Independent:
Bolton left in the mire as Lampard capitalises on Bogdan's errors
Bolton 1 Chelsea 5
By Ian Herbert the Reebok Stadium
It takes something fairly bright to draw the eye away from Frank Lampard when he is making history and revealing that he is not history.
Lampard became the first Premier League midfielder to score three hat-tricks yesterday and the general role he played in Chelsea's eighth consecutive win here was enough to challenge the idea that his two demotions to Andre Villas-Boas' substitutes' bench makes him yesterday's man. "He has this sense of timing into the box. Today he found it to perfection. His numbers were always the most impressive part of his game," Villas-Boas said of him last night, a more personal tribute than usual, though hardly effusive. "It is not a question of age but of competence."
But that account of events did not factor in the blinding figure of Owen Coyle's goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, whose face was almost as red as his fluorescent pink jersey by half-time. Bogdan has often attracted attention, with his red hair and penchant for bright orange jerseys earning him the nickname "Wotsit" before the Bolton players came up with "Shaggy" – the hapless owner of Scooby Doo who is not terribly good at solving problems.
The 24-year-old Hungarian certainly did not possess many clues, rapidly fumbling two goals which had Chelsea 4-0 up in 27 minutes. But his failings were part of the general collapse of a side whose 11 defeats in 12 games since Daniel Sturridge's goal sent them to victory over Arsenal last Easter has engendered a sense of deep, dangerous decline.
Coyle displayed his usual ebullience last night, in the face of a defeat which had dozens of supporters heading out of the stadium after just 20 minutes. "It was a horrendous fixture list, playing five of the teams who will finish in the top six and we've come through that with no points," he said. "Young Alex Bogdan is going to have a terrific career – no doubt about it. He's got to show character to come through."
For all the gloom in chairman Phil Gartside's face, his friendship with Coyle means matters must deteriorate considerably more for the Scot's job to fall under threat. But Coyle's side, who have conceded 16 goals in six games during their worst start in 109 years, look more vulnerable at the back than any team in the division, and the popular narrative of how Coyle's season and a half at the Reebok has brought creativity – where there was only grim functionality under unpopular Gary Megson – is becoming scrambled.
It was Coyle who allowed Jussi Jaaskelainen's deputy Ali al-Habsi to leave for Wigan – though the Omanian admittedly pleaded to go – and Coyle who has shown a faith in left-back Paul Robinson, whose destruction by Daniel Sturridge propelled Chelsea on their way yesterday, that Megson never had. David Ngog does not yet look like a match for the departed Johan Elmander and Coyle didn't get around to explaining why Ricardo Gardner, a left-back on loan at relegated Preston last year, was left to hold yesterday's midfield against the might of Chelsea.
Villas-Boas has revealed how Coyle, whom he knows from a coaching course, called him perhaps 30 times this summer, entreating Chelsea to let him take back Sturridge for another season on loan. "If you think I'm letting him go Coyley, you must be mad," the Portuguese replied, and it required 92 seconds for events to reveal why, as Sturridge leaned into Juan Mata's corner to head home, with Gretar Steinsson charitably allowing him the freedom. Robinson allowed Sturridge the most liberties, though, and the forward accepted, destroying Robinson as completely as Jermaine Pennant did in the 5-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Stoke City. It clearly did not fall within Martin Petrov's job description to help.
Sturridge, whose performance warrants serious consideration for the England squad who travel to Montenegro this week, had squared for Lampard to drill home the second goal before he tested Bogdan's shortcomings. The Hungarian fumbled Sturridge's shot on his inside post for 3-0 and then – two minutes later – David Luiz's 30-yard effort, which dropped for Lampard's second. Few Premier League defences know how it feels to be 4-0 down in half an hour, though the one Coyle bequeathed Burnley managed it in 20 minutes against Manchester City two seasons ago.
Coyle's team talk did manage to summon something from his side. They registered a goal of their own a minute after the restart when Dedryck Boyata was unmarked to head in Petrov's corner. And though Lampard re-extended the deficit, revealing that capacity to time runs into the box, Kevin Davies came close to converting Petrov's cut-back, which the home side claimed had crossed the line. However, Bolton have a long road ahead if they are not the ones who will be history.
Substitutes: Bolton Knight 6 (Steinsson, h-t), Tuncay 5 (Ngog, 75), Eagles 6 (Gardner, 75).
Chelsea Ivanovic 6 (Bosingwa, 54), Mikel 6 (Ramires, 56), Anelka 6 (Mata, 73).
Booked: Bolton Ngog. Chelsea Luiz, Terry.
Man of the match Lampard.
Match rating 7/10.
Possession: Bolton 44% Chelsea 56%.
Attempts on target: Bolton 10 Chelsea 14.
Referee P Walton (Northants).
Att 24,657.
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Guardian:
Frank Lampard hits hat-trick as Chelsea demolish woeful Bolton
Daniel Taylor at the Reebok Stadium
Football can be brutal sometimes and, for Bolton Wanderers, the ordeal was harrowing, painfully embarrassing and accompanied by the soundtrack of loud, impassioned jeers. Chelsea took them apart in every department, piece by piece, from A to Z, displaying their title credentials while exposing the faults that leave Owen Coyle's team in a state of near-crisis.The first four goals all arrived before half an hour had been played and, by that point, it was clear this was the kind of mismatch rarely seen in the Premier League. From thereafter, it was a surprise the damage was not even greater and it almost certainly would have been if Chelsea had not taken pity on them in the second half.Dedryck Boyata's first goal for Bolton, at the start of the second half, still constituted a shock before normal service resumed in the form of Frank Lampard completing his hat-trick. Lampard played as though affronted by the recent scrutiny of his performances, all three goals coming from the trademark penalty-area runs that had started to feel like a thing of the past. His manager, André Villas-Boas, was asked to describe the midfielder's performance; "perfection" was the word he chose.Yet Daniel Sturridge pushed Lampard close as the game's outstanding performer, scoring twice, setting up another and reminding Bolton of the penetrative qualities that saw him score eight times in 12 appearances during a loan spell here last season.
It was a performance to remind us that Chelsea are not going to tolerate the title race being considered a private matter for the two Manchester clubs. "We can take great satisfaction," Villas-Boas said. "We have been chasing this kind of victory for some time."They were, however, undoubtedly helped by some dreadfully dishevelled defending. After winning 4-0 at QPR on the opening day of the season, Bolton's slump is threatening to become something far more serious. They have lost the following six games, conceding 21 goals in the process. This is their worst start to a league season for 109 years.Most worryingly, they seem to have lost all their fight. This is a club where they pride themselves on their spirit of togetherness and giving everything they can. None of that was evident here.
Coyle looked a picture of misery in the worst moments and talked afterwards of "basic errors". His chairman, Phil Gartside, rubbed his eyes almost disbelievingly. From the supporters, however, there was voluble anger. It has been a long time, if ever, that the Reebok crowd turned on their own team as they did here.For the most part, it was simple, old-fashioned booing, such as when Kevin Davies was named man of the match and when Coyle decided to substitute Ricardo Gardner and David Ngog. "If there's criticism of me, then so be it, I will take it on the chin," Coyle said.The rout began inside the first two minutes with the kind of soft goal that encapsulated the gulf between the sides. Juan Mata swung over a routine corner and the marking was almost non-existent. Sturridge evaded Gretar Steinsson far too easily and scored with an unchallenged header.Villas-Boas has his team playing a lovely, expansive form of football and it was epitomised by the crisp passing move that led to Lampard turning in Sturridge's pass to make it 2-0. That was after 15 minutes and, until half-time, Bolton simply fell apart.
No one epitomised this more than Adam Bogdan, playing instead of the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen. First he tamely allowed Sturridge's long-range effort to beat him for the third goal, despite having a clear sight of the ball and getting his hand to it. It was a howler and, within two minutes, he had made a pig's ear of another long-range shot, this time from David Luiz. Lampard gratefully put in the rebound.Boyata's consolation goal, heading in Martin Petrov's free-kick, was a reminder that Chelsea still have to work on their defending, but all it did was remove a fraction of the crowd's simmering discontent. Shortly before the hour, Lampard broke forward, exchanged passes with Didier Drogba and placed his shot expertly into the bottom corner.
Bolton could reflect on being denied a second goal when Davies's effort looked to have crossed the line before being cleared by the substitute Branislav Ivanovic. That, however, would have given the score a deceptive appearance. The truth was 5-1 already flattered Bolton.
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Telegraph:
Bolton Wanderers 1 Chelsea 5
By Jason Burt
This was a simple slaughter at the Reebok and Owen Coyle will now feel that he could be the next quarry.
It cannot continue like this for the Boltonmanager who has been dealt the most daunting sequence of matches and has also been hit by suspensions and injuries.
Worst of all, having pleaded with Chelsea to allow him to take Daniel Sturridge back on loan, he met with a firm rebuttal from Andre Villas-Boas. Sturridge, inevitably, ran riot.
The Chelsea manager will have enjoyed this, at times, breathtaking display. It contained two superbly-crafted goals and a bravura display by Frank Lampard who collected a hat-trick – the fifth of his career at the club But he will not have enjoyed the humiliation of Coyle.
Afterwards both managers spoke of “pride”. For Villas-Boas this was the display he has been waiting for “for quite some time”, one that “fills me with pride” and sends out a title message. For Coyle it was about telling his players to “save some pride” at half-time “for the football club, for themselves, for the fans”. He added: “I came into this job when we were favourites for relegation and that is where we start now. If I receive criticism, then I will have to take it on the chin.”
Bolton will cling to the fact that they rallied in the second half, scoring a goal and managing another effort that probably crossed the line. Chris Eagles also hit a post, but they were completely dominated for far too long.
When Lampard bundled home the fourth goal just 27 minutes had elapsed and Coyle was already looking at his watch. In the stands the Bolton chairman, Phil Gartside, had his head in his hands and a father consoled his son by saying: “We don’t play Chelsea every week.”
Thankfully, Bolton do not. For they have the most awful record against the London club. Chelsea have won their last nine matches at the Reebok Stadium, scoring 23 goals and conceding just one. In all, they have won 13 and drawn three of all their meetings with Bolton.
This season Coyle’s side have lost six successive Premier League matches, have conceded 21 goals in seven games and have lost 11 of their last 12 in the league. To cap it all, this result means they have made their worst start for 109 years.
It is as if they have a mental block. But none of those previous fixtures were as embarrassing as this one. At half-time they played Yakety Sax by Boots Randolph (often used to accompany scenes in the Benny Hill Show) and it felt apt and strangely cruel.
Gallows humour? Who could blame them. It was like watching comedy sketches at double speed with Bolton totally confused by Chelsea’s passing and movement, and Lampard scoring, perhaps, the best team goal so far this season.
Chelsea were helped by a hapless performance by stand-in goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, a 24-year-old Hungarian with a shock of red hair and, after the game, a red face too. Not that he got much support from a defence that appears in desperate need of reorganising.
Chelsea took the lead in the simplest of fashions after less than two minutes with Jose Bosingwa overlapping and forcing Dedryck Boyata to concede a corner. Juan Mata swung it over and Sturridge headed home. The marking was stunningly lax.
Chelsea were soon further in front and it came through the most fluid of build-ups involving Mata, Lampard, Ramires and Sturridge who pulled the ball back into Lampard’s path. The movement ended, sweetly, with the 33-year-old midfielder sweeping his shot into the net for the most memorable of team goals. Villas-Boas constantly talks about the “collective” and here it was writ large.
And so it continued. Mata ballooned over and Sturridge was constantly beating Paul Robinson. Another goal was inevitable and this time Sturridge again took advantage of Robinson’s woeful positioning, cut back inside Boyata and hit a low left-foot shot. Bogdan should have fielded the ball easily but instead pushed it up and over him into the net.
If that was bad for Bolton then the fourth was worse. David Luiz strode from his own half and just ran on and on. The home fans urged a challenge but when it came, the Brazilian had already shot. Bogdan spilt and Lampard snatched another goal. Supporters started to leave and boos rang out.
It is the nature of the defeats, not just the defeats themselves, that hurts. At last, thankfully, Bolton pulled a goal back when, seconds into the second half, Boyata met Martin Petrov’s free-kick. It heralded a marked improvement but Lampard then collected his third goal, after a fine exchange of passes with Didier Drogba, before substitute Branislav Ivanovic superbly hooked Kevin Davies’s goal-bound shot off the line, although it may have been over. Petr Cech then tipped Chris Eagles’s long-range shot on to a post.
Sturridge could have had his own hat-trick but dragged an effort wide. That might have been too cruel on Bolton.
Lampard notches career hat-trick No 6
November 1997Scores his first treble for West Ham, aged just 19, in a League Cup win over against Walsall.
January 2007After a 10-year hiatus, Lampard nets three times for Chelsea in a 6-1 FA Cup victory over Macclesfield.
October 2007Another League Cup hat-trick, this time in a see-saw 4-3 win over Leicester City.
March 2008His first league hat-trick, although he eventually nets four in the 6-1 drubbing of Derby County.
March 2010Another quadruple, as Aston Villa are dispatched 7-1 at Stamford Bridge.
October 2011With doubts raised about his effectiveness, hits back with three goals to help pile pressure on Bolton manager Owen Coyle.
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Mail:
Bolton 1 Chelsea 5: Three and easy for Lampard as five-star Blues run riot
By IAN LADYMAN
How Fernando Torres must wish he had been here. While the Chelsea striker sat at home serving a suspension, his team-mates travelled to Bolton for an afternoon of pea-shelling.
This would have suited Torres down to the ground. Acres of open space, opponents so meek and nervous as to be pitiful and a goalkeeper so inept it seems cruel even to print his name.
Yes, this was a day that was made for a goalscorer who needs a few goals and some confidence.
Without him, Chelsea made merry anyway. They scored five and could have had more. It was that kind of afternoon.
At the double: Lampard scores his second goal and Chelsea's fourth in just 27 minutes at the Reebok Stadium
How bad were Bolton? Perhaps as bad as it is possible to be without surrendering the game before kick-off. Their performance was woeful from the first minute and deteriorated fast. The first half-hour was as shambolic as anything you will see at this level.
Owen Coyle’s team did improve somewhat. But by then they were four down.
Credit to Chelsea, of course. They look to be an improving side under Andre Villas-Boas and they were as ruthless as one would expect a side with aspirations of title success to be.
Credit, too, to Frank Lampard. There is no better way to tell your manager you should be picked every week than by scoring a hat-trick.
Equally excellent were Daniel Sturridge - who scored twice - and David Luiz, the most elegant central defender in England. They all contributed to a Chelsea victory that looked inevitable from the moment Sturridge rose to head in a corner in the second minute.
Villas-Boas said: ‘This result has been coming for a while. I am very proud of the players as we have been chasing a victory like this.
‘Frank Lampard was excellent. He arrived with perfect timing into the box.
‘His talent is without question and as a squad we have enough talent to challenge for the Premier League.’
Sturridge’s opening goal was simple. Juan Mata’s corner from the right found the former Bolton loanee arriving unmarked on the six-yard line and the header was straight-forward.
It was the move that led to the corner, however, that served to indicate what was to come. Luiz’s pass inside Paul Robinson found overlapping full back Jose Bosingwa unattended by Bolton’s Martin Petrov, and the Portuguese was able to cross to the near post.
Bolton manager Coyle must have felt his blood turn cold. It was not a good sign and it set the tone for 30 minutes that were to bury the home side.
Lampard scored next from a low Sturridge cross in the 15th minute. At this point Bolton were still in the game. One break from Petrov had been ended by a crude tackle from Raul Meireles, while a corner almost saw Kevin Davies profit at the far post. It was then, though, that Bolton’s Hungarian goalkeeper Adam Bogdan - playing due to a Jussi Jaaskelainen injury - made two decisive and unfortunate contributions.
It is because of his potential that previous No 2 Ali Al Habsi was allowed to leave for Wigan. Here, though, he endured a horrible couple of minutes that essentially ended the game and saw some Bolton supporters head home immediately.
Sturridge was first to benefit from Bogdan’s uncertainity as he saw his speculative low shot diverted in by the 24-year-old’s palms in the 26th minute.
A minute or so later it was Luiz who embarrassed the goalkeeper from distance, though not before Bolton’s porous midfield allowed him to carry the ball 40 yards.
When he found himself in range of goal, Luiz let rip. The ball bounced once, thudded into Bogdan’s chest and rolled into Lampard’s path 10 yards from goal. A nudge of Lampard’s instep made it 4-0 and Chelsea were ready for home already.
Recognising Petrov’s defensive weakness down the left, Coyle shuffled his formation to 4-4-2 and brought the Bulgarian over to the right. Chelsea’s Ashley Cole must have salivated.
As it happens, Bolton did improve while Chelsea began to miss chances.
Bolton defender Dedryck Boyata scored in the early moments of the second half, arriving at the far post to head in a Petrov free-kick. Briefly it seemed possible Bolton may restore some pride.
As it transpired, Davies saw a late effort cleared off the line, while substitute Chris Eagles spanked a drive against a post. By then, though, Lampard had completed his fifth Chelsea hat-trick to restore the four-goal gap.
Bolton, who have now played both Manchester teams, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, have lost 11 of their last 12 Premier League games.
Coyle said: ‘We have to show strength now and pick ourselves up.
‘Young Adam Bogdan will have a fantastic career. But they are basic errors. I feel for him but he has to be strong enough to come through it.’
IN FOCUS
David Luiz: Doubts remain about the 24-year-old Brazilian’s defending and his temperament but he was imperious. The best passer of the ball on the field, and his long-range effort led to the fourth goal.
Martin Petrov: The Bulgarian winger has been in the Premier League long enough for us to know what he brings - attacking flair and no work rate. His display allowed Luiz and Jose Bosingwa huge holes to run into.
Didier Drogba: With Fernando Torres suspended, this was the perfect day for Drogba to impress his manager. The big Ivorian didn’t really take it, though, and hardly mustered a shot on goal during his team’s rout.
Raul Meireles: Surplus to requirements at his last club Liverpool , the Portuguese midfielder is taking to life at Chelsea rather well. Playing a holding role, he was quietly influential and unfussy yesterday.
MATCH FACTS
Bolton: Bogdan, Steinsson (Knight, 46) Cahill, Boyata, Robinson, Petrov, Pratley, Reo-Coker, Gardner (Tuncay, 74), (Eagles, 74), Ngog, Kevin Davies.
Subs not used: Lainton, Muamba, Mark Davies, Vela.
Goal: Boyata, 46
Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa (Ivanovic, 53) Luiz, Terry, Cole, Ramires (Mikel, 56), Meireles,Lampard, Mata (Anelka, 72) Drogba, Sturridge.
Subs not used: Turnbull, Romeu, Malouda, Lukaku,
Goals: Sturridge, 2, 25 Lampard, 15, 27, 59
Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
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Mirror:
Bolton 1-5 Chelsea
By David Anderson
Five months ago, Bolton fans would have revelled in a performance like this from Daniel Sturridge.
But not now he is wearing the blue of Chelsea rather than the white of Wanderers.
The Bolton faithful became accustomed to seeing Sturridge banging them in at the Reebok last season during his loan spell when he scored eight goals in his 12 games for the club.
Unfortunately for them, he was at it again yesterday in his first match back at the ground, scoring two and making one of Chelsea’s first three goals. He helped bury his old team-mates to such an extent it was game over after the opening 27 minutes when Chelsea plundered a fourth.
Chelsea did not miss the suspended Fernando Torres in the slightest and on this showing he will not walk back into the side.
Sturridge had the good grace not to celebrate his goal in front of the home fans and the irony of his display will not be lost on Bolton manager Owen Coyle, who helped launch his career last term.
Frank Lampard grabbed his first hat-trick since March last year to prove, like Mark Twain before him, reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
He was dismissed as over the hill at 33 when first England boss Fabio Capello and then Stamford Bridge chief Andre Villas-Boas left him out last month.
But the midfielder showed he is not ready for his pipe and slippers just yet, putting on a vintage display of passing and goalscoring.
Sturridge, 22, and Lampard were aided by some truly woeful defending and it is not hard to see why Bolton are rock bottom, having lost their last six games and conceded 21 goals.
They played like a bunch of strangers in the first half and Adam Bogdan, who deputised in goal for the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen, had a nightmare. It is Bolton’s worst start in their 109-year history and worryingly for Coyle, 11 defeats in 12 league matches continues their slump at the end of the last campaign.
They started badly yesterday and went rapidly downhill from there. Chelsea hardly had to work for their goals, the first of which came when Sturridge was allowed far too much time and space on the edge of the six-yard box to head home Juan Mata’s corner after only 92 seconds.
Mata was involved in the second with Chelsea slicing through Bolton’s excuse of a defence before the Spaniard fed Sturridge who squared for Lampard to sidefoot home on 15 minutes.
Ten minutes later Sturridge was allowed to cut in from the right and his shot was fumbled into the net by Bogdan. Then David Luiz advanced unchallenged before hitting a 25-yard shot, which Bogdan spilt and Lampard tucked home the rebound.
No doubt spurred on by a boot up the backside from Coyle at the break, Bolton scored inside 60 seconds of the restart.
Martin Petrov swung over a free-kick and centre-half Dedryck Boyata, on loan from Manchester City, headed home.
It mattered little. Just before the hour Lampard, on his 350th Premier League appearance for Chelsea, exchanged passes with Didier Drogba before firing low into the net to complete his hat-trick.
Bolton should have had a second goal when a Kevin Davies shot appeared to cross the line before Branislav Ivanovic cleared it and Chris Eagles cracked a shot against a post, but the late flurry did not mask a shocking display.
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Sun:
Bolton 1 Chelsea 5
By MARK IRWIN
ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS revealed his passion for motorcycles ahead of Chelsea's trip to the Reebok — but it is Owen Coyle who could soon be on his bike.
The Bolton boss has now watched his team lose 11 of their last 12 Premier League games and must fear that time is running out.
Rock-bottom and booed off the pitch by their own fans, this was not even Bolton's heaviest defeat of the season — that was 5-0 against Manchester United.
Yet it was certainly their most embarrassing as they were carved apart by a Chelsea team who have come to regard the Reebok as their favourite away stadium in recent years.
Even Frank Lampard's treble and another two from Bolton old boy Daniel Sturridge did not reflect Chelsea's total superiority as they moved back to within three points of the top.
In Bolton's defence, it has to be pointed out that they have already faced both Manchester sides, Liverpool, Arsenal and now Chelsea in their first seven fixtures.
But that is no excuse for this latest wretched performance.
Coyle and Villas-Boas have been mates since they took their coaching badges together in Scotland but there was no old pals' act from Chelsea's new boss on this first meeting as managerial rivals.
The omens were not very good for Coyle even before the match kicked-off. Chelsea had won on their last eight visits to the Reebok and scored 20 goals against Bolton in the previous three seasons alone.
Yet even those ominous statistics did not prepare Trotters fans for what was about to follow as their team simply fell apart.
On a day when it was essential for Coyle's men to get off to a solid start, they were behind after just 95 seconds when Sturridge headed in from Juan Mata's corner.
Sturridge had become a Bolton favourite during his five-month loan with them last season and refused to celebrate his goal out of respect for the club who had given him the platform to impress.
Yet that gratitude did not prevent him from tormenting Paul Robinson to a degree that was bordering on torture. Left-back Robinson must have thought he would never suffer such a run-around again after being taken to the cleaners by Manchester City's David Silva the other week.
But that was nothing compared to the chasing he received from Sturridge and his chums.
Yet not all of this thrashing was down to the hosts' deficiencies and credit also goes to Chelsea for the breathtaking quality of their attack.
Villas-Boas has made collective responsibility his Chelsea mantra and was delighted with the slick inter-passing between Lampard, Mata, Ramires and Sturridge before Lampard swept home the Blues' second goal in the 15th minute.
Worse was soon to follow for Bolton when Sturridge cut inside Dedryck Boyata for a low angled shot to the near post, which keeper Adam Bogdan, 24, somehow scooped into the roof of his net.
The TV cameras cut to Bolton chairman Phil Gartside with his head in his hands but Bogdan was even more culpable for No 4.
David Luiz ran half the length of the pitch unchallenged before unleashing a shot which Bogdan let bounce off his chest straight into the path of the grateful Lampard.
The young Hungarian, deputising for the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen, is known as 'Shaggy' by his team-mates because of his resemblance to the cartoon character. And he certainly did not have a Scooby-Doo what was going on yesterday.
Bolton were now staring down the barrel of a full-on humiliation.
Booed off at half-time, Coyle must have feared the worst but can at least take a crumb of comfort from his team's improved second-half performance.
True, the game was well and truly over long before Boyata headed in Martin Petrov's free-kick within seconds of the restart. But at least Bolton showed a bit of pride.
Kevin Davies was denied by a goal-line clearance from Branislav Ivanovic and Chris Eagles had a shot tipped against a post by Petr Cech as Chelsea took their foot off the gas late on.
But the visitors still found the energy to restore their four-goal advantage in the 58th minute with another quality strike from Lampard.
Played in by Didier Drogba, the Blues veteran had all the time in the world to pick his spot for the fifth hat-trick of his remarkable Chelsea career — and his 175th goal for the club.
After weeks of speculation that Lampard faces being eased out by AVB, the 33-year-old England star has delivered a timely reminder that he remains the most prolific midfielder of his generation.
Chelsea might still be lurking in the shadows of the Manchester giants but are clearly not going to let the Northerners have it all their own way.
DREAM TEAM
STAR MAN - DANIEL STURRIDGE (Chelsea)
BOLTON: Bogdan 4, Steinsson 4 (Knight 5), Cahill 5, Boyata 5, Robinson 3, Petrov 6, Pratley 5, Reo-Coker 6, Gardner 5 (Eagles 6), Ngog 5 (Tuncay 5), K Davies 4. Subs not used: Lainton, Muamba, Vela, M Davies. Booked: Ngog.
CHELSEA: Cech 6, Bosingwa 6 (Ivanovic 6), Luiz 6, Terry 7, Cole 7, Ramires 6 (Mikel 5), Meireles 7, Lampard 9, Mata 7 (Anelka 5), Drogba 5, Sturridge 9. Subs not used: Turnbull, Romeu, Malouda, Lukaku. Booked: Luiz, Terry.
REF: P Walton 6
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Star:
BOLTON 1 - CHELSEA 5: FRANK LAMPARD LIGHTS THE WAY FOR 5-STAR BLUESABOVE: Daniel Sturridge was on the scoresheet again for ChelseaFrank Lampard bullies Bolton into submission
By Jeremy Cross
FRANK LAMPARD inspired Chelsea’s rout of Bolton with a stunning hat-trick to keep Andre Villas-Boas’ men on the coat-tails of league leaders Manchester United.
England star Lampard plundered the fifth hat-trick of his Blues career to show critics he is far from finished at the highest level.
Daniel Sturridge added a brace himself as the Blues inflicted total humiliation on the rock-bottom Trotters.
But the afternoon belonged to Lampard, 33, who was recalled for his 350th league appearance for the Blues and celebrated in style with a vintage display.
Bolton had no answer to Lamps and his rampaging team-mates as boss Owen Coyle suffered one of his darkest hours at the Reebok.
Coyle and chairman Phil Gartside looked on in total shock as the visitors romped into a four-goal lead inside 27 minutes as the Trotters plummeted towards their sixth straight defeat and 11th in the last 12 outings.
To make matters worse, rookie goalkeeper Adam Bogdan endured a personal nightmare with two horrific blunders to gift the Blues a couple of goals on a plate.
In stark contrast, Villas-Boas enjoyed his biggest win since taking charge and one that saw the Blues climb back to third, just three points adrift of United.
Villas-Boas was without the suspended Fernando Torres and handed a recall to Didier Drogba, who started his first game in a month following concussion.
Drogba partnered Sturridge in attack as the youngster returned to the club where he did so well last season while on loan.
Lampard was also recalled to the starting line-up following his impressive display at Valencia on Wednesday night as the Blues looked to improve their poor away record.
Coyle, meanwhile, wielded the axe once again in the hope of finding that elusive winning formula.
He made five changes, with keeper Bogdan replacing the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen for just his second league start for the club but one he would never forget for all the wrong reasons.
Chris Eagles, Zat Knight, David Wheater and Fabrice Muamba were all sacrificed following last week’s hammering at Arsenal.
Coyle needed a win like never before but such a notion seemed nothing more than a pipe dream as the Blues made a blistering start and never looked back.
Some home fans were still taking their seats when the visitors went ahead inside 90 seconds.
The Trotters have the worst defensive record in the top flight and it wasn’t difficult to see why as Gary Cahill and Gretar Steinsson allowed Sturridge a free header and he beat Bogdan with ease.
The Trotters should have known about Sturridge’s threat after he plundered eight goals in 12 games for them on loan last season.
But the home side’s afternoon was about to turn into a living nightmare as the Blues ripped through Coyle’s men at will.
Chelsea’s lead was doubled inside 15 minutes thanks to a wonderful flowing move started and finished by Lampard.
Juan Mata and Sturridge were also involved, with the latter picking out Lampard with a simple cross for the England midfielder to sweep in his first past the helpless Bogdan.
Sturridge and Mata then went close while Ramires’ touch let him down at the vital moment as the hosts stared down the barrel of a thumping.
Wanderers were still in shock when Sturridge made it 3-0 with his second of the game thanks to Bogdan’s first howler.
Sturridge cut inside Dedryck Boyata before unleashing a long-range shot which the hapless keeper somehow managed to palm into his own goal.
If that was bad then Bogdan’s next mistake was even worse as he continued to commit defensive suicide.
David Luiz was allowed to run 60 yards unopposed and take aim with a hopeful drive which should have been dealt with.
But Bogdan managed to fumble straight into the path of the grateful Lampard.
Coyle, Gartside and thousands of home fans were turning white with shock on the sidelines.
Boyata pulled one back less than a minute after the break with a powerful header from close range but it wasn’t even a consolation.
Normal service was resumed just before the hour mark when a sweeping move saw Drogba set up Lampard for his third.
It was Lampard’s fourth goal in his last two games and on this evidence he could do with people writing him off more often.
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Express:
BOLTON 1 - CHELSEA 5: FRANK LAMPARD HITS BACK IN STYLE
Frank Lampard hit a superb hat-trick for Chelsea yesterday
By Matthew Dunn
FRANK LAMPARD stuck up three fingers to the critics with a superb hat-trick yesterday to keep Chelsea in touch with their rivals at the top of the Premier League.
Two more goals from ex-Bolton loan player Daniel Sturridge added to his former side’s woes on an embarrassing afternoon at the Reebok and pushed Salomon Kalou and Nicolas Anelka closer to the Stamford Bridge exit door.
Sturridge refused to celebrate his strikes against the club who were instrumental in developing him into a fully polished striker.
Lampard, however, seemed determined to prove a point after he side-footed his third following neat interplay with Didier Drogba in the build-up.
He marked his third Premier League hat-trick and first for 18 months by holding aloft three fingers – a clear message to those who have questioned his long-term future after he was left out by Andre Villas-Boas in the recent game against Swansea just three weeks after Fabio Capello had deemed him surplus to requirements for England against Bulgaria.
“There’s only one way to answer the critics,” said Lampard. “When you play for Chelsea you get people with their eye on you all the time.
“When people say negative things you have to keep going and keep working hard and today was a day when it all came together for me.
“We caught Bolton when they weren’t at their best but that first half was as good as we have played for a long time.
“I have good memories from winning the league here. I always feel confident I can score here and I believe I can still do it.
“I’m hungry to play. I’m not a happy boy when I don’t play but you have to respect the manager and the players.”
Villas-Boas was full of praise for Lampard and said: “It was good for him because he had a good, solid performance alongside the rest of the team.
“He arrived with perfect timing into the box as he has done in the past years. His talent was never in question.”
It was Sturridge who got things going after just 92 seconds, having lost the marking of Gretar Steinsson all too easily to nod in Juan Mata’s corner.
He had been chosen in the starting line-up ahead of Kalou, who is rumoured to be a Liverpool target in January, and Anelka, who, according to sources at the club, will be allowed to leave at the end of the season.
Villas-Boas added: “All of them in the squad are under pressure to get into the team. Kalou and Anelka have both started three times this season and done well.
“Everybody tries to compete and play for more minutes and everybody knows their position, I think.”
Drogba certainly does. He has been offered a year-long extension but is holding out for two. Yesterday, he showed that even when he is not scoring goals himself, he is more than capable of creating them.
His back-heel after 15 minutes helped unlock Bolton for a second time, with Sturridge squaring for Lampard to open his account.
Then Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan – in for the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen – appeared to have a mini crisis of confidence as Chelsea took the score to four before the half-hour. First, he threw the ball into the roof of the net at his near post from a Sturridge shot he really should have stopped.
Then, two minutes later, he allowed a relatively harmless David Luiz shot to bounce off his chest and Lampard pounced first to claim his second.
When Dedryck Boyata pulled one back for Bolton with a set-piece header within a minute of the restart, you wondered if an unlikely comeback was on, especially as Chris Eagles hit a post and Kevin Davies had a shot cleared by Branislav Ivanovic which replays suggested may have crossed the line.
But by then Lampard had already provided another masterful finish to restore the four-goal cushion and Bolton were left to contemplate a 12th defeat in 13 Premier League games to leave them stranded at the foot of the table.
Manager Owen Coyle said: “To go 90 seconds into the game and concede a goal from a set-play gives you a lot to do. When you have lost a couple of games, confidence can be low. And the second goal was avoidable.
“Young Adam Bogdan is going to have a good career but the third and fourth goals should have been saved. He has to show the mental character to bounce back.”
