Chelsea kept its Premier League record perfect with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday on goals from Frank Lampard, Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Geremi.
It was also the seventh match between the two clubs in a year -- and their second in four days. After a drab 0-0 draw Wednesday in the Champions League, this one was attacking and entertaining -- and Chelsea left no doubt about its superiority.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, irritated that his club's style of play has been called boring, responded after the victory.
"I think it's time to respect a little bit more my players and my team and Chelsea football club," Mourinho said. "We've showed that we deserve a little bit more respect.
"I think nobody, or almost nobody, gives us the respect we deserve. We are the team with more points, with more victories with more goals. ... What more do they want?"
Lampard converted a penalty in the 27th minute after Djimi Traore brought down Didier Drogba in the area. Steven Gerrard equalized in the 36th, driving home a sharp-angled shot from 10m after the ball bounced through the area off a corner.
Chelsea regained the lead in the 43rd. Drogba cut back a ball from the left wing, with Duff stretching to score from 6m.
Cole made it 3-1 in the 63rd, and again Drogba was in the mix. The Ivory Coast international broke down the left side and, as Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Manuel Reina came out, Drogba slipped the ball through to Cole, who chipped it home from close range.
Geremi scored in the 82nd, seconds after coming on as a substitute.
other matches
Also Sunday, it was: Manchester City 2, Everton 0; Wigan 2, Bolton 1; Arsenal 1, Birmingham 0; and Aston Villa 2, Middlesbrough 3.
* Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson (Tottenham), Robert Green (Norwich), Chris Kirkland (West Brom)
* Defenders: Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Phil Neville (Everton), Luke Young (Charlton), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Sol Campbell (Arsenal), Ledley King (Tottenham)
* Midfielders: David Beckham (Real Madrid), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham), Alan Smith (Manchester United), Kieran Richardson (Manchester United)
* Forwards: Michael Owen (Newcastle), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Darren Bent (Charlton), Peter Crouch (Liverpool)
Chelsea leads the Premier League with 24 points, followed by Charlton and Tottenham with 15, and Manchester United, Bolton and Man City with 14.
The loss offered a minor moral victory for Liverpool; the Reds managed to dominate possession at times, and scored only the second goal this season against Chelsea in league play.
Chelsea is unscored on in two other official matches this season -- both in the Champions League.
The two clubs have played seven times in a year, and have overshadowed the longtime rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United. Chelsea is 4-2-1 in those seven games. The lone loss came in the semifinals of last season's Champions League -- ousting Chelsea.
Liverpool went on to win its fifth Champions Cup title, beating AC Milan on penalties in the finals.
Arsenal, Manchester City, Wigan and Middlesbrough also picked up key victories.
Arsenal vs. Birmingham
Arsenal sneaked a 1-0 victory over Birmingham at Highbury, taking advantage of Stephen Clemence's own-goal in the 81st minute.
Second-half goals from Danny Mills and Darius Vassell lifted Manchester City to a 2-0 victory over Everton. Wigan defeated Bolton 2-1 and Middlesbrough beat Aston Villa 3-2.
Arsenal struggled in the match at Highbury despite playing with a man advantage from the 24th minute when Kenny Cunningham was sent off with a red card.
The Gunners should have put the game away in the first half, but Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor foiled Jose Antonio Reyes several times, and then stopped a penalty by Robert Pires.
"We were very lucky," Arsenal's Robin van Persie said. "It wasn't a good match. It was very hard playing against them."
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