English FA Premiership Fulham 1 Chelsea 4 From the outset it was assumed that this time Chelsea would be giving Arsenal a better run for their money. Only now Chelsea are making the running and have yet to break sweat.
A month ago Arsenal led the Premiership with style and dash as Chelsea galumphed along five points behind. It appeared a clear case of the uncatchables being pursued by the unwatchables.
No longer. Chelsea's response to the lunchtime exchange of custard pies at White Hart Lane on Saturday was to leave a clean plate at Craven Cottage.
A third four-goal victory in four league matches not only restored their two-point lead over the champions but narrowed Arsenal's advantage on goal difference to three. This time last month it was 15.
"There were a lot of people waiting to see what answer we would give under pressure," said Jose Mourinho. If so it was worth the wait as Chelsea ended Fulham's four-match winning run with an impressive mixture of teamwork and individual excellence recalling Liverpool in their pomp.
In Arjen Robben, moreover, Chelsea now have the sort of talent which used to give Liverpool such a valuable outlet when Peter Thompson, Steve Heighway or John Barnes had the ball. The 20-year-old Dutchman plagued Moritz Volz, Fulham's right-back, in the first half and the rest of the defence in the second.
Robben, his start to the season delayed by injury, has added a magician's touch to Chelsea's methodical style. Two minutes after a beautifully struck 25-yard volley from Bouba Diop had brought Fulham level at 1-1, Robben gathered a weak clearance near the penalty arc, deceived two defenders with a feint and avoided the lunges of two more before driving the ball past Mark Crossley.
With nine minutes remaining, William Gallas having increased the lead through a stooping header from Frank Lampard's free-kick, Robben's sharp backheel completed a double exchange of passes with Cardoso Tiago which set up the substitute for the well-struck fourth.
Robben cost Chelsea £12m from PSV Eindhoven, less than half of Manchester United's outlay to Everton for Wayne Rooney. On the present evidence he is going to have a greater influence than Rooney on the destination of this season's title.
Mourinho did not sign Robben. "When I joined Chelsea I gave them a list of players I needed," he said, "but Robben was not there, because I knew he was already a Chelsea player. If it was (the previous manager) Mr Ranieri, congratulations, thanks a lot, he did what Chelsea paid him to do. If it was Mr Kenyon or Mr Abramovich, well they should become managers."
Mourinho's latest verbal extravagance has been to declare that Chelsea could win the championship with a fortnight to spare. Since league titles are rarely decided on the last weekend this was not saying a great deal, but it was a rash statement so early in the campaign. Yet he said: "I don't think it is arrogant or vain. I think it is confidence because I have belief in the players."
Certainly that belief was justified at the Cottage. Robben might catch the eye but Claude Makelele's mastery of Steed Malbranque, so often the focal point of Fulham's movements, was equally impressive. In fact it was a foul by Malbranque on Makelele which led to the tapped free-kick from which Lampard's thunderous 30-yard shot put Chelsea in front.
When, midway through the second half, John Terry inadvertently back-headed a long throw-in from Mark Pembridge straight to Andy Cole, who could only nod the ball over the bar, it was a jolt to realise that the Chelsea captain was capable of error. Terry's calm authority is setting the tone for the whole team.
"We were played off the park by a class side," Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager, admitted. "They are better than Arsenal and I think they are favourites to win the title." Mourinho is not about to argue.
