Drogba unleashed a swerving 33-yard shot that dipped past
goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 11th minute at Reebok Stadium.
Teammate Florent Malouda side-footed home from a tight
angle in the 41st, Nicolas Anelka's left-footed drive found the net in the 56th
and Ramires added his first Chelsea goal in the 74th minute.
Chelsea, which beat Blackburn last week, has won back to
back matches for the first time since defeating Wolves on Oct. 23 and then
Blackburn seven days later - its last previous away win in the league.
Chelsea is still seven points behind leader Manchester
United in fourth place, having played one match more.
"Didier got us off to good start with probably the
best goal of this season so far, and we worked really hard all over the
park," Chelsea captain John Terry said. "We stopped Bolton playing
and it worked for us." Bolton dominated the early stages of a match that
had been preceded by a minute's silence for Bolton and England great Nat
Lofthouse, who died earlier this month.
Chelsea made the hosts pay for their early profligacy,
however, after Malouda had won the ball from Gretar Steinsson. Malouda released
Drogba into space, and the Ivory Coast forward caught the defense and 'keeper
out with a powerful drive for his ninth league goal and 10th in all competitions
this season.
"I was in a good position, so I took my chance
," Drogba said. "I had the confidence to try. You have to try if you
want to score." Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech made a great save in the 12th
minute to preserve the lead, turning Matt Taylor's header around the post
following a cross from Martin Petrov.
Chelsea then extended their lead with Bolton defender
Gary Cahill cursing his luck. He blocked Malouda's cross but it rebounded to
the Frenchman, who beat Jaaskelainen at the near post to match Drogba's scoring
record this season.
Bolton had threatened to cut the deficit, but Anelka made
the game safe after Michael Essien's cross was deflected to him, sweeping the
ball home with defender Zat Knight appearing to be distracted by Drogba.
Bolton could not handle the speed of Chelsea's
counterattacks, and it became a rout when Ramires hit his first goal since
arriving from Benfica in the offseason.
Essien was again instrumental in the build-up, finding
Anelka in the area. When his shot was blocked, the Brazil midfielder knocked in
the rebound.
Bolton has now taken only eight points from 10 games,
dropping a spot to 10th place on goal difference.
"We gifted them each and every goal," Bolton
manager Owen Coyle said. "We've had as many chances as them tonight, but
they're clinical and that's why they're champions. It's hard to take but you
can either feel sorry for yourself or get up tomorrow morning ready to do
something about it. That's what we'll do.
"Take nothing away from Chelsea, their finishing was
top class - but there was no way there was four goals between the teams."
Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho wants
Manchester City's Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor to replace the injured Gonzalo
Higuain, Spanish newspapers reported Tuesday.
The sports daily Marca also said efforts to sign Dutch
forward Ruud Van Nistelrooy - who left Real one year ago - are now hampered by
Hamburg's resistance to his departure from the German club.
Real Madrid are on the hunt for a new striker to replace
the injured Higuain, who could be out for the rest of the season.
Marca said "Mourinho is insisting on Adebayor"
who has "always been his priority." It said the 26-year-old's
transfer "would be very simple as Manchester don't want him any more"
and the signing would "cost nothing." Another sports newspaper, AS,
also said Adebayor is Real's "new target." But the papers also
mentioned others names as alternatives, such as Manchester City's Carlos Tevez
and Bayern Munich's Miroslav Klose.
In another development, Bayern Munich captain Mark van
Bommel on Tuesday joined Italian side AC Milan, five months before his contract
was due to expire, the German giants have announced.
"It was Mark's express wish to be released from his
contract early for sporting reasons, in order to be able to move to AC Milan
immediately," Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.
"Mark was always a model professional, an important
and successful player for Bayern Munich, and also a fantastic captain."
Bayern gave no financial details, but reports said that with van Bommel's
contract due to expire at the end of the season, his move to the Italian giants
was a free transfer.
The Bild daily said that van Bommel's relations with
Bayern coach, compatriot Louis van Gaal, had hit an all-time low.
He had become worried that he could spend a lot of the
second half of the Bundesliga season on the bench and could lose his captain's
armband because he no longer fitted in with van Gaal's plans, Bild said.
