Florent Malouda's sixth league goal of the season and Nicolas Anelka's 18^th made it a good afternoon on the pitch as Stamford Bridge said farewell to Guus Hiddink.

'Roman, Roman, sign him up,' sang the crowd during the second-half, the watching owner responding with a big smile and laugh. 'Guus Hiddink, we want him to stay,' then took over as the song of the game.

At the final whistle the coach took the mic and thanked everyone, the players doing similar on a lap of appreciation. Hiddink exited through a guard of honour from the team. Roy Bentley had also shown nimble feet in front of the Matthew Harding End on the occasion of the 85th birthday for our original trophy-winning captain.

Before that however it was the 11 players who were unchanged from the team that had begun the win at Arsenal who comfortably dealt with Blackburn.

Malouda's goal was as early as the fourth minute. Anelka waited until the second half to fire in the goal that puts him neck-and-neck with Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Golden Boot with one match to play.

Anelka was the outstanding player all-round as he grows into his role as a mobile wide attacker, and could easily have had two more to add to the 18.

The Blues will surely have a tougher game than this one at Wembley in a fortnight, but look in good form as the Cup Final approaches.

Blackburn's Pedersen got a shot in on target in the first minute of this game - straight at Cech with Chelsea's first attempt coming two minutes further on.

That was a counter-attack from a Cech throw, Malouda from the left crossing and Lampard shooting for what looked every inch goal number 20 for him this season, but centre-back Givet slid across and blocked.

Just a minute later Chelsea did find the net, again counter-attacking with speedy simplicity. It was Bosingwa who initially surged forward, playing a pass out wide to Anelka. The cross was perfect for Malouda to head on the run past Robinson. It was a tremendous finish to a very good move.

Anelka himself should have drawn level with Cristiano Ronaldo on 18 league goals for the season but his side-foot shot when picked out by Cole was straight at the keeper. That was with nine minutes gone.

Lampard, with a great sliding block, prevented Grella getting a shot away from the edge of the box and Samba volleyed a difficult chance wide as Blackburn briefly rallied - but then Chelsea were back up the other end for Lampard to shoot against the bar from 15 yards out, Anelka again the supply line.

Ashley Cole was the next to receive a ball inside the box from the Frenchman, this time from the left. The full-back's connection was lacking and Robinson saved.

Blackburn, with five in midfield and converted centre-back Samba on his own up front were showing limited ambition to get forward but Chelsea were still finding space as we pushed on.

Bosingwa became the game's first booking for a dive just outside the area on 26 minutes and a minute later it took a hack up, up and away from under the crossbar by Nelsen to prevent a Malouda second goal. He had proved more determined to get to a bouncing ball than full-back Andrews and lobbed the keeper.

Pedersen gave Cech some rare activity with a well-struck shot and then on 33 minutes came the most painful moment of the game - Michael Essien the recipient of a full set of Grella's studs in the groin region.

Referee Rob Styles had turned to follow the action and missed the contact, otherwise the midfielder surely would not have escaped punishment for such a high challenge.

A minute before the break Blackburn lost their captain Nelsen to injury. Samba, who had missed a good header chance earlier reverted to his normal defensive role but instead of bringing on Benni McCarthy to play up front, Sam Allardyce instead opted to move Pedersen there and bring substitute Doran into midfield.

At half-time Rovers' other starting centre-back changed too - Givet replaced by Khizanishvili.

If the decision not to bring McCarthy on until later in the half was a sign of a conservative approach by the visitors, nothing that happened in a one-sided second-half did anything to contradict it.

On 52 minutes Lampard turned and crossed inside the area but a stretching Malouda could only turn the ball back into Robinson's arms.

Four minutes later Cole was calling for a penalty for a tug back by Andrews as the Chelsea man was racing to reach a far-post cross. It looked a very good shout.

He might have been denied but there was no stopping Anelka finding the net on 58 minutes when his crisp low shot found the bottom corner. Drogba had teed the chance up after Malouda had missed an Ashley Cole cross.

Anelka returned the complement to Drogba later in the game but from a similar position the shot flew over. It was not one of the Ivorian's better games in recent months.

Before that, the sub-plot of Lampard's 20^th goal search had continued when Robinson did well to dispossess the Chelsea vice-captain as he attempted to take the ball round the keeper.

Anelka rolled a 72^nd chance a yard wide after a lightning break in which Drogba was also involved.

Tugay drew a save from Cech with a well-struck volley but at no point in the second half did Blackburn genuinely look like finding the net. Terry and Alex once again put in high class performances.

Essien from 25 yards drew a diving save from Robinson late on and then in the very last minute the former England keeper saved a tight-angled drive from Malouda and then a follow-up from Anelka.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), A Cole; Mikel, Essien; Anelka, Lampard, Malouda; Drogba.
Scorers Malouda 3, Anelka 58.
Booked Bosingwa 26

Blackburn (4-5-1): Robinson; Andrews, Nelsen (c) (Doran 44), Givet (Khizanishvili h-t), Warnock; Diouf, Tugay, Grella,Villanueva, Pedersen (McCarthy 65); Samba.
Booked Grella 63, Khizanishvili 83.

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