Baggies Get Another Dose Of The Blues  (Sky Sports)

Chelsea 2 West Bromwich Albion 0

Jimmy Floyd hasselbaink
 
Chelsea  2-0  West Brom 
Hasselbaink 30
Le Saux 55 
   
Barclaycard Premiership

 

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink helped Chelsea move quietly into third place and left West Brom facing up to a season of discontent at the other end of the Premiership.

After opening his league account last week, the Dutchman doubled his tally after bamboozling Darren Moore in the first half and then set up a rare strike for Graeme Le Saux after the break.

The Baggies were their usual committed selves and threatened a fightback late on, but are without a win in five and following Manchester City's success over Birmingham, are now in the relegation zone.

For Hasselbaink, life is just getting better. Overshadowed by Gianfranco Zola's early-season exploits, the Dutchman has long been linked with a move to Barcelona once the transfer window can shed some New Year light on the cash-strapped Londoners.

It was a man that came the other way, from the Nou Camp, Emmanuel Petit, who set up his second in successive Premiership games, sending him beyond an absent Baggies backline for a finish that Russel Hoult got a leg to, but could not keep out.

Carlo Cudicini then did well to keep out Clement before Chelsea's early second-half pressure paid off in the 54th minute when Le Saux stroked home from 10 yards. Hasselbaink teased Darren Moore and fired goalwards, with Sean Gregan clearing off the line straight to Le Saux, who scored with ease.

But Chelsea suddenly fell apart and could have even gone behind in an incredible four-minute period just after the hour, in which their woodwork was rattled twice and Cudicini pulled off a wonderful close-range save.

First, Clement picked out Andy Johnson, whose header smacked into the far post and luckily rebounded straight into Cudicini's grasp. Then Clement, who left Stamford Bridge two years ago, stormed forward from left-back and thundered a 25-yard piledriver against the face of the home crossbar.

And Cudicini pulled off a remarkable parry from substitute Lee Hughes' six-yard effort following Igor Balis' cross. The Italian keeper somehow turned the ball around his left-hand post and suddenly, while those making the early-season noises stuttered, Chelsea find themselves flying high in third.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Chelsea)
Never one to dominate the whole 90 minutes and pushed close by Clement and Cudicini, but he scored one and set up the other. And we all know goals win games... just ask West Brom.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Gallas, Desailly, Le Saux, Gronkjaer (Terry 80), Petit (Morris 73), Lampard, De Lucas, Zola, Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: Pidgeley, Gudjohnsen, Oliveira.

West Brom: Hoult, Gregan (Sigurdsson 67), Moore, Gilchrist, Balis, Clement, Johnson, Marshall (Hughes 58), McInnes, Dobie, Roberts.
Subs Not Used: Murphy, Wallwork, Koumas.
Booked: Johnson.

Att: 40,893
Ref: S Dunn (Avon)

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