Chelsea 3 Birmingham 0

'ARD AND TRUE ... Frank Lampard rifles Chelsea 2-0 up

NO fuss, no drama, no problem.

Manchester and the Carling Cup may have stolen centre stage last night but it was Chelsea who roared into the Premier League spotlight.

The charge was led by midfield dynamo Frank Lampard, whose two goals helped take Carlo Ancelotti's side back to the top of the table.

A 3-0 victory over in-form Birmingham made progress look easy but this was a win built on hard work and forged from experience.

In the engine room, Lampard and Florent Malouda fuelled Chelsea's title tilt and provided the cutting edge.

They now lead United by a point and Arsenal by two - with a game in hand over both. It puts the Stamford Bridge team firmly in the driving seat.

More impressive, though, was a win which ended the country's best unbeaten run of the season.

Manager Alex McLeish had guided Birmingham to 15 games without defeat prior to last night's clash.

Furthermore, they were unlucky to take only a point from both United and Chelsea at St Andrew's.

So everything pointed to an uneasy evening for the home side but that did not account for the way in which the visitors defended.

After just five minutes, Joe Cole was allowed too much space on the right side by Lee Bowyer and his cross was inch-perfect.

Malouda was more than happy to collect the pass at the back post and his header was as comfortable as an old pair of slippers as it hit the back of the net. It was the perfect start and McLeish's side were visibly stung by the shock of conceding.

The combination of Scott Dann and Roger Johnson, which had withstood greater attacks than Chelsea's, looked unsure.

As Cole and Deco buzzed outside their area, the middle men screamed at their full-backs Stephen Carr and Liam Ridgewell

It didn't make a lot of difference.

Chelsea persisted and their desire to get back to the top of the league was even more evident just after the half hour.

Branislav Ivanovic carried the ball on the right before laying it back to Michael Ballack.

The Germany captain squared inside to Lampard, who picked his spot with brilliant precision to claim the second goal.

On the bench, McLeish held his head in his hands. Clearly everything he had told his team about defending had failed to make an impact.

Around Stamford Bridge, the shouts of frustration from the visitors' bench were audible over the cheers of the home fans.

Despite being the form team of the division, Birmingham seemed to leave their recent performances behind.

McLeish had a right to expect more from a team that beat Everton at Goodison in the FA Cup last weekend.

Unfortunately, all he got was more disappointment. James McFadden slashed a shot wide when he could have made a game of it. And Chelsea did not let up much in the second half either.

As much as Birmingham tried to break out, they always seemed to end up in their own half.

Joe Cole and Deco pressed on and passed the ball from the back with dangerous precision.

With so much quality throughout the team, making possession count was barely a chore for Chelsea.

And, just after half-time, Ashley Cole found himself with the kind of space and time most players only dream of.

He opted to lob a deep cross towards Ballack at the far post but keeper Joe Hart was in the mood to make this a contest over 90 minutes.

New midfield signing Michel came on and showed that he can bring some vision as Birmingham go forward - but there was no holding Chelsea back.

Lamps tapped in the third from Malouda's pass when the contest was already over to bring his own personal tally to four in his last three games.

On this form, trips to the North West to face Burnley and Hull over the next week look far less daunting than they might.

And the fact that Arsenal failed to capitalise in the first game of their crucial two-week period by drawing at Aston Villa made this result all the sweeter.

United can brag about reaching Wembley all they like but the cold truth tells a tale of Chelsea in the lead where it really counts.

No drama, no fuss, no problem. Chelsea are top - and on this form they look like they can stay there.

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