Chelsea 5 Newcastle Utd 0Claudio Ranieri has spent months trying to play down expectation, talking of building "slowly, slowly", but his pre-season insistence that Chelsea are not title contenders now looks as convincing as Peter Reid's hold on the Leeds job.

In private, presumably even the Italian no longer believes that only a "stupid man" will consider his team possible champions.

In sweeping aside Newcastle United yesterday, Chelsea recorded a sixth consecutive win and returned to second place in the Premiership.

Frank Lampard and Damien Duff said afterwards that the players see the title as a realistic target, and who can blame them when goals are flowing like the vodka must be in Roman Abramovich's boardroom? These five followed the four put past Lazio on Tuesday.

As in Rome against Lazio, Chelsea played much of the match against 10 men but thoroughly merited their win. The dismissal of Andy O'Brien shortly before half-time was essentially irrelevant because the home team were two goals up by then.

Chelsea played the second half in cruise control but still scored a couple more in the second period.

Although Newcastle's lack of passion and belief in the second half was shocking, there is no shortage of confidence in Chelsea's ranks. Their expensively remodelled squad has gelled more quickly than many imagined and the team are playing with style.

They passed and moved well, kept the ball in tight situations with quick interchanges and looked reminiscent of Arsenal with the speed and danger they posed on the counter-attack.

Several of their attacking players again caught the eye, notably Duff and Adrian Mutu, but once more it was obvious how vital a signing Claude Makelele is. The Frenchman provides the platform from which others can wreak havoc.

The two full backs, Glen Johnson and Wayne Bridge, came forward to good effect and were involved in three goals, Johnson scoring the opener to make up for his silly dismissal in Rome.

"I know the gaffer is saying he's not expecting us to win (the title) but, with the squad we have, we are confident," said Duff, who revelled in a free role behind the strikers.

"All the lads believe we can do it."

Lampard echoed that. "It's the first time we can say we honestly believe we can win something," he said. "It's the title we're after."

Ranieri's response was predictable.

"They're young," he said. "They don't know how long the league is. I like them and want this spirit but the manager must have the right balance.

"So far (we are challengers), but last season we arrived on Christmas Day very close to Arsenal and then they and Manchester United said 'goodbye'. It's important to continue this way."

Ranieri, the self-confessed "Tinkerman", had caused a shock by starting with the XI that began at Lazio. It was, he said, to make sure their feet were still on the floor, and he could be delighted with their response.

Newcastle should count themselves lucky that Chelsea slowed down in the second half and were largely content to hold possession before a couple of substitutes reinvigorated them.

The visitors' defence looked vulnerable from the start, with Titus Bramble unconvincing at centre-half.

Newcastle missed Alan Shearer, who has a throat infection, and it was asking a lot of Shola Ameobi to prosper as a lone striker.

Chelsea were more dangerous from the start, though Newcastle twice threatened to equalise after Johnson fired in from Bridge's cross.

Carlo Cudicini denied them, and Chelsea's threat on the break was apparent in the move that culminated in Hernan Crespo scoring from Duff's attempted shot.

It was more or less game over before O'Brien received the red card for tugging back Mutu. Contact was minimal but the striker lost balance, albeit more dramatically than Newcastle felt was right.

Bobby Robson was angry at the sending-off and the award of a penalty, which was given on a linesman's say-so and looked harsh because initial contact came outside the box.

"I told the referee I thought he gave us a bad decision," said Robson.

Lampard scored from the spot.

Newcastle showed no sign of recovering and further goals followed in the final quarter-of-an-hour.

A poor clearance by Shay Given enabled Duff to beat Steve Caldwell and lash a fine fourth, before Eidur Gudjohnsen headed in a Bridge cross.

"Chelsea are a tremendous threat to Manchester United and Arsenal," said Robson.

Soon even the canny Ranieri might have to admit it.