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Your support makes all the difference.Sunlight smothered The Hawthorns yesterday, much as it did the day West Bromwich Albion celebrated promotion to the Premiership last spring. This time, the cold reality of almost-certain relegation swept the stands like a shadow long before the end of Chelsea's victory.
In Claudio Ranieri's 100th league match as manager, goals by Mario Stanic and Gianfranco Zola delivered his 47th Chelsea win and hoisted them back into the Champions' League zone. For his Albion counterpart, Gary Megson, taking the 150th game of his three years in charge, it was as well that Chelsea were profligate in their finishing, for his outclassed team appeared finally to have accepted their fate.
Chelsea were not at their most fluid; even the majestic Zola cut a peripheral figure during a first half in which the midfield should have been subject to congestion charges. It was an indictment of Albion – with the honourable exception of the tireless, talented Jason Koumas – that a draw always looked beyond them once the visitors moved ahead.
Ranieri suggested the scrap for the coveted fourth place was now between Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool, adding what Basil Fawlty would have called a statement of the bleedin' obvious: "We must keep fighting to the end."
Zola, who will be 37 in the summer and has hinted at retirement, admitted a place in the continent's premier competition would be "a fantastic incentive" to continue. "We desperately needed that win," he said. "We haven't been playing badly but we've been unlucky a couple of times. An away victory is the best possible way to correct all the problems."
For Albion, the statistics, like the performance, hold out scant hope. They have failed to pick up a point against any of the top eight; have taken just two points from the last seven home fixtures; and scored a paltry 21 goals in 30 top-flight matches. Moreover, their luck, which has seen them denied a single penalty this season, remains atrocious.
Within 15 minutes, Megson had been forced to substitute two senior players, Darren Moore and Derek McInnes, the former departing on a stretcher with a damaged knee. "Injuries are a problem for all clubs, but when you've got a squad of 18 it's even harder," the Albion manager said. "But that's why we announce profits every year and other clubs are £80m in debt."
Whether this was a veiled dig at the Albion board, or a swipe at free-spending Chelsea, was unclear. What was indisputable was the chasm in quality between the sides, although it took Ranieri's men until the midway point in the first half to contrive a scoring opportunity. Not for the first time, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was unable to get the better of Russell Hoult in a one-on-one situation.
Chelsea's growing ascendancy was rewarded seven minutes before the break. Albion could not claim they were undone by magic, merely by a set-piece, albeit a wickedly sharp inswinging corner-kick by Graeme Le Saux. Stanic, exploiting the absence of the towering Moore, had a free header as Hoult stayed rooted to his line.
The second goal, however, was truly magnificent. Hasselbaink and Zola worked the deftest of one-twos around the edge of the penalty area, their touch and movement making the Albion defenders appear statuesque. The Italian's 14th goal of the season beat Hoult for both placement and power.
Albion's few goal attempts epitomised their haplessness. Early in the second half, when they went to three up front, Lee Hughes' cross was headed across goal by Jason Roberts. Daniele Dichio, unmarked, headed it away as decisively as if he were a Chelsea defender. Later, in a Koumas-inspired rally, Larus Sigurdsson's header and shot thudded into the same colleague, Roberts.
As Chelsea passed the ball with class and confidence during the closing stages, a full moon ghosted into view – further evidence, it seemed, that the sun is already setting on Albion's adventure.
Goals: Stanic (38) 0-1; Zola (55) 0-2.
West Bromwich Albion (3-5-2): Hoult 7; Sigurdsson 4, Moore 5 (J Chambers 15, 4), Clement 4; Balis 3, Koumas 7, Gregan 5, McInnes 4 (Wallwork, 15, 4), Udeze 3 (Dichio, h-t, 3); Hughes 4, Roberts 4. Substitutes not used: Dobie, Murphy (gk).
Chelsea (3-4-1-2): Cudicini 6; Melchiot 6, Terry 7, Gallas 6; Stanic 5 (De Lucas, 73, 5), Lampard 7, Morris 5, Le Saux 6 (Desailly, 82); Zola 7; Hasselbaink 6, Gudjohnsen 4 (Gronkjaer 55, 6). Substitutes not used: Cole, De Goey (gk).
Referee: A D'Urso (Billericay) 6.
Bookings: None.
Man of the match: Zola.
Attendance: 27,024.
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