West Brom ... 0 Chelsea ... 2: There was an altercation at Chelsea's training ground in the build-up to this match which left Jesper Gronkjaer knocked out cold. Yesterday's visit to West Bromwich proved less dangerous for Claudio Ranieri's players, who emerged from the Hawthorns with barely a scratch after a comfortable win.
Chelsea controlled the game and there was an air of inevitability about the outcome once Mario Stanic headed in from a corner seven minutes before half-time. It took Albion 76 minutes to get a shot on target.
By then Chelsea were coasting. With John Terry providing more evidence that he deserves an England call-up and William Gallas solid alongside him in defence, Albion rarely looked like scoring. Chelsea's passing was superior and Gianfranco Zola offered touches of class that West Brom can only dream of, particularly after moving from behind the front two to join Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the front line.
Injuries to Darren Moore and Derek McInnes robbed Albion of linchpins in defence and midfield after a quarter of an hour. Moore fell after an innocuous-looking tussle with Hasselbaink but he went to hospital for a scan on possible ligament damage and his manager Gary Megson fears a "big problem".
Chelsea took time to adjust to the 3-4-1-2 formation with which Ranieri started, and their possession led to little penetration until Stanic took advantage of poor marking to head in a Graeme Le Saux corner.
Zola had struggled to find room in which to influence the game in the highly congested area between Chelsea's midfield and front two. He and the team in general looked more comfortable when Ranieri reverted to his usual 4-4-2 in the second half after Albion sent on Danny Dichio as a third forward.
Zola's goal was brilliantly executed. After exchanging passes with Hasselbaink he sidestepped a challenge and swept in a low shot from the edge of the box.
Guardian Service
WEST BROM: Hoult, Clement, Moore (James Chambers 15), Sigurdsson, Balis, Udeze (Dichio 45), McInnes (Wallwork 15), Gregan, Koumas, Roberts, Hughes. Subs Not Used: Murphy, Dobie.
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Gallas, Melchiot, Terry, Stanic (De Lucas 73), Le Saux (Desailly 82), Lampard, Morris, Zola, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnsen (Gronkjaer 54). Subs Not Used: de Goey, Cole. Goals: Stanic 38, Zola 56.
Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).
