Chelsea hit Villa for seven

Chelsea produced a seven-goal super show to demolish Aston Villa 7-1 and go back to the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Four from Frank Lampard made him third-highest scorer in the club's history on 151 goals and he was assisted by a double from Florent Malouda and another from substitute Salomon Kalou.

Chelsea were stunned by a 29th minute equaliser from Villa's John Carew but Carlo Ancelotti's side were in cruise control in a devastating second-half that brought Villa's 10-match unbeaten run to a crashing end.

Chelsea went ahead in the 15th minute when Malouda's low cross was turned home at the far post by Lampard.

Controversy then erupted in the 27th minute when John Mikel Obi appeared to elbow James Milner, but referee Peter Walton booked Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov for protesting about Mikel's challenge and took no action against the Chelsea midfielder.

However, Villa were jubilant when they equalised through Carew. He converted a superb curling cross from Ashley Young at the far post to score his ninth goal in eight games.

Chelsea restored their lead in the 44th minute through a Lampard penalty after Yuri Zhirkov had been fouled by Villa defender James Collins as he burst into the penalty area. And the Blues went 3-1 up in the 57th minute when Malouda finished off a sweeping move by the hosts. Zhirkov found space down the right and his cross was met perfectly as Malouda scored his 12th of the season.

They scored again in the 62nd minute as Lampard grabbed his hat-trick with his second penalty of the game after Zhirkov had been fouled by Dunne.

In the 68th minute, rampant Chelsea made it 5-1 when Paulo Ferreira and Lampard set-up Malouda for his second of the game.

Substitute Kalou found the target in the 83rd minute when he drilled home from 18 yards and Lampard made it 7-1 with his fourth of the game in added time as Villa's 10-match unbeaten run came to a crashing halt.