Kalou fires Chelsea back to top
Source: Agencies |
April 27, 2010, Tuesday
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CHELSEA swept aside Stoke City 7-0 to swagger back to the top of the Premier League and is two wins away from its first title since 2006.
A Salomon Kalou hat-trick, two goals for midfielder Frank Lampard and one each for Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda lifted Chelsea to 80 points, one ahead of champions Manchester United, which beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 on Saturday.
It was a record top-flight win for Chelsea and all the more impressive for coming against a team which, along with United, had shared the league's best away defensive record with just 16 conceded.
The Londoners have scored seven three times this season and now have an eight-superior goal difference to United with two games each remaining.
Earlier on Sunday, Burnley lost 0-4 at home to Liverpool to seal its relegation after just one season in the top-tier Premier League.
Aston Villa beat Birmingham City 1-0 to stay in the hunt for fourth place and Everton defeated Fulham 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time Mikel Arteta penalty.
Having been knocked out of its stride by Tottenham Hotspur last week Chelsea was on its game from the first whistle to the last at Stamford Bridge, slicing Stoke apart with wave after wave of incisive attacks.
Kalou stooped low to head the first goal after 24 minutes and he controversially forced in the second after 31, his studs-up, two-footed slide putting the ball into the net and Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen into hospital with a dislocated elbow.
A Lampard penalty made it 3-0 at halftime and, after easing off the pedal after the break, the Londoners surged home with four goals in the last 22 minutes.
Kalou completed his hat-trick at the second attempt before Lampard reached 20 league goals for the season with his cleverly-finished second.
Sturridge broke clear for the sixth and Malouda, who had earlier missed from two yards, bundled in the seventh.
"We played very well, we started very well and were very concentrated," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti told Sky Sports.
"We maintained good discipline for 90 minutes, we played quickly.
"I said at halftime to continue to play. We are very close to the title, it's in our hands but we have a very difficult game with Liverpool."
Ancelotti said he was happy with the goal rush but felt goal difference would not decide the championship.
"I don't think we will be even (on points) with Manchester United," he said.
"One team will be first."
Chelsea's last two matches is away to Liverpool and home to Wigan Athletic while United visits Sunderland and hosts Stoke on May 9, the final day of the league season.
A Salomon Kalou hat-trick, two goals for midfielder Frank Lampard and one each for Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda lifted Chelsea to 80 points, one ahead of champions Manchester United, which beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 on Saturday.
It was a record top-flight win for Chelsea and all the more impressive for coming against a team which, along with United, had shared the league's best away defensive record with just 16 conceded.
The Londoners have scored seven three times this season and now have an eight-superior goal difference to United with two games each remaining.
Earlier on Sunday, Burnley lost 0-4 at home to Liverpool to seal its relegation after just one season in the top-tier Premier League.
Aston Villa beat Birmingham City 1-0 to stay in the hunt for fourth place and Everton defeated Fulham 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time Mikel Arteta penalty.
Having been knocked out of its stride by Tottenham Hotspur last week Chelsea was on its game from the first whistle to the last at Stamford Bridge, slicing Stoke apart with wave after wave of incisive attacks.
Kalou stooped low to head the first goal after 24 minutes and he controversially forced in the second after 31, his studs-up, two-footed slide putting the ball into the net and Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen into hospital with a dislocated elbow.
A Lampard penalty made it 3-0 at halftime and, after easing off the pedal after the break, the Londoners surged home with four goals in the last 22 minutes.
Kalou completed his hat-trick at the second attempt before Lampard reached 20 league goals for the season with his cleverly-finished second.
Sturridge broke clear for the sixth and Malouda, who had earlier missed from two yards, bundled in the seventh.
"We played very well, we started very well and were very concentrated," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti told Sky Sports.
"We maintained good discipline for 90 minutes, we played quickly.
"I said at halftime to continue to play. We are very close to the title, it's in our hands but we have a very difficult game with Liverpool."
Ancelotti said he was happy with the goal rush but felt goal difference would not decide the championship.
"I don't think we will be even (on points) with Manchester United," he said.
"One team will be first."
Chelsea's last two matches is away to Liverpool and home to Wigan Athletic while United visits Sunderland and hosts Stoke on May 9, the final day of the league season.
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