Ghana international Michael Essien was picked out for special praise by Carlo Ancelotti after Chelsea had cruised to a straightforward 4-0 defeat of relegation-threatened Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

Essien scored twice against Mick McCarthy's side who were outclassed as Florent Malouda and Joe Cole added further goals to emphasise the difference between the two squads.

A delighted Ancelotti said after the rout:"I think Essien is one of the most important players in midfield in the world.

"He can play everywhere in midfield with the same result. He has shown a lot of consistency this season and maintained a good physical condition. He is very strong but he also has a lot of quality.

"This match showed we are in a very good condition because we had a lot of injuries before this game.

"But our play was just the same. We put some young players in this team and in January, if we maintain this condition, it is not necessary to buy other players.

"They are very good young players and I will use them in the future this season."

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