Chelsea 2 Middlesbrough 0

By Mark Bradley, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer

Middlesbrough simply cannot have been paying attention when Roberto Di Matteo was given the pitch-side accolade of scoring Chelsea's best-ever goal before their encounter at Stamford Bridge.

For, as the Chelsea announcer reminded them, Di Matteo's famous strike came just 43 seconds into the Blues' 1997 FA Cup final victory over Boro.

Although Bryan Robson's side just managed to hang on to a clean sheet in the first half today, they went behind - bizarrely enough - exactly 43 seconds into the second period when Gary Pallister appeared to head a Brian Laudrup cross-shot into his own net.

And when the irrepressible Gianfranco Zola clinched victory 10 minutes from the end with a nonchalant chip, the scoreboard read 2-0 - the same score at both the 1997 FA Cup Final and last year's Coca-Cola Cup final between the sides.

"We always beat you 2-0," crowed the Chelsea fans. As for Boro, there is nothing like learning from your mistakes.

Chelsea actually deserved to win by a greater margin, with a series of exciting attacks on the break, and Zola and Laudrup in dazzling form as they buzzed around in the gap between attack and midfield.

The performance of Laudrup, full of scintillating runs and quick turns, certainly cast a pale shadow over the far quieter performance of his former Rangers' team-mate Paul Gascoigne.

But Gascoigne was not alone as the entire Boro side produced an at best workmanlike performance that rarely threatened to earn them their first goal at Stamford Bridge since 1975.

While Chelsea player-boss Gianluca Vialli introduced Laudrup and Di Matteo for Michael Duberry and Dennis Wise, Boro counterpart Bryan Robson had retained faith with the side that let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 against Everton last weekend.

The visitors were under immediate pressure and Di Matteo came the closest to scoring in the first-half with a shot from just outside the penalty area which thudded against the crossbar.

Laudrup also forced keeper Mark Schwarzer into a tremendous diving save to tip away his cross-shot just after the half-hour, with defender Colin Cooper clearing the rebound.

Boro, meanwhile, threatened mainly from set-pieces, with Dean Gordon firing one free-kick just wide and keeper Ed De Goey also had to save a header from Mikkel Beck, a shot from Andy Townsend and a flick from Hamilton Ricard.

At half-time, Vialli bowed to the inevitable and replaced the ineffective Pierluigi Casiraghi with Tore Andre Flo, whose two goals as a substitute in last Monday's 4-3 comeback at Blackburn had still not earned him a place in the starting line-up.

Within a minute, Chelsea were ahead. Laudrup broke clear down the right and fired in a cross-shot which Pallister tried to clear with a diving header but the former Manchester United defender succeeded only in deflecting the ball into his own net.

Chelsea were rampant from then on. Steve Vickers denied Flo with a well-timed tackle in the area and the Norwegian also saw a ferocious volley well saved by Schwarzer.

Di Matteo shot just over, Celestine Babayaro had a header cleared off the line and Frank Leboeuf lashed a 25-yard effort just wide as the Blues took command.

Yet the second goal did not come until the 81st minute as Zola finally got the reward for his tireless running. Gustavo Poyet played a long ball through from midfield, Zola raced clear to latch onto it and as Schwarzer advanced from his line, the Italian calmly chipped the ball over him and into the net.

The best Boro could offer in the second period was a woeful effort from Ricard after he had muscled his way past Frenchman Marcel Desailly. They were simply outclassed.

Teams:

Chelsea: De Goey, Babayaro, Leboeuf (Duberry 83), Desailly, Laudrup (Petrescu 75), Poyet, Casiraghi (Flo 45), Le Saux, Di Matteo, Ferrer, Zola.

Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Newton.

Booked: Babayaro, Di Matteo, Ferrer.

Goals: Pallister 46 og, Zola 81.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Gordon, Vickers, Festa, Pallister, Mustoe, Gascoigne, Beck (Stamp 57), Townsend, Ricard, Cooper.

Subs Not Used: Moore, Beresford, Maddison, Blackmore.

Booked: Festa, Mustoe, Beck, Gascoigne, Cooper.

Att: 34,811

Ref: M Reed (Birmingham).