Blackburn 0-2 Chelsea: Anelka leaves Blues home and dry

Click here to see more pictures from the game

A storm of biblical proportions settled on Ewood Park yesterday, but for Chelsea the outlook was decidedly bright.

Referee Chris Foy actually called for a weather report midway through the first half, such was the downpour that briefly threatened an abandonment.

But it was a miracle, not a little localised flooding, that Blackburn required to emerge with anything other than battered pride from this game.

Only an outstanding display from Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson prevented a rout and denied Nicolas Anelka his second hat-trick in a week. As it was, the Chelsea striker still took his total to 11 for the season with two instinctive goals to settle the match.

Robinson saved from the Frenchman four times and also got away with tripping the centre-forward in the penalty area just two minutes into the game.

Had the official spotted that foul and sent the Rovers keeper off, then only the good Lord knows what the scoreline would have been.

As it was, the gap between the top clubs in the English game and the rest was made painfully apparent, even with the supposed leveller of inclement conditions.

Chelsea simply ignored the driving rain and pools of standing water to keep playing their compelling brand of football.

They may have lost at home to Liverpool and then in Rome in recent weeks, but on his 60th birthday their manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was given the perfect present of a return to form for his side.

It was Anelka who led the charge.

His first goal came after Blackburn had battled bravely - against the elements and the intimidating odds - to somehow deny the visitors for the first 40 minutes.

Robinson, lucky to stay on the pitch after his early tangle with Anelka, produced two incredible saves with his feet as first Anelka and then John Obi Mikel directed downward headers towards goal.

Robinson produced an even better save when he plunged to his left to stop another Anelka effort, and he also beat out thunderous shots from Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda for good measure.

But he was beaten when Chelsea full-back Jose Bosingwa ambled forward and, in the absence of any other options, sent a weak shot goalwards.

Anelka thrust out a knee, changed the direction of the ball, and as Robinson forlornly appealed for hand-ball, the shot just had the impetus to trickle over the line.

From then on Chelsea were able to treat the contest as a training match.

On 68 minutes Lampard won the ball on the edge of the home box and caressed a delicate pass into the path of Anelka, who produced an audacious finish with a lovely chip over the keeper.

Blackburn did actually carve out a few chances.

Carlos Villanueva should have scored when he was found by Morten-Gamst Pedersen in the first half but shot at Petr Cech, and Jason Roberts should have found the net in the second half after a good turn, but again hit Cech.

The final word, though, belonged to Robinson, who turned a Lampard free-kick on to the bar and then denied Anelka the hat-trick he deserved in the final seconds when he produced another outstanding save.

But then on a day of biblical rain, it was appropriate his goals went in pairs.

Blackburn: Robinson 9, Simpson 6, Nelson 7, Khizanishvili 6, Olsson 6, Villanueva 5, Grella 5 (Mokoena 44, 6), Warnock 7, Pedersen 6, Andrews 5 (Derbyshire 46, 5), Roberts 5 (Fowler 77).
Chelsea: Cech 7, Bosingwa 6, Terry 6, Alex 7, Bridge 6, Deco 6 (Ferreira 90), Lampard 7, Mikel 6, Kalou 6 (Belletti 61, 6), Anelka 8, Malouda 6.
Ref: Chris Foy 7.
Attendance : 20,670

Man Of The Match
Paul Robinson (BLACKBURN) 9
Back to his top class England best with a string of fine saves

Villain of the Match
Ray Wilkins (CHELSEA)
The Chelsea coach unfairly criticised Rovers for being an aggressive team

Anorak
Chelsea set a new Premier League record with their ninth successive away league win

Next Three Games
BLACKBURN
Wednesday: Sunderland (a) Carling
Saturday: Sunderland (h) Prem
Sun, Nov 23: Spurs (a) Prem

CHELSEA
Wednesday: Burnley (h) Carling
Saturday: West Brom (a) Prem
Sat, Nov 22: Newcastle (h) Prem

Get your hands on this week's estimated jackpot of £100,000 by playing the New Football Pools .

Find out what our resident Premier League fan bloggers think - and let them know your views.

Follow every Premier League game live with our brilliant Match Tracker .