Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 triumph at Middlesbrough to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
Kalou, Lampard, Malouda and Belletti on target at Riverside
Premier League leaders Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 triumph at Middlesbrough to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The Blues, like at home to Aston Villa two weeks ago, were anticipating a tough test - but again they swept to three points with consummate ease as they grabbed their biggest away win in five years.
Despite missing a host of first-team regulars - Luiz Felipe Scolari's side showed no areas of weakness as they went ahead just 14 minutes in when Salomon Kalou swept the ball home from just six yards after Boro failed to clear their lines.
Chelsea somehow contrived not to score again before the break despite a host of chances - but within nine minutes of the restart the game was wrapped up as they fired home twice in three minutes.
The second came via Juliano Belletti who fired home wonderfully from 25 yards and then just moments later Kalou claimed his second as his shot deflected in off David Wheater.
It was then a matter of how many Chelsea would score as the goals kept coming with Frank Lampard finishing off a lovely move to head home on the hour and then Florent Malouda pounced on an error from goalkeeper Ross Turnbull who could only turn a Nicolas Anelka shot onto the post.
Scolari also had the chance to ease Deco back into first-team action midway through the second half as Chelsea maintained their 100 per cent away record.
Despite their lack of big names, the visitors were utterly dominant before the break and not only that, they played a brand of expansive, penetrative football that left Boro gasping for air.
Dominant
The only concern for Scolari will have been that as they went in at the break, they were only a goal to the good, Kalou pouncing on a loose ball to fire past Turnbull after Andrew Taylor had blocked the impressive Belletti's 14th-minute shot.
But for the slightest of touches from right-back Jonathan Grounds, Lampard would have doubled the lead from Malouda's cross 10 minutes later.
The Frenchman should have done better when he found himself in on goal with 31 minutes gone, only to fire wide of Turnbull's far post with Boro hanging on for dear life.
Gareth Southgate's side did not muster a single credible attempt on goal in the opening 45 minutes with Cech's deputy Carlo Cudicini a virtual spectator.
Their fortunes were summed up seconds before Malouda's miss when Adam Johnson picked out Stewart Downing with a set-play from a corner, only to see the England international thrash at fresh air.
Indeed, the most pressure returning England skipper John Terry found himself under was in injury-time when central defensive partner Alex tried to be a little too clever and left him stretching to clear his lines.
Southgate may have been happy to get his players back into the dressing room with the scoreline at only 1-0, but the game was over within eight minutes of the restart.
Turnbull at least stood up to the challenge when, within four minutes of the restart, Malouda waltzed past Grounds and, having opted not to hand Anelka a tap-in, was denied by the keeper.
But the youngster could do nothing two minutes later to keep Belletti's stinging 35-yard piledriver out of his top corner as Chelsea flexed their muscles once again.
The third goal arrived with 37 minutes still to play when Kalou claimed his second with the help of a wicked deflection off Wheater, although Boro's misery was far from complete.
Kalou and Anelka combined down the right with 63 minutes gone for the midfielder to send in an inviting cross for Lampard, whose diving header gave Turnbull no chance.
The Boro keeper's afternoon took a further turn for the worse with 66 minutes gone when he allowed Anelka's shot to squirm from his grasp, with the post serving a fifth up on a plate for the vigilant Malouda.
Anelka saw a sixth goal rightly ruled out for offside with the Teessiders in tatters, and was then denied by a fine save from Turnbull with 14 minutes remaining, although the job had been completed long before.
| Middlesbrough |
Team Statistics |
Chelsea |
| 0 |
Goals |
5 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
| 1 |
Shots on Target |
9 |
| 3 |
Shots off Target |
6 |
| 4 |
Blocked Shots |
7 |
| 5 |
Corners |
8 |
| 13 |
Fouls |
9 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
7 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
0 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 68.4 |
Passing Success |
90.3 |
| 30 |
Tackles |
20 |
| 73.3 |
Tackles Success |
70 |
| 29.5 |
Possession |
70.5 |
| 55.2 |
Territorial Advantage |
44.8 |
|
