09/11/2008  Blackburn 0 Chelsea 2
 
Chelsea ensured it was many happy returns for manager Luiz Felipe Scolari with a confident 2-0 victory at Blackburn to send them back to the top of the Barclays Premier League table.

There would have been more welcoming places for Scolari to celebrate his 60th birthday than Blackburn on a cold and rain-drenched afternoon but the three points made the perfect present for the Chelsea manager.

Nicolas Anelka scored both goals, one by luck and the other by pure finisher's skill, to make it a scoreline that accurately reflected the balance of the match.

Blackburn, who have now not won in six Premier League matches, had promised to give Chelsea a searching test, and it was one the league leaders passed with some comfort as only Paul Robinson in the Rovers goal kept the score respectable.

Victory was achieved without Didier Drogba even making the trip to the north-west, and question-marks remain over his long-term future at the club, especially now Anelka has established himself as the manager's favourite.

Blackburn must have hoped the pouring rain would be in their favour but Chelsea took to the conditions like ducks to water.

Disaster nearly struck early on for the home side when Keith Andrews' awful back-pass was intercepted by Anelka, who appeared to be felled by the sliding Robinson.

Referee Chris Foy ignored the shouts for a penalty however, due perhaps to Anelka's over-theatrical tumble.

Blackburn put their faith in hard work but again were nearly undone by lapses of concentration. Anelka was completely unmarked when Jose Bosingwa sent over a straightforward cross and Robinson was forced to save his downward header with his feet.

After John Terry had landed a header on the roof of the net, Robinson was forced to save again with his feet to deny John Obi Mikel from close range.

Florent Malouda was the next Chelsea player to be wasteful, slicing wide from 15 yards after a poor clearance, before Robinson was in action again, this time pushing aside a low drive from Frank Lampard.

Blackburn finally put a good passing move together, and what a move it was - only Petr Cech's acrobatics prevented Carlos Villanueva giving Rovers an undeserved lead.

Morten Gamst Pedersen's first-time cross found Villanueva and the Chilean's fierce left-footed shot was brilliantly parried by the Chelsea goalkeeper.

That near-miss seemed to hearten Blackburn and they started to push back Chelsea - and now the conditions were getting really tricky, with the ball being held up by standing water.

It still seemed only a matter of time before Chelsea broke through and Robinson had to be at his very best to keep out Anelka's shot which came through the legs of a defender.

Lampard thumped in another 25-yard effort that the Rovers goalkeeper clubbed away, before - almost as soon as the rain stopped - Chelsea took the lead in freakish circumstances.

Bosingwa's long-range hit-and-hope was heading wide until it struck Anelka and trickled across the line with Robinson wrong-footed and unable to change direction in the slippery conditions.

Rovers began with more purpose in the second half and Jason Roberts had a gilt-edged chance for an equaliser when Pedersen lofted a pass to the edge of the box, and the striker turned away from John Terry to give himself a clear sight of goal but Cech's looming presence blocked out the shot.

The spell of pressure continued as Villanueva hammered a strike over the bar after Roberts had again got the better of Terry.

With less than half an hour remaining, and concerned no doubt by the apparent change in the direction of the game, Scolari stiffened the side by taking off Salomon Kalou and sending on Juliano Belletti.

It certainly had the desired effect as Anelka scored his second to put the game beyond Blackburn's reach.

Malouda and Lampard combined on the edge of the box and the England midfielder stabbed a short pass to put Anelka in the clear and he finished with aplomb, lifting the ball over Robinson to make it 2-0.

Aaron Mokoena sidefooted a half-chance past the post as Rovers tried to find some hope, then Chelsea nearly extended their lead with Robinson tipping Lampard's dipping free-kick onto the crossbar.

Anelka raced through in the closing minutes searching for another hat-trick and the icing on the birthday cake but once more Robinson was heroic.