MOSCOW, August 3, 2008 (AFP) - An impressive four-goal rout by Nicolas Anelka helped English Premier side Chelsea thrash Italian giants AC Milan 5-0 in Sunday's pre-season Railway Cup tournament here.

Chelsea got off to a flyer after just two minutes, taking the lead through a Frank Lampard freekick, which Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac was unable to deal with.

Six minutes later Anelka netted the first of his tally with a precise shot from the edge of the box.

The French international made it 3-0 in the 18th minute to give Chelsea a commanding lead in the third-place play-off, sending the ball into an unguarded net after an error by Kalac.

Six minutes after the break Anelka notched up his hat-trick, nodding home from close range after a cross from fellow Frenchman Florent Malouda.

Anelka rounded off his scoring feat in the 58th minute when he got on to the end of another Malouda in-swinger.

Hosts Lokomotiv Moscow are set to play Spanish side Sevilla - UEFA Cup winners in 2006 and 2007 - in the tournament final.