toptop

Avram Grant's talk of entertaining and expansive football at Chelsea has resulted in the odd raised eyebrow, but on Saturday even the staunchest sceptic was made to sit up and take notice after Manchester City were demolished 6-0.

Those present at Stamford Bridge were treated to an exhibition of free-flowing football, as City showed none of the quality that had previously propelled them to third in the table.

Chelsea needed just 16 minutes to take the lead when from Frank Lampard's cute pass Michael Essien made light of a tight angle to lash past Joe Hart.

City's young goalkeeper was left horribly exposed again on the half-hour mark when from Lampard's wonderfully clipped pass, Didier Drogba showed his feet are just as fast as his mouth, as he took the ball in his stride before finishing with aplomb.

After the break and it just got worse for a limp and lifeless City as Chelsea time and time again exposed the abject Javier Garrido down their right channel.

It was Lampard again at the hub of Chelsea's best work as his shot, saved well by Hart, eventually fell for Drogba to net his side's third.

As Grant's powerful side went for the jugular they showed no mercy as Joe Cole netted a beautifully taken fourth and Salomon Kalou defied the angle for No.5.

City were that bad they even allowed Chelsea substitute Andrei Shevchenko to etch his name on the scoresheet, with the Ukrainian's smile matching that of Roman Abramovich in the stand, as his lashed finish completed the most accomplished of afternoons.

Ironically, it was City who had started the game in a more positive fashion when Elano's delightful chip into the penalty area in the third minute almost put Stephen Ireland in the clear and Chelsea keeper Petr Cech was required to turn the ball around the post to deny the City midfielder.

Cech was forced to dive to his right to collect a volley from Georgios Samaras in the 11th minute as City continued to probe Chelsea's defensive capabilities.

But Chelsea fashioned the opening goal in the 16th minute with a well worked move. John Obi Mikel found Lampard in space midway in the City half and the England midfielder wasted little time in putting the ball into the path of Essien.

The Ghanaian needed little invitation to run on and unleash an angled drive that eluded City keeper Hart and flashed into the far corner of the net.

But City were still dangerous on the break and when Mikel fouled Elano 25-yards out, Cech was forced into a flying save to keep out a vicious free-kick from Martin Petrov.

Moments later, a header from England international Micah Richards was deflected to safety by Lampard.

But City had Richard Dunne to thank for preventing Drogba from adding a second in the 24th minute when his deftest of touches took Cole's cross away from the former Marseille striker on the six-yard box.

In the 26th minute, Kalou fed Drogba with a cleverly angled pass but the Ivory Coast striker sent a poor shot into the side-netting.

But Drogba got it right five minutes later when Lampard split the City defence with an inch-perfect pass to the Ivorian who controlled the ball perfectly before drilling a low shot under Hart for his third goal in as many games.

City should have pulled one back in the 37th minute but, when Michael Johnson's pass found Ireland in space on the edge of the penalty, the City midfielder could not even hit the target.

Chelsea continued to play some sparkling football after the restart. Lampard, who had been in glorious form during the opening period, found Cole on the right flank with a typically accurate 40-yard pass.

It set the midfielder up for a run at the City defence but he elected to pass the ball to the unmarked Kalou on the edge of the penalty area.

Kalou should have hit the target but the ball took an unfortunate bobble at the moment of impact and his shot went high over the crossbar.

But Chelsea were three-up in the 56th minute. The move had been started by a fine run down the left flank by Paulo Ferreira.

His low cross into the penalty area was flicked on by Drogba into the path of Kalou who then fed Lampard on the penalty spot.

The England midfielder's shot was brilliantly saved by Hart but Drogba reacted quicker than the City defence to smash home the loose ball.

Cole made it four in the 59th minute when the England midfielder finished off a three-man move that was started in Chelsea's own half by an overhead clearance from Brazilian defender Alex.

Drogba headed the ball into the path of Cole and he left the City defence behind before drilling a low shot into the net.

Chelsea made it five in the 75th minute when Essien's pass caught the City defence square and Kalou took his time before beating Hart with an angled shot into the far corner.

Substitute Shevchenko completed the scoring in the dying seconds when he shot past Hart from Essien's pass.

Teams

Chelsea Cech, Alex, Belletti, Carvalho, Ferreira, J. Cole (Shevchenko 67), Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Drogba (Pizarro 80), Kalou,
Subs Not Used Cudicini, Ben Haim, Makelele
Booked Essien, Lampard
Goals  Essien 16, Drogba 31, 56, J. Cole 60, Kalou 75, Shevchenko 90

Manchester City  Hart, Corluka, Dunne, Garrido, Richards, Elano (Bianchi 73), Hamann (Ball 66), Ireland (Vassell 63), Johnson, Petrov, Samaras
Subs Not Used Isaksson, Onuoha
Booked Richards, Johnson
Goals 

Attendance 41,832

Referee  M. Riley