Chelsea 3-0 Burnley match report

Chelsea climbed to the top of the Premier League, brushing aside Burnley 3-0 with a devastating display of fluid attacking.

It took until stoppage time in the first half for Chelsea to open the scoring, but two more goals early in the second period killed off any Burnley hopes of a fightback to steal a point.

The hosts flew out of the blocks and could have led by two in the opening minutes. Anelka tested Burnley's titanic goalkeeper Brian Jensen from twenty yards, before racing clear of the Burnley defence after a sloppy pass by Wade Elliott, only for Jensen to smother the ball at his feet.

Burnley failed to muster a shot on target in the whole match, but they had the best chance of the first half. Full-back Tyrone Mears somehow found himself in a position to rob John Terry, and the former Derby defender advanced before unselfishly squaring to Clarets striker Martin Paterson, who contrived to miss the traget from ten yards with Petr Cech scrambling to get across his goal. Chris McCann drove through the heart of the Chelsea midfield before chipping over Cech's goal in Burnley's only other real opportunity.

The visitors were grateful of anothering fine display of goalkeeping from Jensen, without whom the score could have been embarrassing, but there was nothing he could do about Chelsea's opener.

Michael Essien played a beautifully weighted ball down the channel for Didier Drogba, the Ivorian controlling well before pulling away from the chasing Burnley defence and squaring to striker partner Nicolas Anelka to slide in to finish from barely a yard out.

It was harsh on Burnley who had defended stoutly, but struggled to hold on to possession of the football, and track Chelsea's wonderful movement in midfield.

Five minutes into the second half the game was over. Anelka was given far too much rom on the corner of the penalty area to roll to Frank Lampard on the overlap, and the England man crossed superbly for Michael Ballack to ghost in unmarked to direct a header at full stretch low past Jensen.

Ashley Cole hammered the final nail in Burnley's coffin moments later, volleying home a stunning angled finish from twenty yards. Anelka hit the bar later on as Chelsea looked to add gloss to the scoreline, and Burnley toiled away to try and find a consolation, but one was never likely to come. Mears even had to race back to clear off the line as substitute Saloman Kalou looked to make it four.

On this form Carlo Ancelotti's men look irresistible for the title, and Owen Coyle will have to pick up the pieces and hope his men learn from their mistakes from their second away defeat of the season.

This report was written for FansOnline.