Chelsea moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League with a comfortable victory over new boys Blackpool at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea destroyed Ian Holloway's side with four first-half goals - two from Florent Malouda and others from Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba. Blackpool improved in the second half and Branislav Ivanovic had to clear off the line from DJ Campbell while substitute Gary Taylor-Fletcher brought a fine save from Petr Cech.
It took just two minutes for Chelsea to take the lead when Drogba's corner was flicked on by Branislav Ivanovic and Kalou supplied the finish at the far post. It was the Ivory Coast striker's fourth league goal of the season and Chelsea's 22nd in total so far this season.
Michael Essien almost made it two in the seventh minute but the midfielder's 20-yard shot was too high.
But Chelsea doubled their lead in the 12th minute when Kalou put Drogba clear of the Blackpool defence.
Instead of having a shot himself, Kalou's international team-mate chose to cross superbly for the unmarked Malouda to fire home his fifth goal of the season.
Branislav Ivanovic almost made it three seconds later but his header from a Malouda corner fell just wide of the upright. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech was forced into his first save of the game in the 16th minute when he tipped a shot from Alex Baptiste around the post.
Chelsea made it 3-0 on the half-hour when Ashley Cole fed Drogba and the Ivory Coast striker's shot on the turn was deflected past Matthew Gilks. It was Drogba's fifth of the season. Chelsea were now in rampant form and only some poor decision-making from Cole prevented Blackpool from falling further behind.
The England left-back should have made it four to the home side seconds after Drogba's goal but his cross-shot went wide of the far post. In the 38th minute another Chelsea attack almost brought yet another goal.
Paulo Ferreira headed the ball into space for Kalou to collect but his cross was smashed wide by Malouda.
Another simple Chelsea move sliced Blackpool open in the 41st minute to make it 4-0 to the champions.
Drogba's ball over the top to Kalou was inch-perfect and he crossed for Malouda to fire into the bottom corner.
Gilks then thwarted Drogba in the 44th minute as the Chelsea forward looked to make it five.
Blackpool almost reduced the arrears in the 49th minute when DJ Campbell rounded Petr Cech but Ivanovic cleared the ball off the goal-line. Moments later Luke Varney squandered a chance for the visitors when he volleyed over from eight yards.
Chelsea had lost the initiative and a 20-yard shot from Varney was deflected just over the bar as the visitors, for once, enjoyed the upper hand. On the hour, substitute Gary Taylor-Fletcher brought a fine save from Cech with a curling shot which was going in until the Czech Republic international tipped it over the bar.
Seconds later Holloway removed Elliott Grandin and Varney and replaced them with Brett Ormerod and Marlon Harewood.
But Chelsea squandered a chance to go five in front in the 63rd minute when Drogba put Kalou in the clear but a poor touch allowed Gilks to save his eventual shot. Moments later a cross from Drogba was met by Malouda but the France international's far-post volley was tipped over by Gilks.
In the 66th minute, Malouda spurned another hat-trick chance by firing wide of the left-hand upright.
Essien sent a rising shot over the crossbar 10 minutes from time and Drogba did the same four minutes from time. Coach Carlo Ancelotti conceded Chelsea's first real test of the season will come at Manchester City next Saturday after his side demolished Blackpool 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.
''It is important to have confidence in our play - we have that,'' said Ancelotti. ''We know the next game in the league will be more difficult. But if we can do it away at a fantastic team like Manchester City - it is an important test. ''Liverpool are in trouble a little bit because they lost important players. Arsenal are playing very well and scoring a lot of goals and Manchester City are a new team and a new team needs to have time to play as a team.
''It is an important test for us next week but it is also an important test for them. We have not played against the top teams but we are playing well. It is necessary for us to do it against the top teams.'' Chelsea went off the boil after the break, just like they did when winning by a similar scoreline against MSK Zilina in the Champions League in midweek. But Ancelotti accepts that with so many games coming up, sometimes the focus of the players drifts away.
''Blackpool had a good reaction after the first half and made some chances to score,'' added the Italian. ''We didn't play as well as we did in the first half. ''When you are 4-0 up it is sometimes difficult to maintain concentration and stay focused. The first half was very good for us and a pleasure to watch my team play the way they did in the first half. The same thing happened against Zilina when we were 4-0 up. Maybe the players are looking to the next games and lose a bit of concentration during the game.''
Blackpool boss Ian Holloway was left in awe of Chelsea's football as he watched his side capitulate in the opening 45 minutes.
''The plan was to keep it tight in the opening 10 minutes but that plan went out of the window,'' he said. ''I am disappointed, obviously. Some teams have taken us for granted but the champions didn't. Some of their movement was a bit different, I had not seen that before and it caused my players problems.
''They have a fantastic team here. They are world class. Well done to Chelsea. I've seen some football in my life but the way they played was a real credit to Mr. Ancelotti and their players. Hairs that I thought I'd lost were standing up at some of their football.
''We have played two of the top teams and lost to Arsenal and Chelsea. My job is to make the gap closer. We are light years away from them but it is a great challenge. We've got to realise there is a league within a league. The rest of us are trying to hang on to their coat-tails and we cannot get even get a grip.
''Some of their players are as good as their reputations and we are finding that out. We almost had a bit of stage fright in the first half. We could not get close to them. But in the second half we did. To see their football at first-hand is brilliant. I cannot be upset because football is about what I saw today. It was phenomenal.
''They do earn some of their money, they do. We are smarting, it is not nice but it could have been a lot worse. My lads will learn what they got wrong today but anybody who beats this Chelsea team must be a fantastic team in my opinion.''
Scoring Summary:
Chelsea:
Salomon Kalou 2'
Florent Malouda 12' 41'
Didier Drogba 30'
Thanks to ESPNsoccernet
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