Burnley found Chelsea too hot to handle as the Blues showed their title credentials at Stamford Bridge.

The Clarets were blown away by three goals in seven whirlwind minutes either side of half time.

Things might have been so different if Martin Paterson had converted a glorious early chance.

But as the Blue tide turned, Nicolas Anelka, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole all took out their frustrations on Owen Coyle's side as the Premier League favourites gained revenge for last season's Carling Cup defeat.

Ashley Cole scores the Blues' third

And despite Brian Jensen's heroics - with a string of magnificent saves - the Clarets were left to contemplate the bigger battles that lay ahead against teams expected to battle it out at the other end of the table.

Burnley made 10 changes from the team that progressed in the Carling Cup at Hartlepool in midweek.

Andre Bikey was the only survivor from the side that earned a third round tie at Barnsley in the North East.

And the Clarets defender was backtracking immediately poor defending allowed Anelka to break.

Bikey stretched to meet Wade Elliott's dangerous backwards ball and Anelka stole the ball and raced clear from 40 yards, only for Brian Jensen to dive bravely at his feet and save.

Brian Jensen makes a superb save from Anelka

Seconds later, the Clarets had their first chance, as Chris McCann broke from midfield and fired narrowly over.

And in the ninth minute Burnley should have been ahead!

Tyrone Mears robbed John Terry and squared the ball to Paterson, who agonisingly fired wide from 10 yards with just Petr Cech to beat.

Paterson has a great chance

Back came Chelsea and it took an even better save from Jensen to deny Michael Ballack.

The German midfielder pounced on another misplaced pass to cut inside Bikey and see his attempted chip batted away by Jensen.

The Dane made yet another point blank save from John Terry as the Blues upped the tempo.

And when Terry headed yet another ball into the Burnley box back into the direction of Frank Lampard, the England midfielder was the latest victim of another fantastic point-blank Jensen save.

And two minutes before the interval, as Burnley again squandered possession, Drogba drove down the left and pulled the ball back for Lampard, whose bobbler was grabbed by a grateful Jensen.

But with just 60 seconds of the first half remaining, the breakthrough finally arrived.

A ball down the right found Drogba and his low cross across goal was slotted home by a combination of Anelka and Clarke Carlisle, despite the defender's best attempts to cut it out.

It was a hammer blow for the Clarets after rumblings of discontent were just beginning to be heard around Stamford Bridge.

And within two minutes of the restart it was 2-0 through Ballack.

Anelka was this time the architect, feigning to cross and feeding the overlapping Lampard, whose superb far post chip was nodded back across Jensen by the diving German midfielder.

In the 52nd minute it was 3-0 as Ashley Cole rifled home following a one-two with Lampard.

Lampard's threaded pass to Anelka cut open the Clarets again in the 55th minute, but this time the Frenchman was denied by the crossbar.

It was sensational stuff from the hosts, who were now threatening to add to their tally with every attack.

And it took a fingertip save from Jensen, stretching nerve and sinew to turn Michael Essien's low 18-yard drive around the post.

Jensen, who was having a storming match, held Drogba's bullet header midway through the half.

And with 20 minutes remaining, there was a breather for the Clarets defence as Steven Fletcher fired wide following a welcome spell of possession.

However, the Blues were in no mood to take their foot off the pedal.

And Jensen underlined his man of the match display for the Clarets with two quickfire saves, first turning Essien's screamer around the post and then turning Ballack's flick header over.

When the Beast was beaten again, by sub Mikel's cheeky 88th minute chip, Tyrone Mears got back to clear the ball off the line.

And even with the game almost over, it's that fighting spirit that will doubtless serve the Clarets well when teams without Chelsea's awesome pace and firepower are in the firing line.

BURNLEY: Jensen, Jordan, Carlisle, Bikey, Mears, Alexander (McDonald 74), Blake (Guerrero 78), Elliott, McCann, Fletcher, Paterson (Gudjonsson 59).
Subs: Penny, Eagles, Kalvenes, Thompson

Booked: Mears 49

CHELSEA: Cech, Cole, Essien, Carvalho, Lampard, Drogba (Kalou 76), Ballack (Mikel 83), Bosingwa (Belletti 66), Deco, Terry, Anelka.
Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Malouda, Sturridge

Ref: M Clattenburg

Att: 40,906