London: Champion Chelsea extended its lead at the top of the Premier League to five points with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Florent Malouda scored his seventh goal of the season in the 23rd minute, finishing off a move involving Nicolas Anelka and Yuri Zhirkov. Substitute Salomon Kalou added the second with nine minutes to play after being put through by Michael Essien's pass.
Wolves created several chances but were unable beat Petr Cech in the home goal, while Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba both missed good opportunities for Chelsea.
Chelsea now has 22 points from nine matches, five ahead of Manchester City, which plays Arsenal on Sunday. Wolverhampton slips to 19th, below Liverpool on goal difference.
"It was a tough game because we didn't play so well," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said. "We had a lot of chances before the second goal. We didn't play as well as we normally have done this season.
"It is a good advantage but tomorrow it might be different. It is too early to say we have enough points... A difficult moment will arrive for us and we have to be ready."
Victory gives Chelsea its fifth win from five games at Stamford Bridge but until Kalou doubled the lead in the 81st, the result was in doubt.
"It was a difficult week because of the travel to Moscow for the Champions League game against Spartak," Ancelotti said. "We were not 100 per cent. It is important to win when you are not 100 per cent. We did not play our best."
As well as the three points, there was the positive return to action for Chelsea right-back Jose Bosingwa, who made his first start in over a year following a knee injury.
"Bosingwa played very well and he was one of the best players on the pitch," Ancelotti said. "He put a lot of pressure on them in the second-half. He is an important player for us in the future because he has speed for attacking play."
Wolverhampton has now gone eight games without a win after its opening-day victory against Stoke but manager Mick McCarthy felt his side gave the league leader a good game.
"I think we should have scored, which may well have given us something out of it," McCarthy said. "We had the best two chances prior to them scoring.
"I think Chelsea are the best team in the league. They have got loads of ability and pace and one of the best goalkeepers in the league. They are physically tough and clever... We should have scored against them but we didn't."
McCarthy's side started brightly, forcing two early corners and putting pressure on the host.
Bosingwa had Chelsea's first effort on goal in the 13th, his drive tipped round the post by keeper Marcus Hahnemann. Wolves responded with a David Edwards header that was saved by Cech.
Malouda then opened the scoring after a flowing attack. Anelka found Zhirkov in the area and the Russian cut the ball back for Malouda to slot home.
Anelka should have added to the scoreline in the 27th but his effort found the sidenetting.
Richard Stearman became the first player to be shown a yellow card shortly after, for a foul on Drogba, before Bosingwa again went close with a shot from 25 yards.
Minutes before halftime, Kevin Doyle had an opportunity to equalize but his header from a Matthew Jarvis cross went wide. Chelsea immediately broke and Bosingwa was denied by Hahnemann for a second time after being put through by Malouda.
Wolves brought Stephen Hunt on for his debut after the break — four months after he signed from Hull — and the Irishman, who has recovered from a foot injury, was booed by Chelsea fans who have not forgotten the incident in which he broke Cech's skull while playing for Reading in 2006.
Hunt almost provided the perfect response but his 48th-minute header was cleared off the line by Essien, before Doyle forced another good save from Cech at the near post.
Drogba then squandered two chances in the space of 10 minutes, first firing wide from inside the area and then failing to round Hahnemann after being sent clear by Branislav Ivanovic.
Chelsea still could not make the game safe and Cech again denied Doyle following a corner.
Ancelotti withdrew goalscorer Malouda for Kalou in the 72nd minute and the Ivorian finally sealed victory with his fifth league goal in six appearances.
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