Chelsea keep perfect record

SOCCER/Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0:CHELSEA SQUEEZED every advantage out of a victory that preserves their perfect record of wins and clean sheets after three fixtures in Group D.

Salmon Kalou scored twice and, as a fringe benefit, Frank Lampard, with the third here, now has his first goal in open play for the club this season. In stoppage time, Luis Perea nodded a free-kick by the substitute Florent Malouda into his net.

Even so, there was sufficient challenge from the visitors for the result to have a dash of significance. This match gave every indication of being the first severe test for Chelsea in this season’s tournament and an evenly contested fixture did not appear to tip in their favour until an opener from the previously hapless Kalou in the 41st minute.

The Atletico players were either stirred by the sense of occasion or conceivably just angry with their lacklustre performances. They arrived at Stamford Bridge with one point from the group so far.

They might have been ahead early when Simao crossed for Diego Forlan, whose header had to be saved smartly by Petr Cech. The goalkeeper also had to beat away a drive in the middle of the first-half from the same attacker.

The Atletico squad contains many familiar names but the performances had been unrecognisable from a side good enough to earn its place in this tournament.

The side is 15th in La Liga and there has been no respite when it slips away to take part in the Champions League. The malfunctions cannot keep on recurring.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti may be a man of emollient words in public, but he has the necessary harshness. Alex was not fully fit, but that did not bring a reprieve for Ricardo Carvalho after his slipshod display against Villa. He was demoted with Branislav Ivanovic taking his place in the line-up.

Chelsea did go in search of the visitors’ defects. A fine move opened up Atletico, but Kalou can be relieved his bungled finish in the 12th minute was irrelevant since he had wrongly been ruled off-side.

Kalou’s first goal did not call for forensic examination. A dummy by Michael Ballack let a Lampard ball run to Ashley Cole and the cut-back was forced home from close range by the Ivorian.

Atletico had located some obstinacy here that, presumably, had been lacking, but it was not enough to hinder Chelsea once they held the lead.

There was a hungry persistence to Ancelotti’s line-up. Asenjo made an excellent save from a Nicolas Anelka drive, but was merely delaying the second goal that Chelsea sought urgently. After 52 minutes, an unmarked Kalou scored again as he headed in a Lampard corner.

Atletico had been worn down and the vulnerability that has typified them in this campaign started to be apparent once more.

They were also hurt, too, by the occasional bad challenge from Michael Essien. He was not cautioned even when a tackle on Paulo Assuncao ended the Porto midfielder’s involvement.

The visitors did flicker into life on occasion and the darting Aguero made space before firing at Cech from an angle on the left.

That was a mere interruption and Chelsea resumed their domination when Lampard’s low 20-yarder found the net.

CHELSEA: Cech, Belletti, Ivanovic, Terry, Ashley Cole (Malouda 75), Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Deco, Kalou (Zhirkov 73), Anelka (Sturridge 78). Subs not used: Hilario, Carvalho, Joe Cole, Bruma. Booked: Belletti.

ATLETICO MADRID: Sergio Asenjo, Ujfalusi, Perea, Dominguez, Antonio Lopez, Cleber Santana (Maxi 65), Raul Garcia, Paulo Assuncao (Jurado 54), Simao (Reyes 77), Forlan, Aguero. Subs not used: De Gea, Sinama Pongolle, Juanito, Pablo. Booked: Raul Garcia, Dominguez.

Referee: F Meyer (Germany).