Date:02/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/02/stories/2008110260961500.htm

Sport - Football

Anelka scores hat-trick in Chelsea’s big win

Stoke humbles Arsenal; Man United moves up to third place

LONDON: Nicolas Anelka scored a hat-trick on Saturday to help Chelsea beat visiting Sunderland 5-0 in the Premier League. Arsenal’s poor week continued with a humiliating 2-1 loss at Stoke — which let Manchester United take third place with a 4-3 win over visiting Hull City.

Anelka scored twice in the first half and once in the second as Chelsea went to 26 points. Frank Lampard also scored his 100th career league goal.

Chelsea never looked like losing at Stamford Bridge, particularly after Brazilian defender Alex scored from a close-range rebound in the 27th minute.

Anelka made it 2-0 three minutes later when he slotted in Alex’s goal-bound shot. The French striker scored again in the first half injury time from a pass by Florent Malouda and Sunderland’s problems were compounded when manager Roy Keane was sent to the stands at halftime for protesting against Anelka’s first goal.

Lampard made it 4-0 with a header six minutes into the second half, notching up his 99th goal in the Premier League.

He also scored once in League One playing for Swansea in the 1995-96 season.

Anelka completed his hat-trick with a 53rd-minute finish from Malouda’s low cross.

Poor run

Arsenal was seeking victory at lowly Stoke to rally from the disappointment of Wednesday’s 4-4 draw with fierce rival Tottenham, but ended up losing third place to the defending champion.

Its third loss in 11 games means it has as many defeats as it did in the whole of last season.

Stoke took a 11th-minute lead when Ricardo Fuller hit his fifth goal of the season from a long throw by Rory Delap, while Seyi Olofinjana made it 2-0 in the 73rd.

Arsenal got an injury-time goal from Gael Clichy but a miserable day already looked assured when substitute Robin van Persie was sent off for elbowing goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and winger Theo Walcott was carried off the field with what looked like a serious shoulder injury.

Everton improved upon the worst home record in England’s 92-team professional league when Louis Saha scored with three minutes to go for a 1-0 win over Fulham .

The results: Chelsea 5 (Alex 27, Nicolas Anelka 30, 45+1, 53, Frank Lampard 51) bt Sunderland 0; Manchester United 4 (Cristiano Ronaldo 3, 44, Michael Carrick 29, Nemanja Vidic 57) bt Hull City 3 (Daniel Cousin 23, Bernard Mendy 69, Geovanni 82-pen); Middlesbrough 1 (Mido 84) drew with West Ham United 1 (Hayden Mullins 21); Portsmouth 1 (Niko Kranjcar 82) lost to Wigan Athletic 2 (Amr Zaki 45+1-pen, Emile Heskey 90+2 ); Stoke City 2 (Ricardo Fuller 11, Seyi Olofinjana 73) bt Arsenal 1 (Gael Clichy 90+4); West Bromwich Albion 2 (Roman Bednar 56, Ishmael Miller 62) drew with Blackburn Rovers 2 (Benni McCarthy 13-pen, Keith Andrews 90); Everton 1 (Louis Saha 87) bt Fulham 0. — AP