Didier Drogba's double enabled Chelsea to move four points clear
of Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premier League as
they overcame Wolves at Molineux.
Drogba ensured the Blues took advantage of United's 3-1
lunchtime reversal against Everton at Goodison Park with a goal in
each half.
It took his tally for the campaign to 25 in all competitions and
earned Carlo Ancelotti's side only their second away win in their
last seven league games.
Chelsea barely moved out of second gear for long periods ahead
of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Inter Milan.
Double trouble: Didier Drogba fired two goals to
send Chelsea four points clear
But the quality finishing of Drogba was the difference between
the sides and means the Blues are now favourites to take the
Premier League crown with only 11 games remaining.
Petr Cech was the busier of the two keepers and made two crucial
saves early in the second half when Chelsea held only a single-goal
advantage.
But Wolves' problem all season has been failure to take their
chances, as demonstrated by their meagre goal tally of 21 -
although Kevin Doyle again impressed as a lone striker.
Chelsea were quickly in the ascendancy and the first half-chance
fell to Michael Ballack.
Yuri Zhirkov sent over a threatening cross from the left flank
and Ballack got up well in the danger area but directed his header
wide.
Sliding scale: Didier Drogba gtets Chelsea off the
mark
Doyle produced the first save of the game out of Cech after 15
minutes.
The Republic of Ireland international made space for himself
after a diagonal run and Cech had to go down to his right to save
his 20-yard drive.
Doyle then flicked the ball into the path of the overlapping
Kevin Foley but his shot from a narrow angle flew into the side
netting.
Doyle was causing problems for Chelsea and he was alert to a
quick throw from Foley and forced Cech to parry his shot around the
post.
Ballack was only just too high with a rasping volley after a
corner from Florent Malouda was only half-cleared.
Jones, who had scored the winner against Tottenham ten days ago,
curled a free-kick just wide as Wolves started to grow in
confidence.
But five minutes before the interval, Chelsea took the lead
through Drogba.
Zhirkov played a one-two with Ballack before squaring a low ball
across the six-yard box and Drogba had the easiest of tap-ins.
Cech produced a superb reflex save to protect Chelsea's lead
after 55 minutes.
Net result: Drogba wheels away after the
opener
Adlene Guedioura timed his run perfectly to connect with a
far-post cross from Jarvis but his fierce volley was somehow kept
out by the Chelsea keeper.
Ancelotti made his first change a minute later with Zhirkov
replaced by Jeffrey Bruma.
The home side tried to get a foothold in the game and Cech
produced another splendid stop to deny Foley an equaliser.
Terry miskicked when attempting to clear and Foley found himself
with only Cech to beat but he managed to block his fierce shot.
Ballack became the first player to be yellow-carded for dissent
as the Blues looked rattled.
But then Drogba doubled Chelsea's lead as Wolves were caught
napping by a long clearance from Cech.
Drogba was the first to react and took the ball away from
Christophe Berra before clipping the ball wide of Marcus
Hahnemann.
Out fo reach: Florent Malouda competes with Adlene
Guedioura
McCarthy made a triple substitution with Jarvis, Foley and Jones
making way for Geoffrey Mujangi Bia, Greg Halford and Sylvan
Ebanks-Blake.
Doyle was only just off target for Wolves with a shot on the
turn after some typical aggression.
But it needed a good tackle from Ronald Zubar to deny Anelka a
third goal as he bore down on the Wolves goal.
Terry cleared the ball off the line in a late Wolves rally after
Cech had failed to gather a long throw from Halford.