Chelsea 5 Bolton Wanderers 1

Last updated : 15 October 2005 By Footymad Previewer
Jose Mourinho walked down the tunnel at the final whistle with the crowd singing his name and rarely has their praise been more deserved.

His tactical acumen turned around the setback of a one-goal deficit at half-time to annihilate Bolton Wanderers with a five-goal salvo to maintain their 100 per cent record in the league.

The Stamford Bridge crowd were stunned when Bolton took the lead after just four minutes, but champions Chelsea struck back and it was stalwart Frank Lampard who dragged his side into the game.

With Didier Drogba also in scintillating form, Wanderers wilted under the extraordinary autumn sun.

With just four minutes played Bolton striker El-Hadji Diouf held off William Gallas on the edge of the area and somehow managed to slice the ball across the box, through the bodies of John Terry and Asier del Horno.

It fell into the path of Stelios Giannakopoulos, who coolly slotted home a low, right footer from ten yards.

Chelsea are never more dangerous than when wounded and they peppered the Bolton goal for the remainder of the half.

Jussi Jaaskelainen produced a fine save to deny Joe Cole's piledriver in the 17th minuet and Lampard saw several goalbound efforts blocked.

The Blues even had the ball in the net after 33 minutes when Drogba sliced the ball home, but he was adjudged offside.

Bolton could have extended their lead when a spectacular 25-yard shot from Gary Speed rebounded off the angle of post and crossbar two minutes later.

Mourinho raced down the tunnel before the half-time whistle to prepare his talk and what a talk it must have been.

He made just one half-time substitution, bringing on Eidur Gudjohnsen for the luckless Del Horno, but his tactical changes bamboozled Bolton.

Seven minutes after the restart all hell broke loose after Drogba blasted home from eight yards after Jaaskelainen could only parry a Lampard free-kick.

It was now an all-out assault on the Bolton rearguard.

Three minutes later the Blues took the lead. A superb move involving Claude Makelele, Gudjohnsen and Drogba, saw the Ivory Coast striker feed Lampard on the edge of the box.

The midfielder needed no encouragement and he rammed home past the goalkeeper.

Fate conspired against the visitors after 58 minutes when substitute Ricardo Gardner was sent off for deliberate handball just outside his area.

Up stepped Lampard to swerve the ball around the static defence and plant the ball into the vacant net.

Chelsea took full advantage of the extra man and pulverised Bolton into submission, with the fourth arriving on the hour mark.

A Lampard corner was met on the half-volley by Drogba and the ball arrowed into the top corner of the net.

Former Bolton striker Gudjohnsen took Chelsea's final goal in consummate style.

Given the ball by Makelele, the Icelander headed it on and raced after it into the area. He then produced a fine right-foot curler to send the ball past the grasp of the diving Jaaskelainen.

It's now nine wins in a row for the champions and they look more unstoppable every week.


Man of the Match: Didier Drogba

Two goals were just rewards for his performance. Pace, power and grace flowed from him and he outshone Frank Lampard - no mean feat.