Chelsea extends its lead

Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou secured a routine 2-0 victory for Chelsea over struggling Wolves to move Carlo Ancelotti's side five points clear at the top of the Premier League table here on Saturday.

Malouda fired the home side ahead in the 24th minute before Kalou wrapped things up nine minutes from time to send home the Stamford Bridge faithful smiling.

Formidable

Chelsea's home form has been formidable with Ancelotti's side having failed to concede in its four league games at Stamford Bridge prior to this meeting.

To Wolves' credit, though, it refused to be intimidated by its opponent and started brightly, forcing two early corners. Twice, it worked an opening down the right flank and could have gone ahead if David Jones and Jelle Van Damme hadn't missed good opportunities off headers.

Seconds after Petr Cech had gathered up van Damme's header, Chelsea was on the attack with Anelka moving purposefully into the Wolves area before playing a neat reverse pass for Yuri Zhirkov.

Zhirkov pulled the ball back first time and Florent Malouda was on hand 10 yards out of goal to stroke the ball past Hahnemann.

Half-time gave Wolves the chance to regroup and the introduction of Stephen Hunt gave it more energy on the flanks.

But Chelsea was controlling possession and the game would have been effectively over in the 64th minute if Drogba had made the most of an opportunity after being sent clear.

The decisive second strike came nine minutes from time after another neat exchange of one-touch passes, this time between Kalou, Drogba and Essien which ended with Kalou placing the ball beyond Hahnemann from close range.

SPURS IN THIRD SPOT

A blunder by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard helped Tottenham Hotspur grab a 1-1 draw and move up to third in the standings.

Everton got off to a dream start when Leighton Baines curled in a superb 25-yard free-kick after 17 minutes to silence the White Hart Lane crowd.

But Spurs drew level almost immediately after a dreadful gaffe from Howard.

There appeared to be little danger when Spurs full-back Alan Hutton swung in an innocuous-looking cross from the right.

Howard advanced off his line but instead of punching to safety could only graze the ball on to Peter Crouch, who guided back across the face of goal for in-form Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart to hammer home the equaliser.

The results: Tottenham Hotspur 1 (van der Vaart 20) drew with Everton 1 (Baines 17); Birmingham 2 (Ridgewell 36, Zigic 56) bt Blackpool 0; Chelsea 2 (Malouda 23, Kalou 81) bt Wolves 0; Sunderland 1 (Dunne 25-og) bt Aston Villa 0; West Brom 2 (Mulumbu 17, Fortune 40) bt Fulham 1 (Carson 9-og); Wigan 1 (Rodallega 59) drew with Bolton 1 (Elmander 66); West Ham 1 (Carlton Cole 12) lost to Newcastle 2 (Kevin Nolan 23, Andy Carroll 69).