Anelka scintillates

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men oozed class as they put Sunderland to rout to return to the top of the table.

Delight and a return to the top of the table for Chelsea; a thrashing for Sunderland and an enforced seat in the stands for Roy Keane. This was far too easy for the home side. But while the five unanswered goals might seem to make the recent surrender of Chelsea’s proud unbeaten run at home faintly unbelievable, there were hints that Luiz Felipe Scolari does need to find differing ways to beat sides that do not just roll over.

“We played well not because we won 5-0 but because we play football,” said Chelsea’s head coach, who had bemoaned a lack of such qualities during the week. “We try to play on the ground, feet by feet, and the players change position.

“Joe Cole, for me, played the best game (yet). He helped when we did not have the ball and tried to build things for us — not only on the wing but inside, in midfield. This is what we need — for players to switch position.”

Cole was indeed outstanding. But as Keane pointed out, he is just one of a side who include Deco and Frank Lampard. “We were outclassed by a top, top team. When you’re losing 5-0 and Didier Drogba comes on, you know you’re in trouble. You want that clock to go forward. I was in my bedroom last night thinking of tactics and tactic boards, but nothing would have worked today — I’m not too despondent.”

Early on, Chelsea had oozed class, but there were signs of frustration from Scolari at a lack of end product. Then came the opener. Lampard found Cole on the right. The midfielder scampered inside and shot with his left. Marton Fulop saved, but not well enough. It squeezed out from under the goalkeeper’s body and pinged sideways to Alex, who had made the run into Sunderland’s penalty area.

A second goal came very quickly. And was very similar. This time it was Lampard who was on the right and in a shooting position. Instead, he slid a reverse pass that wrong-footed Sunderland and again found Alex — Nicolas Anelka grabbed the final touch for his seventh goal this season, a tally to which he would add two more by the end in collecting his first Chelsea hat-trick.

Scolari had been counting the number of bookable fouls and conscientiously informing fourth official Andy D’Urso. By 31 minutes a flash of three palms indicated the count was now at 15 including one that did seem worth the yellow, by Steed Malbranque on Ashley Cole.

It was late and painful enough to finish the left-back’s match, but as Wayne Bridge replaced him in rain now hurtling down, Chelsea had not halted scoring. Joe Cole picked out Lampard on the edge of the Sunderland area, the ball went to Florent Malouda, then Anelka, and it was 3-0 in added time.

“You would have to ask the referee,” said Keane, when asked why he was forced to watch the second half away from the Sunderland bench after arguing with the official in the tunnel at the break. “We certainly thought their third goal was unfair because of a foul on (Pascal) Chimbonda.” That incident was unclear, though. And the Irishman added: “I don’t want to take anything away from Chelsea — they are quality and still my favourites to edge the title.”

All Keane got from his new position in the stands after the break was the difficult sight of his team being routed. Cole would be replaced after 63 minutes by Didier Drogba. Before this, though, he had created wonderfully for Lampard. Again the winger was allowed inside on Sunderland’s right and dinked the ball up for Lampard who, with his head, scored his 100th Premier League goal.

Soon afterwards, Anelka claimed his third. Sunderland seemed incapable of retaining possession and of providing resistance. Malouda set up his countryman inside the visitors’ penalty area, Anelka’s finish hit Fulop, but there was enough on it to make it 5-0.