BIRMINGHAM – Chelsea put their recent troubles behind them as Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard scored in a 3-1 win over West Brom here Saturday. Chelsea played with a clinical swagger not seen since early in the 2010-11 Premier League campaign and the result was the perfect tonic to ease the pain of their Champions League exit during the week.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti had said ahead of the game it “would not be a problem” if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich fired him at the end of the season. As surprising as it may be for Ancelotti to be under pressure only 10 months after leading Chelsea to their first-ever Double, their last realistic chance of silverware ended last Tuesday at Old Trafford.
And Abramovich, who spent £50 million on Fernando Torres only for the Spanish World Cup winner to fail to score in 11 appearances, is less patient than many club owners. Torres had to make do with a place on the bench after being substituted half-way through Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final second-leg loss to Manchester United.
West Brom stuck with the XI that beat Sunderland and Liverpool, as manager Roy Hodgson sought to maintain the unbeaten start to his reign at the Hawthorns. And it was the home side that enjoyed the first shot of the game on four minutes, as James Morrison’s effort was kept out of harm’s way by David Luiz’s leg.
Where West Brom were patient on the ball and tenacious off it, Chelsea played with an overly urgent tempo, typified by Kalou’s effort on 12 minutes. Lampard had crossed to put the striker in plenty of space, but instead of taking his time he rushed his shot, which predictably went high over the crossbar.
Two minutes later Florent Malouda was guilty of a similarly wild shot, as the home side gladly watched the ball sail into the stands.
