Chelsea 4 West Brom 0: Chelsea went to the top of the Premiership with an easy-going rout. When West Brom failed, in the 80th minute, to force the ball away cleanly from the substitutes Arjen Robben and Hernan Crespo, Frank Lampard pounced to score his second goal. Neither he nor any of his team-mates had betrayed the slightest haste.
During the quiet spell before Lampard's opener in the 23rd minute, Jose Mourinho's team-sheet was under discussion. The half-dozen alterations from Sunday's line-up for the win over Arsenal did not bring Ricardo Carvalho to the fore.
His rehabilitation was partial after his criticism of Mourinho's squad-rotation policy - the centre-back featured among the substitutes. This, however, was the one area in which West Brom could vie with Chelsea, and Geoff Horsfield, scorer of both goals in the weekend victory against Portsmouth, was not included.
Michael Essien, beginning a game with Chelsea for the first time since his £24.4m transfer from Lyon, was studious in his desire to make a good impression. Unfortunately for Thomas Gaardsoe, it was Didier Drogba who acted without restraint.
His late challenge crunched studs into the centre-back's knee yet did not draw even a booking from the referee, Mark Halsey.
The Dane was to wince again, at his own mistake that triggered a Chelsea goal. A pass to Neil Clement was miscued and Shaun Wright-Phillips freed Drogba on the right. His cut-back was dummied by Essien and converted with a low shot by Lampard.
After the single-goal wins over Wigan and Arsenal, Mourinho's men had scored twice by the interval. Better still for the manager, they had done so efficiently, converting the only genuine chances they had found. From Bryan Robson's perspective, however, there had been fatal sloppiness on each occasion.
In the 43rd minute, the left-back Paul Robinson fancied he could shepherd the ball behind, but he had not reckoned with the persistence of Wright-Phillips. The midfielder took possession before directing the cut-back to Joe Cole for an easy goal.
Mourinho was gladdened, seeing that his first major shake-up had not disrupted the side's performance. Glen Johnson must have been astounded and grateful to get an opportunity. The right-back's efforts with England in Denmark last week suggested his Chelsea education ought to include remedial lessons, but he was comfortable last night, setting up Cole for a drive that flew marginally wide early in the second half.
Without seeming to whip themselves on, Mourinho's side were on the verge of savaging the visitors. A Cole cross after 61 minutes found the head of Drogba and compelled Chris Kirkland to a fine parry. Play continued and Essien would have scored from a Wright-Phillips pass had it not been for a block by Robinson.
A wearying West Brom fluffed a corner in the 68th minute and Asier Del Horno forced the ball into the goalmouth, where Drogba was waiting to shoot home.
At such a juncture, managers begin to give players a rest. At Chelsea, however, this entails introducing Crespo, Robben and Damien Duff.
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Johnson, Terry, Gallas, Del Horno, Makelele, Essien, Lampard, Joe Cole (Robben 69), Wright-Phillips (Duff 79), Drogba (Crespo 71). Subs Not Used: Cech, Ricardo Carvalho. Goals: Lampard 23, Joe Cole 43, Drogba 68, Lampard 80.
WEST BROM: Kirkland, Albrechtsen, Gaardsoe, Clement, Robinson, Greening (Ellington 71), Scimeca, Chaplow, Johnson (Inamoto 60), Kamara, Kanu. Subs Not Used: Moore, Earnshaw, Kuszczak. Booked: Kamara.
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
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