Chelsea thrash Wigan to lift Premier League title

LONDON - Chelsea romped to the Premier League title Sunday as they beat 10-man Wigan Athletic 8-0 with a hat-trick from Didier Drogba and a double from Nicolas Anelka.

The victory meant that they finished a point ahead of Manchester United, who beat Stoke City 4-0.

When Drogba headed the fifth, it carried Chelsea to 100 goals for the season, the first time any side has reached the mark in the English top flight since 1963.

If Chelsea had any nerves, they disappeared after six minutes.

A Drogba free-kick hit the wall, but as Frank Lampard returned the ball to the box, Florent Malouda, who was possibly offside, chested the ball down for Anelka to sweep in.

Wigan, fielding an unfamiliar three-at-the-back formation, began to dominate possession, although without ever really posing a threat, and the game was as good as ended as a contest after 32 minutes.

Lampard was hauled down in the box by Gary Caldwell, who was sent off, and stood up to rattle in his 22nd Premier League goal of the season.

Drogba barely celebrated, apparently furious he hadn’t been given the opportunity to take the penalty to increase his chances as finishing as the Premier League’s top scorer.

Kalou added a third nine minutes after half-time following a slick one-two with Lampard.

Two minutes later, Anelka volleyed a magnificent fourth from Branislav Ivanovic’s cross.

Drogba headed the fifth from a Lampard cross after 63 minutes, and then converted a penalty after Ashley Cole had been tripped five minutes later.

He completed his hat-trick with 10 minutes remaining, tapping in after Mike Pollitt had saved from Joe Cole.

That took his tally for the season to 29, making him the Premier League’s leading scorer, three clear of Wayne Rooney.

Chelsea had scored seven on three previous occasions this season; this time they went to eight, their biggest top-division win, as Ashley Cole volleyed in a Joe Cole cross in the final minute.

United did as much as they could, goals from Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs seeing them 2-0 up at half-time against Stoke.

A Danny Higginbotham own-goal and a Park Ji-Sung header extended their lead to 4-0, but it was too little, too late.

Arsenal held on to third as Robin van Persie, Andrei Arshavin, a Chris Baird own-goal and Alberto Vela helped them to a 4-0 win over Fulham, while fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 at relegated Burnley.

Manchester City retained fifth with a 1-1 draw at West Ham United, Aston Villa remained sixth despite a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers as Liverpool drew 0-0 draw with Hull City.

Elsewhere Bolton Wanderers beat Birmingham City 2-1, Everton beat Portsmouth 1-0 and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Sunderland 2-1.