Sunday, January 17, 2010
Anelka Inspires Magnificent Seven
Nicolas Anelka led the way as Chelsea smashed seven past hapless Sunderland to cement their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League table.
The leaders swept the injury-plagued Black Cats aside, racing into a 4-0 lead inside 34 minutes despite the absence of African Nations Cup quartet Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou.
Anelka set the ball rolling with just eight minutes gone, rounding keeper Marton Fulop to make it 1-0, and Florent Malouda doubled his side's advantage with a superb solo effort nine minutes later.
Full-back Ashley Cole had the Stamford Bridge crowd on their feet once again with 22 minutes gone when he controlled John Terry's pass and dummied the covering Daryl Murphy before beating Fulop. That was the Premier League's 18,000th goal.
Cole then set up Lampard to volley home a fourth 11 minutes before the break.
Michael Ballack added a fifth seven minutes after the restart, and although substitute Bolo Zenden pulled one back against his former club four minutes later, Anelka helped himself to his second when he made the most of Fulop's misdirected 65th-minute punch.
Lampard wrapped up the rout at the death and Darren Bent's injury-time strike proved scant consolation.
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