CHELSEA 6-0 WEST BROM
Well, as season opener’s go, we can’t grumble with that.
The God’s were pretty kind to us with a home game to West Brom anyway, but taking nothing away from us, we dominated from start to finish almost as if the summer hadn’t happened. There was certainly no signs of our dodgy pre-season form or any hangovers from the Community Shield, with our players looking as focused and motivated as they did lifting the trophy in May.
Anyway, onto the game and seeing as it was all about the goals, let’s talk about them. It took us all of five minutes to get our first goal of the season. Scott Carson couldn’t hang on to Didier Drogba’s fee-kick, Mikel picks it up for Malouda and the ever alert Frenchman prods it in.
Fair play to the Baggies though because they managed to hold off an onslaught for the next 40 minutes in spite of our dominance, although it could have been a lot worse at half-time if Malouda had got a second around 20 minutes. As it was, his shot flashed across the face of goal and it missed by inches so we had to wait until the 45th minute and another Drogba free-kick for the second, courtesy of a gaping great hole in the West Brom wall.
No changes in personnel at half-time and it was pretty much as you were from the off, with our third goal just nine minutes in. From the corner, John Terry’s header was cleared off the line as far as Anelka but with the Frenchman’s effort blocked as well, it was down to Drogba to bury it from six yards out.
Another nine minutes and another goal, this time carved out with some lovely one touch football between Anelka, Cole and then Lampard who picked his spot perfectly. Inside five minutes Drogba completed his hat-trick with a cracking effort deflecting perfectly to leave Carson stranded and the Ivorian just had enough time to soak up the applause before being subbed for Kalou.
The rout was completed with Malouda’s second coming in the 90th minute for a thoroughly convincing win as we started the defence of our title in much the same manner as we won it.
Overall then, a very productive day at the office and whilst we’ll have much tougher tests than West Brom to come, I don’t doubt the lads have other gears to step up to as the games go on, so it bodes pretty well for us right now.
TEAMS
CHELSEA: Cech, Paulo Ferreira (Ivanovic, 60), Terry, Alex, Cole, Mikel, Essien, Lampard (Benayoun, 64), Malouda, Anelka, Drogba (Kalou, 70).
Subs: Hilario, Zhirkov, Sturridge, Van Aanholt.
WEST BROM: Carson, Jara, Pablo, Tamas, Cech, Thomas (Barnes, 84), Mulumbu, Brunt, Morrison, Dorrans (Cox, 67), Bednar (Miller, 67).
Subs: Myhill, Olsson, Steven Reid, Shorey.
GOALS:
Malouda 6, 90
Drogba 45, 54, 68
Lampard 63
Blue is the colour
