Premier League - Classy Chelsea thump Wolves

Eurosport - Sat, 21 Nov 16:00:00 2009

Chelsea underlined their status as Premier League top dogs with a crushing 4-0 win against Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

Michael Essien, Chelsea v Wolves, PA Photos - 0

Florent Malouda opened the scoring with a thunderous early effort, before two goals from Michael Essien and one from Joe Cole put the result beyond all doubt.

Chelsea had put five past Wolves on their two previous Premier League meetings and, while they fell one short of that tally this time, there was no doubting the quality of their attacking play despite numerous high-profile absentees.

Carlo Ancelotti has had to deal with what other managers might call an injury crisis, with Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho all missing, although Ashley Cole was fit enough to play.

Yet such is the strength of the Italian's squad, the stellar quintet's absence was hardly noticed.

Joe Cole played at the point of a midfield diamond, with licence to roam and create, but it was the men stationed immediately behind him who made a bigger impact.

Wolves had actually had the best early chance on four minutes, when David Edwards arrived a split-second too late to turn in a low cross from the right, but within 60 seconds Chelsea were in front.

Malouda was allowed to run unchallenged into Wolves territory, and as the defence backed off the Frenchman lashed a left-foot shot into the top-left corner - think Geoff Hurst's third in the 1966 World Cup final.

It was two on 12 minutes, as Malouda delivered an inswinging corner from the right and Essien glided a header past Wayne Hennessey.

Wales goalkeeper Hennessey did not have an afternoon to remember, and was badly at fault for the third Chelsea goal before the mid-point of the first half.

Essien hit a low shot that came through some bodies but was not deflected, and the ball somehow found its way underneath Hennessey's diving body.

Wolves had their moments. Matt Jarvis was inches away from heading in a cross from the left, and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake came even closer on 38 minutes, when he glanced a downward header goalwards but was denied by a brilliant reflex stop by Petr Cech.

However, the respite did not last long. Joe Cole made it four 10 minutes into the second half with a 20-yarder that was teed up by Salomon Kalou - again Hennessey should have done better.

Thereafter it was time for Ancelotti to experiment, and he brought on Gael Kakuta, the man whose arrival from Lens resulted in Chelsea's transfer ban.

The young Frenchman looks an exceptional talent, and within two minutes he had left Richard Stearman for dead and shot into the side netting from a tight angle on the right.

He showed superb poise and touch, and shot narrowly wide 10 minutes from full-time.

Essien strove in vain for his hat-trick blasting shots from every angle. The closest he came was with a dipping long-range effort that Hennessey palmed into the air, and came back off the bar.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 32 - 51 of 51

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  1. i belive this season is for the bluse,so join chelsea­ for good not stumble becouse this season we belong to­ the top,to all chelsea family let keep on prayin and­ sky we be our limit,wish all the best recoverin from­ injuri,one love ancelotti and all the bluse family.

    From Kayode, on Sun 22 Nov 1:41PM

  2. You all need a history lesson then !! It was Wolves­ that dominated the top flight in the 50s and it was­ Wolves that pioneered the European football you all­ gloat about today !! I watched the game were Wolves­ hammered Chelsea 7-1 in the 70s at Molineux and I have­ seen Wolves sink to almost going out of business in the­ 80s !! We have a had a long long fight to get back to­ anywhere near former glories -but I hope in my life­ time I see it again !! Come on Wolves !! A real team­ with real History !!

    From Michael, on Sun 22 Nov 11:52AM

  3. FOR "Giggs11,A True Red Legend,Arise & his­ FELLOW PATHETIC­ PERSON"

    ............../´¯/)...........(­­­­­ \¯`\
    ............/....//...........­­­­­ ...\\....\
    .........../....//............­­­ ­ ­ ....\\....­­­­­ \
    ...../´¯/..../´¯\.........../¯­­­­­ `\....\¯`\­­
    .././.../..../..../.|_......_|­ ­­ .\....\...­­ .\...\.\.­ ­­­
    (.(....(....(..../.)..)..(..(;­­ \....)....­­­­­ )....).)
    .\................\/.../....\.­­­­­ ..\/...... ........../
    ..\.................­­­­­ /........\................../­ ­­­­
    ....\..............(.......... ..).......­­­­­ ......./

    From andrew, on Sun 22 Nov 11:45AM

  4. Giggs proves that united are finished, himself and­ scholes are the only great players that they have left­ showing that there history is coming to an end, lets­ wait and see how much dosh those glazier bros need to­ take out of united this year to pay there debts, its­ dwindling away.

    From Philip W, on Sun 22 Nov 11:29AM

  5. giggs 11, welcome to our chelski forum with your stolen­ graffiti.

    From Jean-Claude Van Damage, on Sun 22 Nov 11:26AM

  6. -

    WATCH ALL MATCHES ON INTERNET:
    PREMIER LEAGUE, FA­ CUP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CARLING CUP, LIGA, SERIE A,­ BUNDESLIGA, LIGUE 1, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, EUROPA LEAGUE,­ QUALIFICATION WORLD CUP 2010, BRASILERAO, EREDIVISIE­ AND MUCH MORE

    -

    From WWW.PREMIERSHIP.ALTERVISTA.ORG, on Sun 22 Nov 11:25AM

  7. We must remember how hard Chelsea have struggled to get­ where they are having nearly been shut down a couple of­ times in the past, Chelsea remain a classy outfit in­ the most classy part of England , unlike some of our­ rivals that basically play in the slums and probably­ get a rent/rate rebate,had money wasted on them for­ decades and can only winge when a hard working club­ gains the recognition it deserves for sticking to­ entertaining football .From a fan of 50 years of­ support.

    From Philip W, on Sun 22 Nov 11:23AM

  8. Chelsea are making modern history, so stop crying­ liverpool and utd, you are history!

    From Philip W, on Sun 22 Nov 11:11AM

  9. This time last year after 13 matches played,

    last­ season.............................................this­ season

    chelsea....pl.13...pts...32....................­ ..chelsea..pl.13...pts...33....+1 point
    liverpool.. pl­ 13.. pts...32......................man­ utd..pl.13...pts...28....+4 points
    man utd.. pl­ 12...pts...24......................liverpool..pl.13...p­ ts...20.....-12 points

    From Solly, on Sun 22 Nov 10:29AM

  10. Chelseassssssssseaaaaaaaaaaaaa chelski, my heart stops!

    From Jean-Claude Van Damage, on Sun 22 Nov 9:50AM

  11. this year belongs to Chelsea wether you like it or not,­ unless SAF complain to "FA", PERIOD

    From Jean-Claude Van Damage, on Sun 22 Nov 9:43AM

  12. donshargon comment 45:
    Don't hold your breath­ there. The season isn't even halfway yet. You might­ still be very disappointed.

    From sappercommando25, on Sun 22 Nov 6:59AM

  13. WE THE BLUES = WE THE BEST

    From koolchuma, on Sun 22 Nov 5:58AM

  14. why those manure fan cant accept the fact that manure r­ done..this season is CHELSEA season...CHELSEA THE­ BEST.....

    From donshargon, on Sun 22 Nov 5:31AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    WERE DO A FINED DA WOLFS PLEEZE? A WANT A WOLF.

    From Donney, on Sun 22 Nov 12:28AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    CHELSAY WON DA METCH. DA WOLFS LOSSED DA METCH.

    From Donney, on Sat 21 Nov 11:55PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    WEE WURD AV EDVICE BYES, AF YER FINKIN AV SHEGAN A WOLF­ JAST BE CARFUL. JAST BE CARFUL CAZ THEY CON BAY VICIOUS­ WEE BOSTARDS.

    From Donney, on Sat 21 Nov 11:55PM

  18. I WAD LOV TAY SHEG A WOLF.

    From Donney, on Sat 21 Nov 11:53PM

  19. not too long ago*

    From daneiddd, on Sat 21 Nov 11:52PM

  20. elrosso- i believe it was the liverpool that outclassed­ you too long ago, don't get too cocky just cuz you­ had a couple of good games....you know that on a good­ day Chelsea is more than capable of beating manu.

    From daneiddd, on Sat 21 Nov 11:51PM
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