Anelka (third left) scored twice as Chelsea strolled to victory
By Mandeep Sanghera
Chelsea registered an emphatic win over MSK Zilina as they got their bid for a first Champions League title under way.
Michael Essien side-footed the visitors ahead before Nicolas Anelka added to the lead when he angled in a shot and poked in from close range.
Daniel Sturridge rounded keeper Martin Dubravka to slot in Chelsea's fourth.
But Petr Cech missed a cross, which was inadvertently headed goalwards by Branislav Ivanovic, and Tomas Oravec grabbed a consolation Zilina goal.
Chelsea have been in freescoring mode in the Premier League this season and continued in the same vein as they took Zilina apart to take their tally to 21 goals in five games.
It was a return to the venue where Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich tasted his first game after buying the London club in the summer of 2003.
On that occasion, it was the first leg of a Champions League third-round qualifier and Chelsea beat the Slovakian side 2-0 before going on to win 5-0 on aggregate.
And the Premier League champions made similarly easy work of brushing aside Zilina this time around.
The home side had gone through three rounds to make it to the group stage for the first time in their history and the adrenalin of the occasion helped them make a promising start before reality kicked in.
Yossi Benayoun slid a delightful ball into striker Anelka, who put a ball across which Essien side-footed in from 12 yards.
Zilina tried to hit back and Robert Jez saw Cech spill his low free-kick before the keeper gathered at the second attempt, while Babatounde Bello had a header easily saved.
However, the visitors quickly reasserted their grip on the game as they continued their penchant for goals.
Anelka's celebration after scoring against Zilina
Florent Malouda chipped a ball into the run of Anelka and the French striker angled in a left-foot shot which keeper Martin Dubravaka failed to get a hand to despite it being within saveable range.
Anelka poked in from point-blank range to make it 3-0 after John Terry had headed a Malouda corner against the crossbar and Chelsea were threatening to run riot against the Slovakian league leaders.
Admir Vladavic had two long-range strikes for Zilina blocked away by Cech but their predicament got worse when Benayoun played another telling ball from midfield.
The Israeli found Sturridge and he rounded keeper Dubravka before slotting in a left-foot shot.
Chelsea's biggest danger was complacency and so it proved as they eased off and allowed Zilina some encouragement by gifting them a goal.
Cech flapped as he missed a cross, which was sent goalwards off the head of Ivanovic, and Oravec slid in to get the final touch before the ball crossed the line.
Tomas Majtan angled a shot wide and Lubomir Guldan sent a header past the post as Zilina restored some pride and gave new voice to their crowd.
Chelsea even had the luxury of bringing on youngsters Gael Kakuta and Joshua McEachran as they comfortably closed out the game and deliver an early sign of their determination to end their Champions League jinx and win the competition for the first time.
90:00+0:36 Foul by Gael Kakuta on Robert Jez, free kick awarded. Robert Jez shoots direct from the free kick.
90:00 The final whistle goes and the game is over.
89:07 Effort from outside the penalty area by Branislav Ivanovic goes wide left of the goal.
87:13 Martin Dubravka takes the free kick.
87:13 Substitution Patrick Van Aanholt is brought on as a substitute for Florent Malouda.
87:13 The assistant referee signals for offside against Gael Kakuta.
85:58 John Terry produces a left-footed shot from just outside the box that misses to the right of the target.
85:44 Florent Malouda takes a inswinging corner from the right by-line to the near post, clearance by Bello Babatounde.
85:27 Nicolas Anelka takes a shot. Save made by Martin Dubravka.
84:26 Unfair challenge on Pavol Poliacek by Yuri Zhirkov results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Pavol Poliacek.
83:38 The official flags Joshua McEachran offside. Free kick taken by Martin Dubravka.
82:11 Michael Essien takes a shot. Save by Martin Dubravka.
80:04 Unfair challenge on Martin Dubravka by Florent Malouda results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Martin Dubravka.
78:17 Free kick taken by Mikel.
78:17 Substitution Joshua McEachran joins the action as a substitute, replacing Yossi Benayoun.
78:17 Substitution Lubomir Guldan goes off and Stanislav Angelovic comes on.
78:17 Robert Jez concedes a free kick for a foul on Mikel.
76:52 Tomas Majtan takes a shot. Save by Petr Cech.
75:09 Branislav Ivanovic gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Admir Vladavic. Patrik Mraz takes the free kick.
72:41 Florent Malouda concedes a free kick for a foul on Lubomir Guldan. Patrik Mraz crosses the ball, Headed effort from inside
the area by Lubomir Guldan misses to the right of the target.
70:11 Yossi Benayoun is ruled offside. Indirect free kick taken by Martin Dubravka.
67:06 The referee blows for offside against Nicolas Anelka. Indirect free kick taken by Martin Dubravka.
66:45 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Florent Malouda by Tomas Majtan. Gael Kakuta takes the free kick.
65:16 Free kick awarded for a foul by Tomas Majtan on Florent Malouda. Direct free kick taken by Mikel.
64:15 Tomas Majtan produces a right-footed shot from the edge of the box and misses to the left of the target.
63:47 Foul by Admir Vladavic on Michael Essien, free kick awarded. Michael Essien takes the direct free kick.
63:28 Corner taken left-footed by Patrik Mraz, Petr Cech makes a save.
61:27 Branislav Ivanovic challenges Admir Vladavic unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick crossed by Robert Jez, save made
by Petr Cech.
60:44 Substitution Gael Kakuta on for Daniel Sturridge.
60:15 Substitution Momodou Ceesay leaves the field to be replaced by Tomas Majtan.
59:03 Yossi Benayoun gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Martin Dubravka. Free kick taken by Martin Dubravka.
58:39 The referee gives a free kick against Robert Jez for handball. Petr Cech restarts play with the free kick.
57:06 Admir Vladavic has an effort at goal from just outside the area which goes wide of the left-hand post.
56:03 Substitution Emil Rilke goes off and Pavol Poliacek comes on.
54:51 GOAL - Tomas Oravec:MSK Zilina 1 - 4 Chelsea Goal scored by Tomas Oravec from close in to the bottom left corner of the goal. MSK Zilina 1-4 Chelsea.
54:43 Robert Jez sends in a cross, Petr Cech makes a save.
52:57 Bello Babatounde takes a shot. Tomas Oravec gets a block in.
52:01 The offside flag is raised against Emil Rilke. Petr Cech takes the indirect free kick.
51:22 Corner taken by Robert Jez from the left by-line to the near post, clearance by Florent Malouda.
49:28 Shot from outside the penalty box by Bello Babatounde goes wide right of the goal.
48:50 Inswinging corner taken by Robert Jez from the right by-line.
48:29 Shot by Admir Vladavic. Petr Cech makes a save.
47:05 Assist on the goal came from Yossi Benayoun.
47:05 GOAL - Daniel Sturridge:MSK Zilina 0 - 4 Chelsea Daniel Sturridge finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the penalty box to the bottom left corner of the goal.
MSK Zilina 0-4 Chelsea.
46:37 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Emil Rilke by Yuri Zhirkov. Lubomir Guldan takes the direct free kick.
46:04 Effort by Robert Jez from a long way out goes over the crossbar.
45:01 The referee blows his whistle to start the second half.
Half Time
45:00 The whistle is blown to end the first half.
44:15 Daniel Sturridge is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Martin Dubravka restarts play with the free kick.
43:47 Florent Malouda concedes a free kick for a foul on Jozef Piacek. Direct free kick taken by Martin Dubravka.
42:17 Centre by Emil Rilke, Bello Babatounde has a headed effort at goal from deep inside the area missing to the left of the target.
41:59 Admir Vladavic takes a shot. Save made by Petr Cech.
38:41 Inswinging corner taken by Robert Jez from the left by-line played to the near post, clearance made by Florent Malouda.
38:32 Lubomir Guldan sends in a cross, Branislav Ivanovic makes a clearance.
38:20 Centre by Momodou Ceesay, John Terry makes a clearance.
37:36 Florent Malouda takes a inswinging corner from the right by-line played to the near post, Bello Babatounde makes a clearance.
37:22 Florent Malouda takes a shot. Blocked by Mario Pecalka.
37:09 Mikel fouled by Robert Jez, the ref awards a free kick. Mikel takes the direct free kick.
35:58 Bello Babatounde takes a shot. Momodou Ceesay gets a block in.
33:23 The ball is swung over by John Terry, save made by Martin Dubravka.
32:04 The referee blows for offside. Direct free kick taken by Petr Cech.
29:03 Robert Jez takes a shot. Blocked by John Terry.
28:54 Yossi Benayoun concedes a free kick for a foul on Momodou Ceesay. Robert Jez takes the direct free kick.
27:18 Assist on the goal came from John Terry.
27:18 GOAL - Nicolas Anelka:MSK Zilina 0 - 3 Chelsea Nicolas Anelka finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the six-yard box low into the middle of the goal. MSK Zilina
0-3 Chelsea.
27:06 Inswinging corner taken by Florent Malouda, John Terry takes a shot. Save by Martin Dubravka.
26:54 Shot by Daniel Sturridge. Save by Martin Dubravka.
26:28 Florent Malouda has an effort at goal. Robert Jez gets a block in.
25:59 Admir Vladavic is penalised for handball and concedes a free kick. Indirect free kick taken by Petr Cech.
25:53 Centre by Bello Babatounde.
25:13 Yossi Benayoun gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Tomas Oravec. Robert Jez takes the free kick.
23:33 Assist on the goal came from Florent Malouda.
23:33 GOAL - Nicolas Anelka:MSK Zilina 0 - 2 Chelsea Nicolas Anelka fires in a goal from inside the box to the bottom right corner of the goal. MSK Zilina 0-2 Chelsea.
21:29 The ball is delivered by Momodou Ceesay, Bello Babatounde takes a shot. Save by Petr Cech.
19:07 The ball is swung over by Emil Rilke.
18:28 Emil Rilke fouled by Florent Malouda, the ref awards a free kick. Martin Dubravka restarts play with the free kick.
17:10 Shot from just outside the box by Momodou Ceesay misses to the left of the target.
Correction - 14:22 John Terry challenges Robert Jez unfairly and gives away a free kick. Bello Babatounde restarts play with the free kick, Effort
on goal by Robert Jez from 25 yards. Petr Cech makes a save.
14:22 Robert Jez fouled by John Terry, the ref awards a free kick. Strike comes in from Bello Babatounde from the free kick, save
by Petr Cech.
12:10 The assist for the goal came from Nicolas Anelka.
12:10 GOAL - Michael Essien:MSK Zilina 0 - 1 Chelsea Michael Essien finds the net with a goal from deep inside the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. MSK Zilina
0-1 Chelsea.
Correction - 11:33 Daniel Sturridge takes a shot from just outside the penalty area which clears the crossbar.
11:33 Effort on goal by Michael Essien from just outside the penalty area goes harmlessly over the target.
10:55 Lubomir Guldan concedes a free kick for a foul on Yuri Zhirkov. Direct free kick taken by Florent Malouda.
9:50 Tomas Oravec is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Petr Cech restarts play with the free kick.
8:23 Michael Essien sends in a cross, save made by Martin Dubravka.
8:02 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Yossi Benayoun played to the near post, Lubomir Guldan manages to make a clearance.
3:40 Shot from long range by Momodou Ceesay misses to the right of the target.
2:14 Bello Babatounde produces a cross.
1:59 A cross is delivered by Emil Rilke, blocked by Yuri Zhirkov.
1:04 Corner taken left-footed by Patrik Mraz from the right by-line, save made by Petr Cech.
Live text and data provided by The Press Association.
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