Chelsea reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a resounding 7-1 spanking of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge, Frank Lampard scoring four times.
The England midfielder hit two penalties and two from open play, Florent Malouda netted twice and Salomon Kalou grabbed another as Chelsea put in one of their best performances of the season to send out a clear message to their title rivals.
Victory saw Chelsea go two points clear of Manchester United ahead of next weekend’s title showdown at Old Trafford, although a win for the champions at Bolton later in the day will knock Chelsea back into second place.