide. Wolves were fortunate to see just four goals past them on a day where Chelsea were ruthlessly efficient and brilliant in attack - the Blues' march to the title goes on.

___________________________________________________________________

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Belletti, Alex, Terry ©, A Cole; Mikel; Essien; Malouda (Matic 69); J Cole; Anelka (Kakuta 58), Kalou (Borini 77)

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-5-1): Hennessey; Halford, Craddock, Berra, Stearman; Edwards, Henry ©, Surman, Castillo (Knightly 52), Jarvis; Ebanks-Blake (Keogh 61).

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 5 - Michael Essien

[Term-X 7,891]

Kakuta's glimpses of brilliance overshadowed the whole game imo, it's almost spooky witnessing this kid.

[NoFear 23]

yea.. i loved dat part wer he feigned to look to pass to someone and in a flash he had taken it inside !! but the angle was against him nd found the side netting instead.. he also needs to use his right foot more.. may be i m wrong but i thot he was trying his best not to play with his right foot at all.. nt complaining just an observation cheers !!

[Morpheus 8]

good result, but arsenal will be are biggest test

[BlueLion. 21,491]

yea.. i loved dat part wer he feigned to look to pass to someone and in a flash he had taken it inside !! but the angle was against him nd found the side netting instead.. he also needs to use his right foot more.. may be i m wrong but i thot he was trying his best not to play with his right foot at all.. nt complaining just an observation cheers !!

I agree with you there, but that's a sign of his youthful naivety - PL experience will teach him the better option.