Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager, could have whined that Chelsea’s first three goals could easily have been disallowed – and let’s face it, the first three goals are usually rather crucial – or he could have regretted his decision to play a relatively attacking formation. But some results are set in stone, unalterable, unimaginably anything else and this was one of them.

In fact some games are so one-sided that the beaten team end up being grateful that the experience was not more painful. “I’m quite happy to praise the opposition,” Keane said. “My players kept going today but were outclassed and I have no problem with that. The good players punish you. I don’t think the way my players are we could have come here and parked the bus. We’re not set up for that physically or mentally. Did we come unstuck? Yes we did. But it could have been worse.”

It certainly could. Chelsea coasted through the final 20 minutes, using the match as a means to give match practice to Didier Drogba. Nicolas Anelka was rested once the striker had claimed his first hat-trick for the club. It was not the most aesthetically pleasing hat-trick witnessed in the Premier League. If a pure hat-trick is one scored with left foot, right foot and head, then what should we label one that comprised a goal scored from an offside position, one created from unselfish passing from a teammate and one down to miserable goalkeeping?

“Normally I like to come back and get the ball and dribble,” Anelka said. “But because we have so many players at Chelsea, I have to wait and be very patient.” The goal that the home fans really wanted to see was, in any case, the header from Frank Lampard that marked his 100th in the Premier League. “If you had asked me six or seven years ago, I would probably have said I wasn’t his biggest fan, having played against him,” Keane said of Lampard. “But his all-round game has improved unbelievably over the last few years. And he’s a player who’s had to work at his game – he’s not the most naturally gifted player in the world. But he’s got more of an all-round package now than when he was at West Ham, when, as you would expect, he was learning his trade. He was probably carrying a little bit too much weight. He’s a top midfielder now and that comes from playing a lot of games.”

This was Chelsea’s first home game since their unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge was halted at 86 league matches by Liverpool and it showed.

There was, among the fans, a palpable sense of hurt pride and a need to stop taking the team for granted. It was almost like a run-of-the-mill league encounter with nobody certain of the win – until Alex scored Chelsea’s 1,000th goal in the Premier League.

Chelsea returned to the top of the table and even at this stage their superior goal difference looks worth an extra point. Keane believes that they will win the title. “I just think when you lose it a couple of times you get that eye of the tiger back,” he said. “They’ve got a new manager and they have some very good players. All that comes together to make championship-winning teams.” Burnley visit Stamford Bridge next week for their Carling Cup fourth-round tie. Owen Coyle, their manager, should be grateful that Keane has provided a blueprint of what not to do.

Mark of Respect - 6/10

Martin Atkinson advised Roy Keane to sit in the stands. “Every manager has the right to ask about decisions,” Keane said. “I wasn’t swearing at him, I don’t think I was too aggressive.”

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): P Cech 5 – J Bosingwa 5, Alex 6, J Terry 5, A Cole 5 (sub: W Bridge, 37min 6) – J O Mikel 6 – J Cole 7 (sub: D Drogba, 63 5), Deco 7, F Lampard 8, F Malouda 7 – N Anelka 7 (sub: Mineiro, 75). Substitutes not used: Hilário, B Ivanovic, S Kalou, J Belletti. Next: Blackburn Rovers (a).

Sunderland (4-4-2): M Fulop 3 – P Chimbonda 5, N Nosworthy 5, A Ferdinand 4, G McCartney 4 – S Malbranque 5 (sub: J Henderson, 46 4), D Whitehead 4, K Richardson 5, Tainio 5 – M Waghorn (sub: E-H Diouf, 46 4), K Jones (sub: D Cissé, 58 5). Substitutes not used: N Colgan, P Bardsley, A Reid, D Meyler. Booked: Tainio. Next: Portsmouth (h).

Referee M Atkinson Attendance 41,693