Chelsea 2 Derby 1

By Matt Barlow, PA Sport

Gianluca Vialli neatly brought the curtain down on Chelsea's best season for 29 years.

The player-manager thundered home his 10th goal of the season to secure a proud record for the Blues, who finished third in the Premiership after losing only three times.

Vialli's 40th Chelsea goal and a first-half strike from Celestine Babayaro ensured the west London millionaires end the campaign smiling despite failing to crowd the trophy cabinet.

It was dropped points here and there, against mid-table teams like Derby and Leicester, which prevented Chelsea from playing a leading role on the last day of the season.

Instead they had to settle for a celebration day in front of a full house at Stamford Bridge as Manchester United pipped Arsenal for the star prize.

The game had a distinct end-of-season feel as Chelsea handed out player of the year awards to various stars, paraded their new kit and boss Vialli saw fit to hand an early summer holiday to a few of his battle-weary warriors.

World Cup-winning defensive duo Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf were both omitted but the Londoners still dominated a Derby side whose own stars have spent the week bickering.

Costa Rican Paulo Wanchope and his strike partner Dean Sturridge were both relegated to the reserves in midweek by Jim Smith.

This was after comments attributed to Wanchope suggesting a host of players could not wait to quit Pride Park when the campaign ended, although the manager said the demotion had been due to poor form rather than dissent.

The Rams were almost caught napping in the first minute when Gustavo Poyet came within inches of latching on to a Vialli header in front of goal.

Derby were then furious when referee Mike Riley waved away their penalty appeals in the fifth minute.

The pacy Sturridge beat Dmitri Kharine to a long through-ball and poked it past the big Russian goalkeeper before the pair collided.

No penalty was given, however, and Chelsea took advantage of their good fortune to dominate proceedings.

Mart Poom was peppered with shots in the Derby goal. Roberto Di Matteo and Poyet both rifled narrowly wide from outside the area and Graeme Le Saux, making his 200th appearance for the Blues, had a free-kick deflected wide.

Albert Ferrer was in outstanding form at the back for the hosts and the occasional foray forward.

Dennis Wise stung the palms of Poom but when the Estonian keeper leapt full stretch to his left to tip a swerving Di Matteo shot round the post in the 39th minute the Rams' stubborn resistance was about to be broken.

Poyet flicked on Wise's kick and Babayaro crashed a first-time shot through a crowded goalmouth for his fourth goal of the season.

It was the last contribution from the Nigerian international, who was replaced by Dan Petrescu at half-time in a tactical reshuffle.

Sturridge should have levelled after the break. He shrugged off the attentions of Michael Duberry and found himself clean through but could not beat Kharine, who saved diving to his right.

Smith made changes and Derby were pressing for the equaliser when Chelsea stretched their lead.

Wise picked up the scraps of a Derby corner on the edge of his own penalty area and broke with far more enthusiasm than the retreating Rams defenders.

He charged forward, found Tore Andre Flo to his left and the Norwegian lifted a pass to Vialli, who took one touch before hammering the second past Poom in the 68th minute.

Flo then blazed wildly over when well placed and then planted a header into the grateful arms of Poom after a pin-point cross from Wise.

Petrescu and Wise both failed to extend the lead, missing after a powerful run to the by-line by Vialli.

Horacio Carbonari seemed to sum up Derby's day when he fired over from six yards out with the goal at his mercy and Sturridge and substitute Mikkel Beck had late efforts saved.

But Argentinian defender Carbonari did curl home a late free-kick for the Rams to give Chelsea a jittery last couple of minutes.

Teams:

Chelsea: Kharine, Ferrer, Duberry (Terry 57), Lambourde, Le Saux, Di Matteo (Newton 76), Wise, Poyet, Babayaro (Petrescu 46), Flo,Vialli.

Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Zola.

Booked: Lambourde.

Goals: Babayaro 40, Vialli 68.

Derby: Poom, Laursen, Carbonari, Prior, Delap, Powell, Eranio, Schnoor (Harper 59), Baiano (Beck 59), Wanchope,Sturridge (Boertien 81).

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Jackson.

Goals: Carbonari 88.

Att: 35,016

Ref: M Riley (Leeds).