Anelka takes Chelsea top

Nicolas Anelka scored for the first time against former club Liverpool and Florent Malouda added a second in stoppage time to take Chelsea back to the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Anelka was left with a simple tap-in on the hour after Didier Drogba capped a superb break with a wonderful cross from the left and the Ivorian was provider again in the 91st minute, escaping the clutches of Jamie Carragher on the opposite flank to set up Malouda.
 
Carlo Ancelotti's side head into the international break with a two-point lead over Manchester United, who were held 2-2 by Sunderland on Saturday.
 
More significantly, they are six points clear of the Merseysiders, who have now lost three times in their opening eight league games. Manchester United, back in 1966-67 were the last side to recover from such a start to win the English championship.
 
Chelsea had been desperate to get back to winning ways in the league after their 3-1 drubbing by Wigan last week. But it was Liverpool -beaten themselves by Fiorentina in the Champions League in midweek - who dominated the early skirmishes in midfield with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres linking up well.
 
Both sides were full of attacking desire but the first effort on goal did not arrive until 24 minutes, and when it came it was comfortable for Jose Reina, the Liverpool goalkeeper collecting a header from Didier Drogba just beneath his crossbar.
 
Reina was called into action again three minutes later, keeping out Anelka's free header at the foot of his left-hand post after the France striker had been picked out by a fine cross from Essien marauding down the right.
 
Chelsea squandered another real chance on 34 minutes after Drogba had been brought down by Jamie Carragher near the corner flag. Deco's free-kick into the penalty area was well directed but the unmarked Michael Ballack headed over the crossbar.
 
The home side were now enjoying their best spell of the game and when Lampard's 38th-minute corner fell to Essien at the far post, the Ghana midfielder forced Reina to make a save at the second attempt.
 
Liverpool responded with Dirk Kuyt crossing for Torres to head straight at Hilario from six yards, though the Spain striker seemed to contact the ball with his nose rather than his forehead.
 
Deco found himself in the book for a foul on Liverpool's Kuyt in the 44th minute and Riera forced Hilario into a save with a 40-yard low drive, with the Portuguese goalkeeper reacting very late to the effort and getting down just in time.
 
Gerrard headed wide and also shot over the crossbar in the early stages of the second half, while Reina dealt comfortably with a curling shot from Branislav Ivanovic that bounced awkwardly just in front of him.
 
The game looked destined for a goalless draw, but all that changed on the hour. Frank Lampard nipped in to steal the ball off Javier Mascherano in midfield and Chelsea broke swiftly, the ball finding its way via Deco to Drogba marauding down the left.
 
The Ivory Coast striker looked up before delivering an inch-perfect cross that was just begging to be despatched by Anelka and the Frenchman, having stolen a yard on Jamie Carragher, made no mistake.
 
Understandably, there was more purpose about Liverpool after falling behind and Gerrard looked certain to level after bundling his way through, but Ashley Cole was there to make a vital tackle.
 
John Terry made an equally-important block to deny his England team-mate and Fernando Torres, with his weaker left foot, missed the target when the loose ball fell to him 16 yards out.
 
Chelsea made the game safe in stoppage time, when Drogba outmuscled Carragher on the right and set up Malouda for another tap-in.
 
Even then, Liverpool might have got back into the match. Yossi Benayoun screwed a shot wide with the goal gaping after cutting inside Ashley Cole and Gerrard forced a fine save from Hilario.

The views expressed in this story do not necessarily reflect the views of Liverpool Football Club.