Chelsea powered past an injury-hit Sunderland with a frighteningly good display, which would have seen them reach double figures if their finishing and luck in front of goal had matched the rest of their performance.

A makeshift Sunderland back four was exposed time and again, with Carlo Ancelotti’s men spurning half-a-dozen chances at least as good as those they took.

Anelka struck post and crossbar and could and should have had a hat-trick. Likewise Joe Cole, who also struck the post.

They should already have been two-up before Nicolas Anelka gave them the lead in the 8^th minute, when he ran onto a Michael Ballack pass, rounded Black Cats keeper Marton Fulop and slid the ball home.

Florent Malouda doubled Chelsea’s lead on 17 minutes, evading two challenges near the halfway line and running to the edge of the box before firing home with his right foot.

Five minutes later came a defender’s goal, John Terry’s fine ball over the top controlled superbly by Ashley Cole who then cut inside and neatly finished past Fulop.

Frank Lampard got in on the act eleven minutes before half-time stretching to convert Ashley Cole’s left-wing cross.

Joe Cole’s right-wing cross, seven minutes after the interval, gave Ballack the easiest of headed chances from eight yards, before former Chelsea player Boudewijn Zenden pulled one back with a left-foot drive four minutes later.

Nine further minutes elapsed before Chelsea were off again, Anelka side-footing home his second from the edge of the box after Fulop pushed a Yuri Zhirkov cross straight to him.

Anelka turned provider on 90 minutes, drilling in a cross which Lampard guided home with his head, before Darren Bent scored a goal from six yards which was barely a consolation.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce blunt after the match: “We got our backsides well and truly kicked,” he said, correctly.