No midfielder during the Premier League era has been more clinical in front of goal than Frank Lampard.
Only four players - all of them strikers - have found the net in England's top flight more times than the 36-year-old, who, at present, has celebrated an impressive 174 goals.
Lampard reached the treble-figure milestone six years ago today on what was a landmark outing for Chelsea when Sunderland visited Stamford Bridge.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech kept his 100th clean sheet for the club, Alex scored the club's 1,000th Premier League goal and Nicolas Anelka also weighed in with his first hat-trick in blue colours, yet the biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for the free-scoring Lampard.
Brazilian defender Alex started the rout in the 27th minute when he turned the ball in from close range, before Anelka soon made it 2-0 when he fired in Lampard's cross.
Anelka scored his second and Chelsea's third goal just moments before the break when, after good work from Lampard and Joe Cole, he was picked out by his fellow Frenchman Florent Malouda.
Lampard's moment arrived six minutes after the restart as Cole stood a cross up towards the back post. Despite being off balance, Lampard was able to get enough power on his headed effort to find the far corner of the net. It had taken him 415 appearances for Chelsea and West Ham to reach to 100 mark.
The scoring was then completed in the 53rd minute by Anelka, who slid in Malouda's cross with a finish that Sunderland goalkeeper Jurgen Macho will feel that he should have kept out.
Speaking after his side had been trounced in West London, Sunderland boss Roy Keane said of Lampard: "Six or seven years ago I'd probably have said I wasn't his biggest fan, having played against him. But his all-round game has improved unbelievably over the last few years. He's a player who's had to work at his game, he's not the most naturally gifted player in the world.
"We see a lot of players come on the scene and just fade away but he's improved and improved. Some players lose that hunger, but he doesn't. He plays a lot of games, he looks after his body and he's a fit lad. When you've got a midfielder who puts the ball in the back of the net, it's priceless."
CHELSEA: Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole (Bridge); Mikel, J Cole (Drogba), Deco, Lampard, Malouda; Anelka (Mineiro)
SUNDERLAND: Fulop; Chimbonda, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, McCartney; Malbranque (Henderson), Whitehead, Tainio, Richardson; Waghorn (Diouf), Jones (Cisse)
Liam Apicella
