Chelsea 4-0 Bolton match report: The Daily Mirror verdict

Awesome, devastating and rock solid at the back.

Chelsea took yet another imperious step towards winning the Carling Cup with this ruthless demolition of Bolton.

The bookies have made them red-hot favourites and after this performance it is fair to say that whoever beats the Blues will the competition.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have not conceded at Stamford Bridge in 13 hours and two minutes - since their first home game of the season against Hull.

Goals from Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda, Deco and Didier Drogba means they have smashed thirteen in three different competitions. Whoever the Italian plays, his team win - and win well. Forget the swine flu fears - Bolton were simply left pig sick.

Ancelotti said afterwards: "The team are working very well, maintaining good control defensively and offensively. This is the most important thing for the team, to have a balance.

"[The goals are] impressive, but for us the first thing is to play well and to win the game. It happens we've won with large results, but that's not so important. Rather, we just  want to win the games. "

The competition has been tainted somewhat by the shadow sides put out by most teams whose managers ludicrously insist they are treating it with respect. But the sponsors must be delighted with the sides now preparing to fight out the quarter-finals with Chelsea joined by Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and defending champions Spurs.

Aston Villa, a Portsmouth side gradually finding their form and Blackburn make up the last eight but no-one will want to draw Chelsea when the draw is made on Saturday.

Right from the outset they were just too good for Bolton with the Trotters left trailing by Chelsea's superior passing and movement.

Joe Cole, completing only his second game after coming back last month his eight-month lay-off, was again outstanding at the tip of Ancelotti's diamond.

And Fabio Capello will have been delighted by the continual return to form of a player who must surely - even now - be one of the 16 the England boss already knows he will take to the World Cup next year.

Ancelotti added: "Joe's form shows he worked very hard to rest his injury and arrived to play in good condition. To be honest I was surprised because, after eight months, it's not easy to play like Joe has played these two games."

Cole made two goals and would have had another assist had youngster Danny Sturridge - the only minor disappointment on a great night for the Blues - not missed an absolute sitter shortly before the hour.

But there were otherwise only positives for the men from west London, who had come into this contest on the back of a 5-0 thrashing of punch-drunk Blackburn last Saturday.

Ancelotti had made seven changes yet Bolton found themselves staring down the barrel after just 25 minutes. Chelsea went ahead on the quarter-hour when Paulo Ferreira cut inside and delivered a peach of a cross from the right.

It was only left for Salomon Kalou to do with his head what he did to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last week. Bolton keeper Alil Al Habsi was left with no chance as the Ivorian's header flew into the right hand corner.

Florent Malouda made it two on 25 minutes. Kalou crossed from the left and when Malouda's header cannoned off Zat Knight it was the winger rather than the defender who was fastest to react.