FOR CHELSEA it could hardly have gone more to plan and their performance could hardly have been more professional. First they withstood West Bromwich Albion’s early onslaught. Then, once Albion’s sting had been drawn they scored three clinical goals before half-time, just to remind everyone who leads the Premier League this morning. And finally, they played out the second half with neither fuss nor ado.

Albion, meanwhile, started the evening at the bottom of the pile and there they lie this morning, in ever increasing danger of losing touch with the pack and losing hope.

The quirk of an evening kick-off and Liverpool’s perfunctory lunch-time victory over Bolton meant this was no longer a bottom versus top encounter, but as Albion manager Tony Mowbray admitted in midweek, a team who kicked off having conceded just one goal on their Premiership travels this season were hardly his visitors of choice.

And, forever destined to swash-buckle despite being without a victory since October 4, Mowbray again kept the faith, pausing only to restore James Morrison and Abdou-laye Meite.

Another calf – this time Petr Cech’s – ruled out the Chelsea goal-keeper, but even with a fistful of fellow absentees, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Michael Essien found themselves only on the bench.

Albion began brightly – Albion always begin brightly – and, with the lavishly gifted Borja Valero prompting, cajoling and firing a fusillade of pinpoint long balls towards Ishmael Miller and Roman Bednar, they momentarily threatened to seize the moment. Yet, for all their undeniable eagerness Albion’s front pair crashed time and time again against John Terry and Branis-lav Ivanovic.

Morrison blasted an early piledriver inches over Carlo Cudicini’s bar early on, but with John Obi Mikel chaperoning Chelsea’s defence like an overprotective older brother on prom night, they created only one real chance in the first period, 15 minutes in, when Valero surprised even himself by spinning around Mikel so deftly the Nigerian ended up on his backside. He guided a through ball into Miller’s path, only for the youngster’s shot to flash across goal.

Chelsea bided their time. Initially, they seemed all at sea. For all Nicolas Anelka’s recent goal glut, he seemed as starved of service as Russian aristocrats after the communist revolution. Deco flitted hither and thither to little effect, but Miller’s miss had aroused the beast within. Florent Malouda offered a glimpse of what was about to come with a magnificent ball into the ever-yawning gap between Meite and Gianni Zuiverloon. Scott Carson saved excellently from Frank Lampard.

Lampard’s miss marked the moment Deco settled himself in central midfield and the scales began to tip Chelsea’s way. After 34 minutes, so did the scoreline. There seemed little danger, certainly in Carson’s mind, when Jose Bosingwa collected the ball 25 yards out on the right, but the Portuguese looked up, noted Carson’s sloppy positioning and curled it home with his left. Even at that point, there seemed no way back for Albion against a team who had conceded just four Premiership goals all season and none of them in the second half.

First, Meite’s poor clearance reached Malouda, who unleashed the coiled spring that was Anelka. Greedy after his possession, the Frenchman sprinted into the penalty area and as Carson dived to the ground, chipped gently into goal.

Morale tumbling like house prices, the last thing Albion needed was to concede a third before half-time. They conceded a third before half-time. Deco found Saloman Kalou on the right, the Ivorian danced through a timid defence, curled a magnificent through ball to the onrushing Anelka, who daintily guided Chelsea’s third past Carson.

Cowed for possibly the first time this season, Mowbray plumped for damage limitation after the break. Off went Bednar, on came Kim DeHeon and Albion flooded midfield, hoping the hitherto marginalised Morrison and Jonathan Greening would offer Miller support.

Instead, although substitute Filipe Teixeira flashed a piledriver inches over, such was Chelsea’s insouciant dominance, that Albion’s midfield quintet left the struggling home defence with even less cover and only some prodigal finishing from a team who knew they were about to return to the top of the league prevented the scoreline from getting out of hand.

Shortly after Anelka had been denied his second hat-trick in three league games by a brave Ryan Donk, he was replaced by this week’s whipping boy, Drogba. His cameo passed without incident, just as the evening had passed with little to ruffle Chelsea. Men against boys.

WEST BROM: Carson 5, Zuiverloon 4, Meite 4 (Donk 68min), Olsson 4, Robinson 4, Koren 5, Morrison 5 (Teixeira 58min, 5), Greening 5, Valero 6, Miller 6, Bednar 5 (Kim ht, 5)

CHELSEA: Cudicini 6, Bosingwa 7, Ivanovic 7, Terry 7, Bridge 6, Lampard 6, Mikel 6. Deco 7, Malouda 7, Kalou 6 (Ballack 68min), Anelka 7 (Drogba 74min)

Chelsea’s record breakers

Chelsea’s comprehensive 3-0 win at West Bromwich Albion last night ensured another record Premier League start to the campaign. The seventh straight away victory this season was also their 10th away win in a row, breaking the Premier League record they set in the 2004-05 campaign, and equalling the top-flight mark set by Tottenham in 1960

Chelsea, though, are still one shy of the record eight consecutive away wins at the start of a season set by Tottenham in 1960-61.

Tottenham went on to win a record 16 of their 21 away games in 1960-61 to take the title. West Brom and Everton are the only other sides to have won six in a row away from home at the start of a season.

Chelsea’s reborn forward Nicolas Anelka has been key to the run, scoring seven of their 19 away goals this season, including five in the past two games. His teammate Frank Lampard has been on target three times while defender Jose Boswinga , who scored the Blues’ opener last night, has hit two