Cole's Injury Tempers a Day of Positives for Chelsea

The weather may have been dreary and damp, but the fare on offer at Stamford Bridge this afternoon was anything but.

A 5-0 win, the return of Didier Drogba, and of course the news that Tottenham had managed to beat Liverpool 2-1 at White Hart Lane capped a pretty good afternoon for Chelsea fans.

But there was a downside (as there always seems to be nowadays). Ashley Cole limped out of the game before half-time with an injury and will have a scan tomorrow. It is likely that he will be out for at least a week.

"Ashley feels something but I don't know what the diagnosis is," said Scolari after this afternoon's victory.

"I feel Ashley will not go to Roma," he added.

"It looks like it is his calf but when he has had the scan we will know for sure."

Wayne Bridge stepped in for Cole when he went off and put in an accomplished performance. To have England's 1st and 2nd choice left-backs in the same squad demonstrates the strength in depth that Chelsea have.

Cole's injury aside, Chelsea fans witnessed a nearly faultless performance.

The football was a joy to watch, Sunderland were chasing shadows for 90 minutes. In some instances it was a case of counting the number of passes before Chelsea decided to crank it up a gear and go for another.

The "Oles" rang around the Bridge.

Alex stepped into the Carvalho shaped gap in Chelsea's defence and was as solid as a rock. He scored a simple goal but also put himself about a bit, mopping things up and regaining possession with some monstrous tackles.

Lampard and Mikel kept up their sumptuous form with another midfield masterclass.

Lampard just seems to have stepped up to another level since signing his new contract. He is scoring goals for fun (even a couple with his head) and his passing has been an important feature of Chelsea's new swashbuckling style of play.

Mikel is making good on his potential and promise. Gone are the rushes of blood to the head and the dodgy tackles.

He has an arrogance and presence about him that top players seem to have. The departure of Claude Makelele and the injury to Michael Essien has given him the opportunity to stake a claim for a first-team spot, and he has grabbed it with both hands.

Scolari will find it very difficult to leave him out once everyone is fit.

Didier Drogba made his return from injury—a timely boost ahead of what will be a tough game in Rome on Tuesday. The Ivorian looked rusty but there's no doubting that he'll be back to his menacing best soon enough.

Mineiro also made his debut for the club. Brought in to alleviate the impact of Essien's long term injury, the Brazilian looked solid enough and reminded me of the day's when a certain Claude Makelele used to marshall our midfield so effortlessly.

And then events at White Hart Lane added further gloss to a stellar afternoon. Harry Redknapp has enjoyed a whirlwind start to his tenure at the North London club, and Chelsea have been one of the prime beneficiaries of Spurs' resurgence.

The advantage accrued by Liverpool at Stamford Bridge last weekend has been extinguished almost immediately. Chelsea sit atop of the Premier League table as a result of their vastly superior goal difference.

When the Blues were chasing Manchester United for the title last season, the Red Devils' goal tally worked in their favour and Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that it was like another point.

At the moment, Luiz Felipe Scolari finds himself nodding in agreement.

The season is young, but the early signs remain good for Scolari's side.