Chelsea and Anelka bite back against Rovers

Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 2: After watching Liverpool reclaim top spot in the Premier League with a win over West Bromwich Albion yesterday, Chelsea answered back with a convincing 2-0 win over Paul Ince's Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park this afternoon to return to the summit by virtue of goal difference.

Two goals from Nicolas Anelka did the damage. The in-form Frenchman, who had four goals in his last two league games going into the match, added his 10th and 11th of the season as Luis Felipe Scolari celebrated his 60th birthday in style.

In appalling conditions at Ewood Park, it was Blackburn who made the brighter start with Ireland's Keith Andrews lifting a shot high over the bar in the first minute.

But the Blues were soon on the front foot and Andrews' poor back pass let Anelka in on goal and when the striker rounded Paul Robinson, a goal looked inevitable. However, Anelka lost his footing after skipping past the England goalkeeper, and despite appeals for a penalty, Chris Foy correctly waved play on.

Blackburn again had Robinson to thank when he expertly saved Anelka's header and then again from John Obi Mikel, before another fine save this time to deny Frank Lampard's 25-yard effort.

But the Blues finally made the breakthrough five minutes before the interval in freakish circumstances when Alex's long-distance strike struck Anelka's thigh and trickled past the wrong-footed Robinson.

Rovers brought on Matt Derbyshire at the interval and the youngster gave Rovers attack added impetus, with Morten Gamst Pedersen trying his luck from range.

But Jason Roberts then spurned a gilt-edged chance to restore parity when Pedersen played the striker through on goal but Petr Cech quickly scampered out of his goal to block his shot.

And he was made to pay for that miss on 68 minutes when Lampard poked the ball through to Anelka and he reacted quickly to dink the ball over the advancing Robinson to double the Blues' lead.

Chelsea had further chances to add to their lead when Lampard's free-kick crashed against the crossbar, while Anelka could have grabbed his hat-trick when he was slipped in on goal but Robinson did well to block his goal-bound effort.

But the three points put the Blues back on top of the pile while Blackburn - now six league games without a win - remain 14th, two points clear of the drop zone.