by Kaleem Aftab
at Craven Cottage

Andre Schurrle scored a 16-minute hat-trick as Chelsea demolished Fulham to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

The second-half goals all followed a similar pattern: a quick pass behind the back line, a burst of pace from Schurre to run past the last defender, followed by a clinical finish.

Eden Hazard supplied the ammunition for two of Schurrle’s finishes while Fernando Torres laid him in for the goal that sealed his hat-trick.

Preposterously, Jose Mourinho is still claiming that Chelsea will not win the title.

“You can say we have four points on Arsenal and Liverpool, but if Manchester City win their two games in hand they are above us,” he said.

Mourinho was furious with his team’s first half display.

“At half-time I didn’t say anything to the players, the first half was really bad for us, they controlled us.”

But by the end of the game? “I still can’t say anything, because as bad as they were, they were brilliant in the second half.

“Schurrle is still in a learning process about the Premier League. You play aggressive teams and players — but he is cold in front of goal.”

Fulham, who bagged a late consolation through Johnny Heitinga, started well and it was the impressive first half that Felix Magath was clinging to at the end of the game.

But the second half highlighted the defensive woes that have plagued the team throughout their abysmal season.

“I will remind the team every day in training to defend,” said Magath.

“We have to have two halves with good defensive work. I don’t know what happened at half time.

“You cannot ask for a win against the Premier League leaders, so the next games are the ones we will be looking to win.”

There have been three different Fulham managers this season, but the same scratched record replies continue to be spouted.

Magath has his work cut out this week, as Fulham have relegation six-pointer away to Cardiff on Saturday.

The Whites are entering the last-chance saloon.