Chelsea broke their Premiership scoring duck under Gianluca Vialli in extraordinary fashion tonight to leave hapless Palace rooted to the bottom of the table.

The Blues had failed to score a single goal in their last four league games but ended the drought with a vengeance, scoring a half-dozen for the fourth time this season.

Two first-half goals from Vialli and one from a revitalised Gianfranco Zola sent Chelsea into half-time comfortably ahead, after Palace took a shock lead through Hermann Hreidarsson.

Three more Chelsea strikes followed in the second half, two from substitute Tore Andre Flo and one from captain Dennis Wise, rendering Marcus Bent's first goal for Palace meaningless.

Between them the two sides had not scored a goal in nine league games, and it was something of a surprise when Palace took the lead after just seven minutes.

Chelsea failed to clear Jamie Smith's long throw from the right touchline, and when the ball finally reached the Icelandic centre-half Hreidarsson he volleyed it powerfully home from the left-hand side of the area.

It was just Hreidarsson's second goal for the club and the first Palace goal in 530 minutes of league football.

But they never looked likely to be able to hang on to that slender advantage, and the home side were level with just 14 minutes gone.

Gianfranco Zola's corner was completely miscued by Frank Sinclair, the ball falling perfectly for Vialli to sweep it past Kevin Miller from just six yards out.

That brought the previously sluggish Blues to life, and as they stepped up a gear the noisy Palace contingent must have feared the worst.

They did not have to wait long for it to happen - three minutes later Chelsea went ahead.

Vialli took advantage of a fortunate bounce on the edge of the area to put Zola in on goal, and the Italy star easily rounded Miller for his first goal since November 29.

It was not all doom and gloom for Palace, however, and against a shaky Chelsea defence they continued to create chances.

In fact, they did have the ball in the net again on 39 minutes - but David Tuttle's header from Simon Rodger's free-kick was ruled out for offside.

But when a club is at the bottom of the table, luck often seems to run against them, and so it proved as Chelsea added a third two minutes before the interval.

Zola's sublime lofted through ball put Vialli in on goal, but as he tried to round Miller the goalkeeper got his hand to the ball. That should have cleared the danger, but the ball came straight back to the player-manager and he turned it into the empty net for his 17th goal of the season.

Despite their two-goal cushion, however, Chelsea continued to give their supporters in the 31,000 strong crowd a few heart-stopping moments.

Centre-half Valerien Ismael made a rare trip into the opposition's half to feed Brolin on the edge of the penalty area. The Swedish international's first-time flick sent Bruce Dyer in, and his shot was turned away by Kharine.

The home side also created more chances and but for some last-gasp saves from Miller could have been even further ahead.

Zola, one of the smallest players on the pitch, was somehow allowed to get a head to Vialli's cross, and the Palace defenders' blushes were only saved by their goalkeeper's excellent positional sense.

When Miller was beaten it took a goalline clearance to prevent Wise getting on the scoresheet, Ismael in the perfect spot to turn away the captain's overhead kick.

Palace manager Steve Coppell then threw caution to the wind with a double substitution, bringing on Matt Jansen and Attilio Lombardo after 66 minutes, the Italian's first taste of action since December 13.

Soon afterwards, Bent also joined the attack as the Eagles threw more and more men forward in a desperate attempt to salvage something from the game.

But it was Chelsea who first found the net again, Wise springing the offside trap to run on to Dan Petrescu's pass and steer the ball calmly past Miller.

Bent briefly restored some credibility - scampering clear to beat Kahrine - before Flo got in on the act with two late goals to complete the rout.

Firstly he turned in Petrescu's cross from the byline past a stranded Miller and then beat the offside trap to race clear and shoot past the unfortunate goalkeeper at the second attempt.

The scoreline was harsh on Palace. But few could argue that they had been outplayed in the latter stages - and it could be too late even for Terry Venables and Paul Gascoigne to save them.

Teams

Chelsea: Kharine, Petrescu, Leboeuf, Clarke, Vialli (Flo 75), Wise, Granville, Sinclair (Lambourde 82), Newton, Zola, Morris (Hughes 85).

Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Charvet.

Booked: Granville.

Goals: Vialli 15, Zola 17, Vialli 44, Wise 84, Flo 89, 90.

Crystal Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Tuttle (Bent 79), Dyer (Lombardo 66), Brolin, Rodger, Smith, Ismael, Hreidarsson, Emblen (Jansen 66), Fullarton.

Subs Not Used: Linighan, Nash.

Booked: Emblen, Dyer.

Goals: Hreidarsson 7, Bent 87.

Att: 31,917

Ref: M A Riley (Leeds).