MATCH REPORT: Chelsea 7-1 Aston Villa - Chelsea make a statement as Lampard nets four!

I said we had to win no matter what. Carlo Ancelotti said we would see after today whether or not our bad moment has passed. With 12 goals in two games and six important points surely we are back in form and on a roll heading to United on Saturday.

Chelsea took a major step forward and made their intentions known this afternoon against Villa at Stamford Bridge with a second half display that will make Arsenal and United sit up and take notice. With four goals from Frank Lampard, two from Malouda (again) and an goal from substitute Kalou it was a totally unexpected scoreline at the Bridge and you could say that Villa didn't deserve it, but today was about our performance and just how well we played.

Again Ancelotti kept the same formation, made two changes from the starting eleven at Portsmouth in midweek with Joe Cole in for Sturridge on the right wing and Anelka through the middle in place of Drogba. Our football was flowing once more, our passing was superb and we looked hungry for goals once more.

At half time you would never have known that we would finish the game winning 7-1. We went in 2-1 up with two goals (including one pen) from Frank Lampard after some slack defending let Carew in at the far post to slot home to make it 1-1. Zhirkov was brought down in the box for Lamps to slot home the pen to make it 2-1.

Florent Malouda scored to make it 3-1 after a great passing move down our right, as Joe Cole slid the ball inside to the impressive Deco (Yes Deco!) and he played a fantastic ball inside two Villa defenders for the on rushing Zhirkov wide left who pulled a cross square and Malouda volleyed home unmarked from 12 yards.

Villa looked deflated and heads went down. What was impressive for me was the fact that we didn't just stick with the 3-1 and prefer to see the game out, we pushed on and were hungry for more goals.

Lampard scored his 2nd penalty of the day and his hat trick after Zhirkov was brought down again inside the box we had made it 4-1. We were playing really well and Lampard involved once more in our fifth goal.

Another great passing move ended with Paulo Ferriera down the right playing a one two with Anelka. Ferreria was in at the edge of their box and squared the ball across the edge of the box. The ball came to Lampard and instead of shooting he played the ball to his left for the onrushing Malouda to score with his right foot into the roof of the net to make it 5-1.

Chelsea didn't rest up and made it six after yet another great passing move. Mikel found Lampard just over the half way and line and he played the ball to the hard-working Anelka who, in turn, rode a couple of half hearted challenges from the Villa defence and played the ball to his right for Kalou to strike the ball first time into the far corner to make it 6-1.

Chelsea continued to turn the screw and scored their seventh. Van Aanholt, on for Zhirkov, played the ball inside to Malouda just outside the Villa box. He crossed into the box and the ball deflected off of Warnock's leg and rebounded into the middle of the box. Lampard react's quickest and slides the ball home into the bottom corner to make it 7-1.

Its truly a great performance. A dominant display against arguably one of the better sides in the Premier League. With Agbonlahor, Milner and Young playing, make no mistake this was a side O'Neill believed could repeat their victory over us at Villa Park earlier in the season. But Chelsea's formation was key. Again the width Chelsea had with the support from midfield was the difference. Everyone played their part and deserved the reception they got from the fans after the game!

A special mention for Ancelotti. I've been asking for a change in formation and to play Joe Cole and he has done so in the last two games. Joe was great today and was involved heavily in the game which will do him the world of good. He still has some work to do in order be 100 sharp and match fit but he went some way to prove to Ancelotti that he has to be involved!.

Thank heavens he has finally seen where the strength of our side in that formation is and the fact that we have scored 12 goals in 2 games goes to show the players love it too.

So we sit here now after the nightmare of last Sunday, in a much better position, more confident in our play and in our formation and just a point behind United. Lampard and Malouda are on fire and guess what Didier Drogba didn't even come off the bench.

Bring on United!!

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins:
"We have to keep winning. This is just another three points, although it is good to boost the goal difference. I tried to keep them going and even at the end we were pressing for eight. It was the perfect tonic before we go to Old Trafford next weekend. We fear nobody and we'll go there and play and hopefully we'll get the right result. Carlo Ancelotti is delighted and he's in there having a nice glass of red wine - good luck to him as he deserves it."

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"We were well beaten by a fine side but we were also masters of our downfall. We stopped competing at 3-1 and that's unforgivable. We had the possibility of going 2-2 but it went 3-1 and the floodgates opened. It was a desperately poor performance against admittedly a fine side. We are devastated and we have to fight back from this."
source www.bbc.co.uk/football)

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Terry (c), Zhirkov (Van Aanholt 75); Deco (Ballack 71), Mikel, Lampard; J Cole (Kalou 75), Anelka, Malouda.

Scorers Lampard 14, 43, 61, 90+1, Malouda 56, 67, Kalou 82.
Booked Zhirkov 30, Deco 39, Ferreira 47

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Friedel; L Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock; Sidwell, Petrov (c) (Downing 62); Agbonlahor (Beye 71), Milner, A Young; Carew (Delfouneso 62).

Scorer Carew 28.
Booked Petrov 27, Dunne 60.

(source http://www.chelseafc.com/)

CAREFREE AND KTBFFH EVERYONE ! 

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