Played at Venue: Stamford Bridge Date: Saturday, 16 Jan 2010
Chelsea returned to Premier League action in emphatic fashion as they routed Sunderland to once again underline their title credentials.
Chelsea vs Sunderland Match Report
Chelsea blitzed hapless Sunderland 7-2 at Stamford Bridge to retain top spot in the Premier League.
Goals from Nicolas Anelka (2), Frank Lampard (2) and singles from Florent Malouda, Ashley Cole and Michael Ballack sealed the rout. Sunderland's replies came from Bolo Zenden and Darren Bent.
Chelsea last hit seven in a top-flight game against West Bromwich Albion in 1960 when Jimmy Greaves hit five.
The goal glut started on eight minutes when Juliano Belletti passed to Ballack who responded with a deft through pass to Anelka who ran into the area, rounded Marton Fulop and slotted home a cool right-footer.
Ten minutes later and after a classy build-up, Florent Malouda raced unchallenged to the edge of the Sunderland penalty area and drove home from 20 yards out.
Another four minutes passed before Ashley Cole latched on to a long ball by John Terry. The left-back controlled the ball superbly, checked back and lifted the ball sublimely over hapless Fulop.
Two minutes later, up popped Lampard to volley home number four after precise set-up play by Anelka to Ashley Cole.
Anelka smacked in a shot from 25 yards after 49 minutes which saw Fulop tip the ball on to the crossbar and post before it was cleared.
But a rout was on the cards on 52 minutes when Joe Cole sent a deep right-wing cross into the Sunderland six-yard area and Ballack nodded home with ease past Fulop.
Within three minutes Sunderland pulled a goal back. Kenwyne Jones nodded the ball to substitute Zenden and the former Chelsea winger rifled home a left-footer from the edge of the penalty area.
With 25 minutes still to go, Anelka got hold of the ball punched out by Fulop following Yuri Zhirkov's deep cross and tucked home from 12 yards out into an empty net for number six.
On 90 minutes Lampard powerfully headed home an Anelka byline cross from eight yards out.
Leading Black Cats scorer Darren Bent breached the Chelsea defence with the last kick of the game with a half-volleyed left footer from three yards out, but it made no difference at all to the final outcome.
Chelsea vs Sunderland Highlights Video
7:14 GOAL - Nicolas Anelka:Chelsea 1 - 0 Sunderland
Nicolas Anelka opens the scoring for Chelsea after great work from Michael Ballack. A very simple goal for Chelsea
17:00 GOAL - Florent Malouda:Chelsea 2 - 0 Sunderland
Brilliant individual goal from Malouda as he runs through the Sunderland defence and finishes emphatically
21:50 GOAL - Ashley Cole:Chelsea 3 - 0 Sunderland
Ashley Cole drags the ball around the Sunderland defender and clips the ball past Fulop. Another fantastic goal.
33:07 GOAL - Frank Lampard:Chelsea 4 - 0 Sunderland
Lampard slides the ball in from six yards out from Ashley Cole's cross.
51:43 GOAL - Michael Ballack:Chelsea 5 - 0 Sunderland
Belletti does very well to win the ball back in midfield and Ballack fires a header past Fulop after a simple ball in from Joe Cole
55:33 GOAL - Boudewijn Zenden:Chelsea 5 - 1 Sunderland
Zenden scores a very good goal out of nowhere for Sunderland after great work from Jones. Muted celebrations for that one.
64:17 GOAL - Nicolas Anelka:Chelsea 6 - 1 Sunderland
Fulop pushes the ball out from a Chelsea cross straight to the feet of Anelka, who scores his second goal of the game
89:31 GOAL - Frank Lampard:Chelsea 7 - 1 Sunderland
Lampard heads the ball into the back of the net to grab his second goal of the game after good play from Anelka
90:00+1:38 GOAL - Darren Bent:Chelsea 7 - 2 Sunderland
Bent scores with practically the last kick of the game to grab another consolation goal for Sunderland.
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti:
"We have just given maybe our best performance of the season. This is how we should continue to play from now until the end of the campaign.
"I took John Terry and Ashley Cole off at half time because John had a problem with his back, while Ashley took a knock on his ankle. But it was just a precaution.
"As for Ashley's goal - it was fantastic. Fantastic movement, and a fantastic pass from John Terry."
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce:
"There's no getting away from it, we have had our backsides well and truly kicked.
"We've got a lot of players missing defensively and this is a hard enough place to come when you have a full strength side.
"But we couldn't get near them today, it was a procession, and we can only hope that we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down, and respond."
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