Chelsea ran riot and plundered a 7-0 victory over sorry Stoke to remain in control of the Premier League title race.
Stunning show sees Blues top pile by a point
Solomon Kalou's hat-trick and a Frank Lampard brace ensured Chelsea stayed in control of the title race as they dispatched Stoke 7-0 at Stamford Bridge to return to the top of the Premier League.
Chelsea turned the screw in the opening stages and a delightful move resulted in a 23rd minute opener. Didier Drogba displayed sublime control to take down Florent Malouda's pass before crossing for Kalou to stoop home with his head to make it 1-0.
The lead was doubled just after the half hour when Thomas Sorensen's failure to hold a Frank Lampard drive allowed Kalou to slide home from close range, with matters made worse for the keeper as the Ivorian's challenge saw him exit the pitch on a stretcher with a suspected broken elbow.
Replacement stopper Asmir Begovic was soon picking the ball out his net for the third as former Blues defender Robert Huth tugged Kalou down in the box, allowing Lampard to coolly slot into the bottom corner after 44 minutes.
After the restart, Kalou completed his first treble for the club by stabbing home, as Lampard cushioned one over the head of Begovic, before substitute Daniel Sturridge and Malouda - atoning for a horrible earlier miss - capped off a superb team display with further goals.
Stoke were expected to put up some stiff resistance but Chelsea's mood from the kick-off dictated otherwise.
Start well
The Blues, so often criticised for failing to start well, were determined to reclaim top spot.
The visitors were not helped by a serious injury to goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and the loss of captain Abdoulaye Faye through injury early on.
Faye had been struggling with a thigh problem all week and he was replaced by Ryan Shawcross after just eight minutes.
It was Shawcross's first game since his tackle on Aaron Ramsey left the Arsenal midfielder with a badly broken leg at the end of February.
Chelsea should have taken the lead in the 12th minute when Lampard's shot was palmed into the path of Ashley Cole by Sorensen.
But Cole, playing his first game since fracturing an ankle against Everton in February, smashed his shot straight at the Denmark international.
In the 18th minute Drogba sent a speculative effort over the cross bar but two minutes later the Ivorian forced a superb save from Sorensen.
Full-back Paulo Ferreira found Drogba unmarked at the near post but his powerful header was brilliantly tipped away by the Stoke stopper.
In the 22nd minute Drogba latched on to a superb ball from Malouda, rounded Sorensen and then inexplicably smashed his volley high into the crowd. It should have been Chelsea's opener.
But he made up for it a minute later when he controlled a sweeping pass from Malouda and crossed for Kalou to head home from close range.
Lampard almost made it two in the 26th minute but his volley was collected safely at the near post by Sorensen.
Chelsea made it 2-0 in the 31st minute with another superb move. Nicolas Anelka's pass was cleverly played into the path of Lampard by Drogba.
The England midfielder drilled a first-time shot which Sorensen saved but Kalou poked home the rebound.
But Sorensen was injured trying to prevent Kalou from scoring and is understood to have fractured his elbow - an injury which, if confirmed, could keep him out of the World Cup finals. The Stoke goalkeeper was carried off on a stretcher after undergoing lengthy treatment.
He required
