Blues Bounces Back

Lampard hits four in rout
Yury Zhirkov, James Collins
GettyImages
Yury Zhirkov is brought down by James Collins
Scoring Summary
Chelsea Aston Villa
Frank Lampard (15) John Carew (29)
Frank Lampard (pen 44)
Florent Malouda (57)
Frank Lampard (pen 62)
Florent Malouda (68)
Salomon Kalou (83)
Frank Lampard (90)
Match Stats
Chelsea Aston Villa
Shots (on Goal) 17(9) 10(2)
Fouls 13 9
Corner Kicks 8 6
Offsides 4 3
Time of Possession 61% 39%
Yellow Cards 3 2
Red Cards 0 0
Saves 1 2
Match Information
Stadium: Stamford Bridge, England
Attendance: 41,825
Match Time: 15:00 UK
Official(s):
Peter Walton (Referee)

Teams
Chelsea Aston Villa
1 Petr Cech 1 Brad Friedel
26 John Terry 5 Richard Dunne
33 Alex 29 James Collins
18 Yuri Zhirkov 25 Stephen Warnock
19 Paulo Ferreira 2 Luke Young
12 John Mikel Obi 4 Steve Sidwell
8 Frank Lampard 19 Stiliyan Petrov
20 Deco 7 Ashley Young
15 Florent Malouda 8 James Milner
39 Nicolas Anelka 11 Gabriel Agbonlahor
10 Joe Cole 10 John Carew

Substitutes
13 Michael Ballack Stewart Downing 6
11 Didier Drogba Habib Beye 23
22 Ross Turnbull Carlos Jimenez Cuellar 24
21 Salomon Kalou Moustapha Salifou 17
23 Daniel Sturridge Curtis Davies 15
52 Patrick Van Aanholt Brad Guzan 22
43 Jeffrey Bruma Nathan Delfouneso 14
Substitutions

Michael Ballack for Deco (72)
Nathan Delfouneso for John Carew (63)
Salomon Kalou for Joe Cole (76)
Stewart Downing for Stiliyan Petrov (63)
Patrick Van Aanholt for Yuri Zhirkov (77)
Habib Beye for Gabriel Agbonlahor (72)
Yellow Cards
Yuri Zhirkov (31)
Stiliyan Petrov (28)
Deco (39)
Richard Dunne (61)
Paulo Ferreira (48)

· Club Squads: Chelsea | Aston Villa

Updated: March 27, 2010, 7:04 AM UK
Frank Lampard grabbed four as Chelsea demolished Aston Villa to soar back to the top of the Premier League table.

• Wilkins confident for United test

Lampard's quartet made him third-highest scorer in the club's history - eclipsing legends Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood with 151 goals.

Lampard was assisted by a double from Florent Malouda and another from substitute Salomon Kalou as Carlo Ancelotti's side smashed in 12 goals in four days.

Chelsea have now scored 82 goals so far this season and apart from John Carew's first-half equaliser, the Blues were in cruise control for long periods.

The victory put them back in front of Manchester United by two points although Sir Alex Ferguson's side play Bolton in the early evening kick-off.

Chelsea, who left 30-goal top scorer Didier Drogba on the bench, started brightly enough with Deco finding Nicolas Anelka inside the Villa penalty area in the third minute.

But the France international, given the task of leading the attack in place of Drogba, shot into the arms of Brad Friedel at his near post.

Drogba, who scored twice in the 5-0 midweek demolition of Portsmouth, was rested according to the club's assistant coach Ray Wilkins.

Lampard tried to surprise Friedel in the 14th minute with a low drive from 30 yards but the American goalkeeper was untroubled by the bounce.

But Chelsea went ahead a minute later when Malouda's low cross was turned home at the far post by Lampard.

It was the England midfielder's 18th goal of the season in all competitions.

Villa's Stephen Warnock required treatment to a head injury after a collision with Joe Cole in the 23rd minute.

Controversy erupted in the 27th minute when John Mikel Obi appeared to elbow James Milner.

But referee Peter Walton booked Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov for protesting about Mikel's challenge and took no action against the Chelsea midfielder.

However, Villa were jubilant in the 29th minute when they equalised through Carew.

He converted a superb curling cross from Ashley Young at the far post to score his ninth goal in eight games.

Moments later Yury Zhirkov, who was clearly at fault for allowing Carew to ghost into space at the far post for Villa's goal, was booked for a foul Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Deco followed his Chelsea team-mate in the book moments later for a foul on Milner in the 40th minute.

But Chelsea restored their lead in the 44th minute through a Lampard penalty.

Referee Walton adjudged Zhirkov had been fouled by Villa defender James Collins as he burst into the penalty area and Lampard converted the spot-kick with ease.

Chelsea went 3-1 up in the 57th minute when Malouda finished off a sweeping move by the hosts.

Deco's clever ball inside the full-back found Zhirkov in space and his cross was met perfectly by Malouda for the France international to score his 12th of the season.

Chelsea gave away a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the penalty area seconds later when Paulo Ferreira fouled Agbonlahor.

But Milner's effort was straight into the defensive wall to the dismay of the Villa fans.

Chelsea made Villa pay in the 62nd minute when Lampard grabbed his hat-trick, and his 20th of the season, with his second penalty of the game.

Zhirkov was again fouled, this time by Richard Dunne, and Lampard beat Friedel to become the joint third-highest scorer in the club's history.

It was a game of landmarks for the Blues with John Terry becoming the club's all-time record captain. His 325th appearance eclipsed former great Ron Harris and it was also Terry's 450th outing for the club.

In the 68th minute, rampant Chelsea made it 5-1 when Ferreira and Lampard combined to set-up Malouda for his second of the game and his 13th of the season.

In the 82nd minute substitute Kalou sent a curling shot around Friedel's right-hand post but he found the target a minute later when he drilled the ball past Friedel from 18 yards.

Lampard then made it 7-1 with his fourth of the game in added time as Villa's 10-match unbeaten run came to a crashing halt.

It also made the midfielder the third-highest scorer in the club's history with 151 goals - only Kerry Dixon and Bobby Tambling are now ahead of him.

# Wilkins confident for United test

Assistant coach Ray Wilkins says Chelsea will go to Manchester United next weekend brimming with confidence after taking their goal tally to 82 for the season and 12 in their last two outings since shaking off their Champions League exit.

"We will go to Manchester United with the utmost confidence because we are playing good football, defending well and attacking with pace and power," he said. "We are looking a good side again.

"I am not sure what message it sends out but, as far as we are concerned in the camp, we are delighted with the way things are going.

"We are playing some very good football and the work ethic is absolutely top drawer. We have a group of winners. The goal difference is in our favour but I still think there are many more twists and turns to come and I think it will go to the wire.

"The guys were first class today. They played some lovely football and scored some very good goals and their work ethic was first class. The winning is the most important part but is always nice to score lots of goals."

Lampard is now the third-highest goalscorer in the history of the club, with his quartet taking him to 151 goals, beyond Chelsea legends Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood. Only Kerry Dixon and Bobby Tambling now lie ahead of him.

"What a performance as well," Wilkins said. "It is no fluke. The fella works extremely had week-in, week-out in training and he just takes that out on to the pitch and performs as he did today.

"Frank is world class. When you consistently score goals and play to the level he has over the years, you would have to say he is world class.

"He is invaluable to us. He has the ability to get forward but also the ability to get back and defend as well. He just loves playing football. He trains as he plays."

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill admitted the defeat been one of the worst days of his managerial career.

Villa, who face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in a fortnight, were given a real lesson by the Blues.

"We were well beaten," said O'Neill. "At 3-1 we capitulated which is unlike us. It was a tough lesson to take. We have not conceded too many goals this season. We have been well and truly hammered today.

"We have the same opposition in a fortnight and we will need to do an awful lot better. I would not have seen it coming at half-time. Despite the concession of a late penalty, we were well and truly in the game."

Villa's chances of finishing in fourth spot now look slim as they languish seven points behind Tottenham.

"We have to fight back and we intend to do so, but we have to put some things in perspective and we were well beaten by a top quality team," he said. "But from our own view point, that was not good enough. In terms of finishing fourth? On that performance we would not finish 44th.

"It's as devastating as I have felt in the game. I have been in the game as a player and manager for some considerable time and you get taught quite a few lessons along the way, but that was as tough as any.

"We did not compete and that is something I could not level at the team too many times this season."