Source: SKY_Sports
Blues march on with win
// A bit of a hack but it works// The article snippet is wrapped onto a second line, even when #article-sub is emptyif( $("div#article-sub").children().length == 0 ) {$("div#article-sub").remove();} Chelsea crushed Tottenham 3-0 at Stamford Bridge to maintain their 100 per cent winning record.[LNB] Both sides created chances in an entertaining start to the match before Ashley Cole broke the deadlock with a diving header from Didier Drogba's right-wing cross after 32 minutes.[LNB]The game could have turned early in the second half when Robbie Keane appealed for a penalty after being challenged by Ricardo Carvalho in the Chelsea box, but referee Howard Webb waved play on.[LNB]Ledley King was withdrawn after suffering a hamstring problem and Chelsea took advantage to go 2-0 ahead through Michael Ballack following good work by Frank Lampard.[LNB]Drogba made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute after a determined run past Vedran Corluka and Chelsea cruised through to the final whistle to move three points clear at the top of the table.[LNB]The closing stages were overshadowed by a nasty injury to Sebastien Bassong, while Drogba was also forced off and there were eight minutes of stoppage time.[LNB]Bright startChelsea almost went ahead in the seventh minute when an angled drive from Jose Bosingwa cannoned off the crossbar.[LNB]But the Blues had Petr Cech to thank in the 11th minute when Jermain Defoe sprinted clear of the Chelsea defence only to see the Blues keeper stick out a leg to deny him.[LNB]Tottenham were now enjoying the majority of the possession and Jermaine Jenas was inches wide with a 20-yard drive that had Cech beaten.[LNB]It was enough to encourage Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti off his seat and into the technical area.[LNB]His presence almost had an immediate effect as Lampard headed just wide from a cross by Nicolas Anelka in the 17th minute.[LNB]In the 22nd minute Anelka sent a powerful volley into the side netting after a cross from Florent Malouda had made its way across the six-yard box without attention from the Spurs defenders.[LNB]Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty in the 31st minute when Ballack collided with Corluka but Webb rejected their appeals.[LNB]But his decision was of little consequence when Chelsea went ahead a minute later.[LNB]Drogba turned supplier with a superb cross into the middle of the Spurs penalty area and Cole got in front of Corluka to put a diving header into the net beyond former Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini.[LNB]EruptedThe game had erupted into life and it was now a full-blooded derby with tackles flying in from both sides.[LNB]Drogba was the target for some rough stuff from the Spurs players as the temperature began to rise.[LNB]Chelsea won a free-kick in a central position some 25 yards out when Tom Huddlestone jumped into Ballack two minutes before the interval. But Drogba hit the free-kick straight at Tottenham's defensive wall.[LNB]Chelsea should have gone two in front in the 46th minute but Lampard drove wide after Drogba had found him with a low cross.[LNB]In the build-up to Lampard's chance, Spurs defender King sustained a knock that forced his retirement from the action.[LNB]Alan Hutton replaced the stricken King with Corluka moving from right-back into the centre of defence alongside Bassong.[LNB]Spurs were furious in the 54th minute when Keane went down under a challenge from Carvalho. [LNB]Referee Webb rejected Tottenham's appeals but TV replays appeared to show that the Chelsea defender had clipped the Spurs striker's heels.[LNB]The debate continued to rage on the pitch with Keane protesting to both Carvalho and Webb that it should have been a spot-kick.[LNB]Made to payChelsea made Spurs pay moments later when Ballack made it 2-0. Drogba's 57th-minute shot was well saved by Cudicini but Lampard followed up to roll the ball back into the six-yard box where Ballack was waiting to poke it home from point-blank range.[LNB]Chelsea were at their fluid best with a two-goal cushion and Bosingwa forced Cudicini into another save with a left-foot drive from 20-yards.[LNB]Not surprisingly the Blues went three in front in the 62nd minute when Drogba fired home from six yards for his fifth goal of the season.[LNB]Cudicini almost gifted Chelsea a fourth in the 73rd minute when he allowed a shot by substitute John Obi Mikel to creep under his body.[LNB]But the Italian keeper was alert enough to recover the ball before it could cross the goal-line.[LNB]It got worse for Spurs when centre-half Bassong fell awkwardly on his shoulder and had to be carried off after lengthy treatment. He was replaced by Niko Kranjcar.[LNB]But Chelsea also lost striker Drogba with a calf injury in the 83rd minute which will give coach Ancelotti real cause for concern if he is out for any length of time.[LNB][LNB]ChelseaTeam StatisticsTottenham Hotspur3Goals011st Half Goals010Shots on Target311Shots off Target47Blocked Shots211Corners38Fouls102Offsides20Yellow Cards20Red Cards083.4Passing Success83.317Tackles1676.5Tackles Success68.848.5Possession51.556.8Territorial Advantage43.2
