(I don't know what I was worried about.... Keep The Faith, Ed!!)

Told!!

Chelsea showed that they really do have a squad in depth, a squad that is unified and a squad that really is brilliant, coupled with a World Cup winning manager, Chelsea are top of the league and playing the football that Mr A craves for.

Aston Villa didn't play bad yesterday, Chelsea were in another class. The lynchpin of all that Chelsea produced came through Frank Lampard who appears to have gone up to another level and it was Super Frank who was the architect of Chelsea's first goal.

Malouda pushed into Villa's half before playing a short ball to Super Frank who then dinked in pass to Joe Cole. Cole let the ball run before driving home powerfully with a right foot shot.

A few minutes later Chelsea could have been 2-0 up as Anelka rasped one against Friedel's bar.

Special praise must be given to Branislav Ivanovic, normally a full-back he slotted in next to JT and played as if he had been playing centre-half all of his life.

He kept the threat of Carew under his belt and was in the right position at the right time to clear away any loose balls.

Had Frank not been superb, I am sure Ivanovic would have got the Man of the Match accolade.

Chelsea's 2nd goal came two minutes from half-time.

Ashley Cole on another marauding run down Chelsea's left sent in a low cross from the by-line, Ballack running in hit a fierce drive which Friedel could only parry (not for the first time), Anelka struck the rebound and Friedel parried again before Anelka got the goal that his first-half performance deserved.

Anelka was withdrawn at half-time with a knock and Joe Cole went off with an ankle injury after a crunching tackle from Petrov ten minutes into the second-half.

Credit where credit is due as Martin O'Neill said in his post match assessment, "Chelsea were brilliant today, absolutely brilliant and we would have had to have had our best players playing at the top of their game to compete today, never mind anything else.

"It was a harsh lesson. I felt they were absolutely terrific, but we didn't help ourselves. This morning I really felt we would win the game, so I'm a bit daft, but we had been playing well and came into the game with plenty of confidence. We could have learned a lot today."

Scolari said, "I am satisfied because we played very well and for me its the most important game in the season because if we win we are in first position in the league and we have now a minimum of ten days to recuperate our players.

"Afterwards when we start the league after 10 or 15 days we are all in good condition. This is most important for us and we can continue from first position in the league, still top in the Champions League and in the next round of the Carling Cup. What more could I want? Nothing."

Chelsea:

Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), A Cole, Mikel, J Cole (Kalou 56), Ballack, Lampard, Malouda (Belletti 82), Anelka (Di Santo h-t)

Aston Villa:

Friedel, L Young (Cuellar h-t), Davies (Milner h-t), Laursen (c), Shorey, Reo-Coker, Petrov, Barry, A Young, Agbonlahor, Carew (Harewood 71)

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

http://www.ifutbal.com/videos/13483/chelsea-vs-aston-villa-highlights-.html