Maybe Bolton Wanderers were trying to lull Carlo Ancelotti, relatively new as he is to English football, into a false sense of security before the Barclays Premier League fixture between these clubs at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.

If so, they went against the wishes of their manager, Gary Megson, who called their performance “poor from minute one”, acknowledging that they played at too slow a tempo and won too few challenges to disturb such a superior side. With their leonine centre forward, Kevin Davies, whom Megson rested last night, they will surely be less like pussycats.

Ancelotti is certainly prepared for that. “We know it can be a different kind of match,” the Chelsea manager said, “and must be ready for it.” He, too, will be able to strengthen his team. John Terry, Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka were among those missing during Chelsea’s smooth progress to the Carling Cup quarterfinals, while Michael Essien and Didier Drogba were used only as substitutes.

The Italian must have been heartened by most of the displays from the replacements, aware as he is that injuries, suspensions and the African Cup of Nations will take their toll on his squad this winter.

The only disappointment for the home support was the contribution of Daniel Sturridge. The 20-year-old was utterly outshone in the first half by Salomon Kalou and lasted 17 more minutes before being replaced by Drogba. Kalou’s third goal in a week had put Chelsea in front and Florent Malouda followed up before a near rout was completed by Deco and Drogba.

Megson, alluding to Drogba’s appearance as his team belatedly strove for respectability, remarked: “When you can put a £28 million substitute on — that’s as much as we’ve spent in two years — you can’t compete on equal terms. But I’m pleased to be playing Chelsea again. This was a bit of a stroll. Our team will be a bit more wholehearted, I hope, at the weekend.”

Last night featured a pre-match ovation for the late Matthew Harding, who died with fellow Chelsea supporters 13 years ago when the helicopter carrying them from a League Cup tie away to Bolton crashed on the way back to London. In his wildest dreams as vice-chairman — or even after a few glasses of red, for he was a convivial fellow — Harding cannot have envisaged that the club would one day have the likes of Essien, Drogba and Frank Lampard. Not on the bench anyway.

Sturridge, the striker signed from Manchester City this summer, was given his first start against a defence featuring Gary Cahill and found the England contender hard to outmuscle or outmanoeuvre.

Kalou, by contrast, kept finding space. Yet when Chelsea took the lead it was all too easy from the Bolton point of view. Malouda found Paulo Ferreira, who crossed right-footed from the left, bisecting the centre backs for Kalou to nod wide of the exposed Ali al-Habsi. Soon, Kalou, who scored twice against Atlético Madrid seven days earlier, showed that he can make them, too.

Collecting Ferreira’s flip, the Ivory Coast forward turned deftly and measured a short cross for Malouda. The France winger’s header was going limply wide when the ball bounced off Zat Knight and obligingly back to him; this time Malouda lashed the ball firmly past al-Habsi.

Bolton made a rare impression when Hilário, in the Chelsea goal, went down to save from Matthew Taylor and rose with a concussion that caused him to be replaced by Ross Turnbull.

The rest was almost a stroll for Chelsea — and how Deco and Michael Ballack enjoyed that pace. For the second half, Essien came on for Kalou, Deco moving to a position just off the front, while Bolton brought on a second striker in Johan Elmander, but the pattern was unchanged.

Only minutes after Sturridge, having miskicked wide, had left, Chelsea contrived a superb goal, the ball being swept from one end to the other. After Ballack had denied Bolton with a block, Essien took up the running and fed Joe Cole, who squared for Drobga to flick on to Deco and a crisp, low shot left al-Habsi flat-footed.

Nor were Cole and Drogba finished there. Cole went down the right and crossed for the centre forward to round matters off with a downward header. For the England midfield player to be ending the match so strongly after all his months out of action only enhanced the pleasure of Ancelotti. He also mentioned the “intelligent” contribution of Ferreira. “It is a good moment for us,” he said.

Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Hilário (sub: R Turnbull, 23min) — J Belletti, Alex, B Ivanovic, P Ferreira — M Ballack, Deco, F Malouda — S Kalou (sub: M Essien, 46), J Cole — D Sturridge (sub: D Drogba, 62). Substitutes not used: F Lampard, N Matic, J Bruma, F Borini.

Bolton Wanderers (4-1-4-1): A al-Habsi — S Ricketts, G Cahill, Z Knight, J Samuel — F Muamba — G Steinsson (sub: J Elmander, 46), M Davies, M Taylor (sub: C Basham, 64), R Gardner — I Klasnic. Substitutes not used: J Jaaskelainen, P Robinson, T Cohen, Lee Chung Yong, A O’Brien.

Referee: A Marriner.

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