EPL - Chelsea 7 - 2 Sunderland

• Poignant

  17 Jan 10, 11:18

  Chelsea fullback Cole scores Premier League goal No18,000

  Chelsea fullback Ashley Cole wrote himself into the record books with his stunning strike in their 7-2 victory over Sunderland.

  Ancelotti singled out Ashley Cole's goal as the best of the bunch. His strike was the 18,000th in the Premier League but the England left-back hurt his ankle in scoring it.

  "Maybe the best goal was Ashley's goal," said Ancelotti. "It was fantastic movement, fantastic dribbling and a fantastic goal. Then he had a problem with his ankle so we took him off for precaution."

• Poignant

  17 Jan 10, 11:19

  Chelsea boss Ancelotti: Our best performance of season

  

  
  

  No Drogba, no Essien, but Chelsea's players had manager Carlo Ancelotti beaming after their amazing 7-2 triumph over Sunderland.

  Two goals apiece from Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka plus others from Michael Ballack, Florent Malouda and Ashley Cole set the seal on a fabulous afternoon for Chelsea.

  The Blues remain top of the Barclays Premier League by a single point from Manchester United but have a game in hand on their rivals.

  Sunderland managed two consolation goals from substitute Bolo Zenden and Darren Bent but with eight first-team players missing, they could not cope with Chelsea.

  "I think that was maybe the best performance this season," said Ancelotti.

  "We played very well until the end of the match. We started the game very well. I'm very happy because it's an important time for us.

  "Without the African players we maybe could have some problems. I always said I have a fantastic squad and today other players played very well, especially Juliano Belletti in a new position for him, so it is a good moment for us.

  "We played a lot of times without Drogba, and Nicolas Anelka did very well in the past. He also did very well today. Nicolas is a fantastic striker, he is a top striker, and we are very happy to have him in our squad.

  "We don't want to send a message to the other teams. This performance for us is very good because it improves our motivation and improves our determination to do better if it is possible.

  "These are important matches for us because we can also play without the African players.

  "But I have a fantastic squad and in this period I will use other players."

• Poignant

  17 Jan 10, 11:21

  Chelsea 7-2 Sunderland: Chelsea Rout Sorry Sunderland

  Nicholas Anelka and Frank Lampard at the double for rampant league leaders.

  

  EPL: Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea - Sunderland (Getty Images)

  
  

  Chelsea put hapless Sunderland to the sword with a 7-2 demolition at Stamford Bridge.
  
  Nicholas Anelka and Frank Lampard helped themselves to two apiece while Ashley Cole, Florent Malouda and Michael Ballack all chipped in as Carlo Ancelotti’s side ran riot in their first league outing of 2010.
  
  Substitute Bolo Zenden  and Darren Bent netted second half consolations for the injury-hit visitors who were on the wrong end of a nine-goal thriller in the capital.
  
  Steve Bruce, looking for a first win in eight Premier League games partnered Kenwyne Jones with England hopeful Darren Bent in an attacking 4-4-2 formation.
  
  In the absence of their African contingent, Chelsea opted to play Nicholas Anelka as a lone striker supported by Joe Cole and Florent Malouda.
  
  The home side began much the brighter and wasted no time in breaking the deadlock.
  
  Michael Ballack sent Nicholas Anelka on his way having picked the ball up in the middle of the park and the Frenchman provided a cool finish past Marton Fulop on eight minutes.
  
  Chelsea’s defense has been unusually porous this season and Sunderland could have been level straight from the restart.
  
  Petr Cech was hesitant when coming for a teasing center and was fortunate to see the ball avoid the attentions of Sunderland’s frontline.
  
  But the game was all but over as a contest inside 20 minutes.
  
  Florent Malouda was afforded far too much room and his firm drive beat Fulop to double Chelsea’s advantage.
  
  Sunderland were unable to cope with the pace and purpose of the home side’s attack but their third came from the unlikely source of Ashley Cole.
  
  With a typical marauding run forward the England left back showed great composure in the area to deftly flick over Fulop on 22 minutes.
  
  Shell shocked Sunderland rallied and began to compete in the middle of the park but Chelsea were always a danger on the counter attack.
  
  There was no respite for Steve Bruce’s beleaguered defense as Frank Lampard made it four on the half hour mark.
  
  Ashley Cole provided a teasing cross into the Sunderland box and Lampard slid in to claim his tenth goal of the season.
  
  Sunderland’s best chance of the half fell to Daryl Murphy but his shot was well blocked by Cech minutes before the interval.

• CKeer

  17 Jan 10, 12:02

  Chelsea is on rampage even without their African stars Drogba, Essien and Mikel. I think this might be their season.

• Patrik

  17 Jan 10, 13:01

  Originally posted by CKeer:

  Chelsea is on rampage even without their African stars Drogba, Essien and Mikel. I think this might be their season.

  
  Agreed.

  Looks like its Chelsea's season this time.

• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  17 Jan 10, 13:07

  wow nice score i see from chelsea
  
  
  pity sunderland
  

• dragg

  17 Jan 10, 14:01

  its sunderland's poor form that makes chelsea look good.

  apart from the cross that led to ballack's goal joe cole did not right throughout the match.  he was easily the worst player in the chelsea squad.

  malouda had a surprising good match.

  lampard seems to have lost his shooting power.

  cole's goal was very very nice.

   

• zocoss

  17 Jan 10, 14:20

  Yeah I agree Sunderland's poor form makes Chelsea look better than they actually are... Birmingham, their next opponent may show better quality but the match is played at the Bridge so, still a Blues win but by a much smaller margin. And again, as I have said from the start, who ever ends up above Chelsea will win the title.

• Rooney9

  17 Jan 10, 15:44

  lampard scoring prowess this season has somehow dried up compared to his goals from midfield in the past 3-4 seasons.

   

  what happened to lampard goals from midfield? was it due to loss of form, age, or ancelotti's diamond formation that blunted/hindered his goals?

• iceFatboy

  17 Jan 10, 20:18

  power... it is their season, no doubt.

• Y_Shun

  18 Jan 10, 19:05

  Originally posted by Rooney9:

  lampard scoring prowess this season has somehow dried up compared to his goals from midfield in the past 3-4 seasons.

   

  what happened to lampard goals from midfield? was it due to loss of form, age, or ancelotti's diamond formation that blunted/hindered his goals?

  the Diamond formation....
  
  Under scholari was the 4-3-3 that he scored shit loads of goals.

  under 4-4-2 diamond he was a ML. he is no longer running into the box to score goals. the match aganist sunderland, chelsea played 4-3-3, which was the formation last season.

  anyway, lampard gone pretty shite this season. Corners are lousy and free kicks not threatening anymore.

• zocoss

  18 Jan 10, 19:28

  Originally posted by Rooney9:

  lampard scoring prowess this season has somehow dried up compared to his goals from midfield in the past 3-4 seasons.

   

  what happened to lampard goals from midfield? was it due to loss of form, age, or ancelotti's diamond formation that blunted/hindered his goals?

  
  I think it's a combination of all of them... It happens even to the very best... You can't beat father time...

• divingutd

  19 Jan 10, 00:08

   

  Damm today's Newpaper "football Analyst" Tohari Pajiao label all Chelsea goals as 'kelong' !!!!!!!!

  He pa jiao or what ? Didn't he kept count on how many on target shots The Blues have?

   

  Really suay to hv such a person as a ManU fan........  just as retarded as the ones here.

• iceFatboy

  19 Jan 10, 13:16

  Originally posted by divingutd:

   

  Damm today's Newpaper "football Analyst" Tohari Pajiao label all Chelsea goals as 'kelong' !!!!!!!!

  He pa jiao or what ? Didn't he kept count on how many on target shots The Blues have?

   

  Really suay to hv such a person as a ManU fan........  just as retarded as the ones here.

  yawn.... so enlighten us, how many target shots the blues have and off?

  anything above 7, would means sunderland keeper is good..