HIGH-FLYING Manchester City suffered a reality check at Stamford Bridge where they were comprehensively outclassed by Chelsea.

Although the Blues are still above Avram Grant's side in the Premier League table, there was no doubt which side had more quality in a one-sided affair.

Michael Essien, Didier Drogba (two), Joe Cole, Salomon Kalou and Andriy Shevchenko were all able to take advantage of a lacklustre performance from City.

It was City who had started the game in a more positive fashion and their improvement under Eriksson, a man Chelsea once considered hiring as manager, was clearly evident.

Elano’s delightful chip into the penalty area in the third minute almost put Stephen Ireland in the clear and Chelsea keeper Petr Cech was required to turn the ball around the post.

Cech was forced to dive to his right to collect a volley from Georgios Samaras - starting in place of Emile Mpenza - in the 11th minute as City continued to probe Chelsea’s defensive capabilities.

But Chelsea fashioned the opening goal in the 17th minute with a well worked move.

Mikel John Obi found Frank Lampard in space midway in the City half and the England midfielder wasted little time in putting the ball into the path of Essien.

The Ghanaian needed little invitation to run on and unleash an angled drive that eluded City keeper Joe Hart and flashed into the far corner of the net.

Dangerous

But City were still dangerous on the break and when Mikel fouled Elano 25-yards out, Cech was forced into a flying save to keep out a vicious free-kick from Marin Petrov.

Moments later, a header from England international Micah Richards was deflected to safety by Lampard.

But City had Richard Dunne to thank for preventing Drogba from adding a second in the 24th minute when his deftest of touches took Cole’s cross away from the former Marseille striker on the six yard box.

Drogba doubled the lead though when Lampard split the City defence with an inch-perfect pass to the Ivorian who controlled the ball perfectly before drilling a low shot under Hart.

City should have pulled one back in the 37th minute but, when Michael Johnson’s pass found Ireland in space on the edge of the penalty, the City midfielder could not even hit the target.

Chelsea continued to play some sparkling football after the restart and they were three-up in the 56th minute thanks to Drogba’s fourth goal in three games.

The move had been started by a fine run down the left flank by Paulo Ferreira.

His low cross into the penalty area was flicked on by Drogba into the path of Kalou who then fed Lampard on the penalty spot.

The England midfielder’s shot was brilliantly saved by Hart but Drogba reacted quicker than the City defence to smash home the loose ball.

Cole made it four in the 59th minute when the England midfielder finished off a three man move that was started in Chelsea’s own half by an overhead clearance from Brazilian defender Alex.

Drogba headed the ball into the path of Cole and he left the City defence behind before drilling a low shot into the net.

Chelsea made it five in the 75th minute when Essien’s pass caught the City defence square and Kalou took his time before beating Hart with an angled shot into the far corner.

Substitute Shevchenko completed the scoring in the dying seconds when he shot past Hart from Essien’s pass.