Salomon Kalou scored three goals and Frank Lampard two as Chelsea beat Stoke 7-0 to stay a point ahead of Manchester United in the Premier League title race on Sunday,while Burnley were relegated after one season in the top flight. The pressure was back on Chelsea after United beat Tottenham 3-1 on Saturday. But two strikes by Kalou and Lampards penalty put Carlo Ancelottis team 3-0 up by halftime. Both scorers,plus Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda,added more goals in the second half. Chelsea have 80 points and United 79 going into their last two games,and Ancelottis team now have a much better goal difference should they wind up level. Chelsea visit Liverpool and host Wigan,while United go to Sunderland and welcome Stoke. Chelsea captain John Terry,who was suspended after being sent off at Spurs,was not missed in central defence with goalkeeper Petr Cech never troubled. Chelsea left back Ashley Cole had a comfortable return to action,playing the full match after 10 weeks out. Stokes afternoon began badly when Abdoulaye Faye limped off in the 10th minute with a thigh injury. But his replacement,Ryan Shawcross,immediately made a decisive block as Cole hit the rebound after goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen had parried Lampards strike. Soon after,Drogba had a header saved by Sorensen and then volleyed over. The Ivory Coast striker provided the assist in the 24th minute for Chelseas first goal,with Kalou almost on the ground six metres out as he met Drogbas cross. Kalous day Kalou was on target again seven minutes later when Lampards shot was parried by Sorensen,sliding to send the ball over the line with his left boot but catching Sorensens elbow with his right boot. The Denmark goalkeeper was carried off on a stretcher with a dislocated elbow. Kalou played a part in Chelseas third goal,earning a penalty after being hauled down by Robert Huth. Lampard slotted the spot kick into the bottom right corner past replacement goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. The fourth goal came in the 68th when Kalou charged down the right flank. Begovic blocked the initial shot from a tight angle shot,but Kalou fired the rebound into the net. A fifth should have come when Nicolas Anelka crossed to Malouda at the far post,but the France winger sliced wide. Lampard was on target,though,in the 81st when he volleyed past Begovic after latching on to substitute Sam Hutchinsons cross. As Stoke completely capitulated,Sturridge was fed by Drogba and rounded Begovic before slotting home. Malouda turned home Joe Coles cross in the 89th. Aston Villa and Liverpool both won to improve their chances of clinching a Champions League spot for next season. James Milner fired home a disputed penalty as Villa beat neighbours Birmingham City 1-0,while Steven Gerrard scored two of Liverpools goals in a 4-0 win at next-to-last Burnley. The victory lifted Villa into fifth,level on points with fourth-place Tottenham.
