Chelsea deliver statement of intent

Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda both struck twice as Chelsea FC returned to form in scintillating fashion away to Portsmouth FC.

Carlo Ancelotti's side had won just two of their last six games heading to Fratton Park, a run that brought UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of FC Internazionale Milano, yet they got back to winning ways with aplomb. Misjudgment from home goalkeeper David James allowed Drogba to break the deadlock just after the half-hour, and from then on it was all the visitors. Malouda struck twice (50, 60), Drogba's 24th league goal of the season (77) made it 4-0 before Frank Lampard rounded things off with an added-time header.

Victory moved the west London side a point behind leaders Manchester United FC, and there was much to celebrate in the north of the capital too as Tottenham Hotspur FC beat Fulham FC in the last eight of the FA Cup. The visitors led through former Spurs striker Bobby Zamora's 17th-minute goal but within a quarter of an hour of the restart substitutes David Bentley (47) and Roman Pavlyuchenko (60) had turned things around. Eidur Gudjohnsen rounded off a fine move six minutes later to set up a semi-final meeting with Portsmouth on 11 April.

It was a good night all round for Tottenham as two of their rivals for fourth place, Manchester City FC and Aston Villa FC, both failed to win at home. Villa were held to a second successive draw against Sunderland AFC while goals from Tim Cahill and the in-from Mikel Arteta helped Everton beat City 2-0. It moved David Moyes's team four points clear of Birmingham City FC in eighth after the Midlands outfit lost 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers FC, David Dunn scoring twice against his former club.