Chelsea cruise as Bolton get the Blues

Chelsea cruised into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup with an easy 4-0 fourth-round victory over Bolton at Stamford Bridge.

First-half goals from Salomon Kalou and Florent Malouda put the home side in command before Deco and substitute Didier Drogba finished off Gary Megson's side after the break.

Bolton wasted a couple of chances to reduce the arrears but Chelsea were always in control despite the loss of goalkeeper Hilario through injury in the first half.

The win maintained Chelsea's 100% home record under new coach Carlo Ancelotti and even without the likes of rested captain John Terry and his England team-mate Frank Lampard, the Blues continue to look invincible at home.

Bolton must be fearing Chelsea's arrival at the Reebok Stadium at the weekend when the Blues will welcome back their first-team regulars for the Barclays Premier League clash.

Chelsea took control of the tie in the 15th minute when in-form Kalou opened the scoring.

The Ivory Coast international, who notched twice against Atletico Madrid in their Champions League win last week, rose unmarked to head home a cross by Paulo Ferreira.

But Bolton squandered a great chance to level the scores seconds later when a cross from Gretar Steinsson eluded the Chelsea defence and fell perfectly at the far post for Matthew Taylor.

But the Bolton midfielder's first touch let him down and goalkeeper Hilario seized the chance to cut down his angles. Hilario's quick thinking saved the day as Taylor's shot cannoned back off the Chelsea keeper's face.

But Hilario never recovered from the facial blow and went down inside the six-yard box while preparing to take a goal-kick.

It was the end of the proceedings for the Chelsea goalkeeper who made way for substitute Ross Turnbull to make his home debut.

But Chelsea went 2-0 in the 25th minute when Malouda's header from a Kalou cross rebounded back to him off Zat Knight and the winger tucked the ball home at the near post. .

The visitors looked vulnerable every time the Blues launched an attack and in the 38th minute a sweet passing move between Michael Ballack and Kalou ended with the Ivory Coast international bending a shot beyond the far post.

Kalou was having a fine game but Sturridge looked out of his depth and that was underlined in the 40th minute when Chelsea broke clear again.

Malouda managed to put Kalou clear with a lovely pass, but the Ivory Coast striker was thwarted by a fine one-handed save by Al Habsi.

But when the ball rebounded straight to the waiting Sturridge, the Chelsea striker miscued his volley completely.

Hilario's injury meant the first half was extended by a further four minutes but Ballack wasted a chance to put more distance between the two sides when his attempted curling shot finished closer to the corner flag than the Bolton goal.

Chelsea made a change at half-time when Kalou was replaced by Michael Essien.

Bolton also made one change at the break with Steinsson replaced by Johan Elmander.

The visitors should have reduced the arrears in the 54th minute but Turnbull dived low to his left to save an 18-yard drive from Mark Davies.

However, two minutes later saw Chelsea squander an even easier chance when Joe Cole set up Sturridge inside the left-hand edge of the Bolton penalty area.

The Chelsea striker turned his marker but then shot wide of the far post when he only had Al Habsi to beat.

Sturridge repeated the miss seconds later when Cole sent him clear of the Bolton defence but again his left-foot shot went wide of the post with Al Habsi floundering.

Bolton were showing more invention since the introduction of Elmander and Chelsea needed a third to make the tie safe.

Ancelotti clearly recognised the need for more goals and in the 61st minute he replaced Sturridge with Drogba.

Bolton paid for some poor finishing when Ricardo Gardner's shot was cleared off the line by Branislav Ivanovic in the 66th minute.

Chelsea went straight down the other end of the pitch and a cross from Cole was despatched into the bottom corner from 16-yards by Deco.

Ivan Klasnic was unlucky not to get on the score sheet in the 86th minute but his clever shot rebounded off the far post and Ferreira cleared the rebound.

Drogba then completed the scoring in 89th minute when he rose highest at the far post to convert a lovely curling cross from Cole.