Chelsea cruised to a club record 11th straight league win after an entertaining London derby at Stamford Bridge.

After a thrilling opening that brought chances at either end, it was Ashley Cole, a former Arsenal man, who netted the first goal against our north London opponents.

Two goals in five minutes from Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba completed the scoring in the second half to maintain Carlo Ancelotti's perfect start as manager.

With Drogba and José Bosingwa available following midweek European bans, Ancelotti brought them back into the starting line-up at the expense of Branislav Ivanovic and Salomon Kalou.

Elsewhere Michael Essien sat at the bottom of the diamond midfield, with Ballack and Florent Malouda supporting Frank Lampard. Tuesday's goalscorer against Porto, Nicolas Anelka, was alongside Drogba.

For Spurs, Harry Redknapp's selection dilemma centred around his goalkeepers. Heurelho Gomes was fit again but he opted for Chelsea legend Carlo Cudicini to continue his stint, which now stretched to five games.

Before the game the Italian was presented with a special award to recognise his ten years of service at the Bridge.

In other pre-match activity, players from both sides sported t-shirts bearing the logo of our new charity partner, Help a London Child, during the warm-up.

With those formalities completed, attention could turn to the game, the London derby most hotly anticipated by Chelsea fans.

The first sight of goal came three minutes in, as our returning pair almost combined to score. Bosingwa crossed low towards Drogba from the right, but Ledley King's outstretched leg put the ball behind for a corner.

Four minutes later the Portuguese came even closer to an opener, rattling the frame of the goal with a powerful long-range effort that had Cudicini well beaten.

It was exactly 11 minutes when Spurs got their first sight of goal, Wilson Palacios exposing a gap at the centre of the home defence to release Jermain Defoe, whose shot was blocked by Petr Cech.

Two minutes later the keeper was in action again, pushing a powerful drive from Tom Huddleston around the post, before finally being beaten by Jermaine Jenas. Fortunately his effort was just wide, after Lennon had taken advantage of Anelka's slack passing.

Frank Lampard, so often a scorer against his Uncle Harry's sides had a first opportunity after 16 minutes, rising highest to meet Anelka's cross, but heading just wide.

It was a frenetic start, and 20 minutes in it was still end to end. Essien and Malouda linked up in the Spurs half, the Frenchman crossing to compatriot Anelka, who teed himself up, but from a tight angle could only blast into the side netting.

There followed a quiet period of ten minutes or so, before Chelsea took the lead.

The scorer was an unlikely source, but one who has now scored in consecutive home league games, Ashley Cole.

The left-back had taken a gamble, hopeful that Drogba's right-sided cross would reach him at the far post, and sure enough the ball flashed across goal and there was the England man to convert his chance with a finely-taken diving header.

Having enjoyed their fair share of both possession and chances, Spurs now found themselves behind and struggling to keep hold of the ball as Chelsea surged forward in search of another.

The last chance of the half fell to Drogba, who lined up his 30-yard free-kick with intent, but shot tamely into the wall. Despite that, things were looking good and Chelsea had a better hold on the game than could be said before the goal.

Into the second half it was only two minutes before Drogba was in the thick of things again, breaking clear and squaring for Lampard, who again missed the target when on another day he might have made the net bulge.

During that move, Spurs defender Ledley King pulled up suddenly, his part in the game over. That meant a re-jig for Redknapp, who called on sub Alan Hutton to play at right-back, with Vedran Corluka moving inside to compensate the loss of troubled King, who received applause all around the ground, not just in the away end.

Spurs skipper Robbie Keane thought he should have had a penalty on 54 minutes, convinced Ricardo Carvalho had tripped him as he bore down on goal. Replays suggested there may have been a touch, but were inconclusive.

The visitors were just showing they may find a way back into the game but moments later the lead was doubled, Ballack netting his third of the season as he swept in from close range after Lampard had pulled back from the bye-line, reacting quickest to Cudicini's parry off Drogba.

They say 2-0 is a dangerous scoreline, so Ancelotti opted for caution as he introduced the defensively-minded Mikel, but he needn't have worried.

Within a minute of the Nigerian's introduction it was three, though he had played no part in its conception.

Cole lifted a high ball over the Tottenham defence, a shadow of its former self without King, and Drogba outmuscled Corluka, rode his luck, rounded Cudicini and tapped into an empty net. Stamford Bridge erupted.

That goal came on 62 minutes, and three minutes later we should have had a penalty. Lampard's curling free-kick was goalbound, until Benoit Assou-Ekotto, part of the Spurs wall, diverted it over with his arm. Not an easy one for Howard Webb to see, but a misdemeanour all the same.

Spurs made what was now a rare foray forward shortly afterwards, sub Peter Crouch nodding into the path of Palacios, who was just quicker than Carvalho, but off target with his sliding shot.

Crouch went close himself with 20 minutes remaining, taking control of a loose ball and shooting just over from 25 yards.

The chances continued to come. This time Mikel, perhaps the least likely scorer on the Chelsea side, volleyed hard and low, and Cudicini allowed it to squirm under him but recovered to push the ball around the post.

Injury to Tottenham's other centre-half, Sebastien Bassong, brought about another lengthy pause in proceedings. The defender had trapped his arm under the body of Nicolas Anelka in a challenge, and he needed a neck brace as he was carried from the field. A worrying sight, and again there was polite applause from the Chelsea faithful.

When the game did restart, Drogba injured himself almost immediately as he mishit a shot, and again the stretcher was needed. Salomon Kalou replaced his Ivorian countryman for the final minutes, and almost found the net with his first contribution, smashing against the outside of the post from close range.

He was joined up front for the eight minutes of injury time by debutant Fabio Borini, the 18-year-old replacing Anelka.

During that time Lampard almost caught his former team-mate Cudicini out with a cheeky chip, while Crouch had a goal rightly ruled out for offside at the other end.

That's six wins from six in the Barclay's Premier League, the only team with a 100 per cent record. Next up is another derby, this time with QPR in the Carling Cup.

Ancelotti is expected to make changes, having already suggested the fit-again Joe Cole, Paulo Ferreira and Yury Zhirkov will feature. Whatever the side in that game, those who performed so well this afternoon will all want to be back in again when we travel to Wigan next weekend.

By Andy Jones

Chelsea (4-4-2 diamond): Cech; Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Essien, Ballack (Mikel 62), Malouda, Lampard; Anelka (Borini 89), Drogba (Kalou 84).

Goals A Cole 31, Ballack 57, Drogba 62

Tottenham (4-3-2-1): Cudicini; Corluka, King (Hutton 47), Bassong (Kranjcar 81), Assou-Ekotto; Huddlestone, Palacios, Jenas; Keane (c), Lennon: Defoe (Crouch 66).

Booked Bassong 65, Jenas 90+3