16/03/2002  Chelsea 4 Sunderland 0
 
Red-hot Chelsea scored four goals for the third consecutive 
game as they kept alive their hopes of qualifying for next 
season's Champions League.

William Gallas scored his first Barclaycard Premiership 
goal. Eidur Gudjohnsen then grabbed his 22nd of the season; 
Mikael Forssell kept up his supersub act with the third, and 
Sam Dalla Bona completed the rout of Sunderland in injury 
time.

Chelsea have now scored 15 goals in their last four matches 
and have one eye of finishing fourth in the table.

In contrast, Sunderland sorely missed leading scorer Kevin 
Phillips. They battled hard before caving in during the second 
half and still face a fight to secure their place in the top 
flight next season.

It was a scrappy opening, and when Mario Melchiot played a 
stray pass across the edge of his own box after eight minutes 
Sunderland captain Michael Gray sent a first-time shot a few 
feet wide.

After 12 minutes, Cameroon international striker Patrick 
Mboma turned smartly in the Blues box - but his shot was 
comfortably saved by Carlo Cudicini, diving low to his 
right.

Sunderland won a free-kick on the right edge of the Chelsea 
box after 17 minutes. Gray curled in a teasing, waist-high 
cross which narrowly evaded Mboma and Gavin McCann before 
rolling out for a goal-kick.

Gallas opened the scoring after 23 minutes with his second 
tap-in in the space of a week.

Graeme Le Saux floated in a dangerous corner from the right 
which Marcel Desailly nodded down, and the French defender 
turned in the ball from close range. 

Sunderland were still in it and went close again after 40 
minutes when Gray delivered a far-post corner from the right. 
McCann beat Cudicini in the air only to see his header bounce 
wide.

The visitors made a bright start to the second half and 
forced a smart save from Cudicini after 47 minutes.

Kevin Kilbane hit a fierce, low drive from 25 yards - and 
the Blues goalkeeper dived to his left to push it round the 
post.

Chelsea tried to impose themselves again, and after 52 
minutes Gudjohnsen burst forward and hit a shot straight at 
goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen from 25 yards.

Simonsen spilled a low, right-wing cross from Jesper 
Gronkjaer on the hour - and it was lucky for Sunderland that 
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was having a quiet day at the office 
and slipped over as he tried to pounce on the loose ball.

After 64 minutes Sorensen had to make an important save to 
keep Peter Reid's men in the game.

Gronkjaer raced down the right and pulled the ball back 
nicely for Hasselbaink who did not strike it cleanly, allowing 
the goalkeeper turn round the far post.

Chelsea put the game beyond the visitors' reach with a 
well-taken goal after 72 minutes by Gudjohnsen.

The bustling striker was released by Gronkjaer and, as 
Sorensen came off his line, Gudjohnsen delicately chipped the 
ball over his body and into the far corner for his 22nd goal 
of the season.

Gudjohnsen was replaced by Forssell after 82 minutes, and 
within a minute the flying Finn played a one-two with Le Saux 
on the edge of the box and buried the ball in the back of the 
net for Chelsea's third.

Chelsea's joy was completed in injury time when Dalla Bona 
crashed home the fourth from the edge of the box.