Chelsea won the London derby comfortable against Tottenham,  Manchester United will rise again.

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 0:Samuel Eto’o show in Stamford Bridge

He stepped up to the plate when Fernando Torres pulled up in the pre-match warm-up to defy all the talk that he might be getting a bit long in the tooth.

Depending on who you listen to, he could be anything between 31 and 39 years of age, but he rolled back the clock yesterday at precisely the right time for Chelsea.

Let’s be honest, Chelsea weren’t exactly looking like champions or four goals better than Spurs before Eto’o – with a little help from Lady Luck – came to their rescue.

And they are going to take some catching now. Seven points is a mighty big lead at this stage of the season.

All that apart, a small group outside the ground beforehand put things into perspective with placards urging Roman Abramovich not to back Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

He probably didn’t even know they were there, but it served to give a reminder that while 40,000 were enjoying a day out at Chelsea yesterday, a few million more were having to ponder their very existences elsewhere.

It’s probably fair to say that Spurs were doing something very similar when Eto’o put Eden Hazard clear early on, but uncharacteristically the Belgian put the ball into the sidenetting with the goal at his mercy.

A Chelsea goal then really would have put the cat among the pigeons because Spurs barely got out of their own half for the first 15 minutes.Jose Mourinho’s men clearly meant business. Yet, young Nabil Bentaleb had a few home hearts in mouths when Spurs did come out of their shell. A bit more accuracy with his shot might well have upset the applecart.

And when the midfielder went close with a rasping drive soon afterwards the Chelsea faithful got the message that this was not going to be a walk in the park after all.

With an imperious Michael Dawson begging the question of why does Roy Hodgson never pick him for England, Spurs settled into their stride sufficiently to knock Chelsea out of theirs for a while.

And while Emmanuel Adebayor was having an ever-increasing influence on proceedings, Andre Schurrle, a hat-trick hero for Chelsea just seven days ago, had a nightmare first 45 minutes yesterday.

Half-time probably couldn’t have come soon enough for the German – or his manager for that matter. You had to wonder how long Mourinho, who apparently gave his players a 30-second roasting last week, spent on his interval team talk this time.

Whatever he said, it still didn’t prevent Younes Kaboul testing Petr Cech soon after the restart. The second half did not look then as if it was going to be any easier for Chelsea than the first, especially as Schurrle didn’t appear to benefit from his cup of Bovril, or whatever, either.

But, as so often happens, it was a stroke of luck – or misfortune in the case of Jan Vertonghen – that broke the deadlock on 55 minutes. The big Belgian slipped under pressure and, in his desperation to retrieve the situation, he only succeeded in playing the ball straight into the path of Eto’o.

The Cameroonian didn’t need to be told what to do to score his 300th club goal in an already prolific career. He was there again three minutes later when Kaboul sent him sprawling right under the nose of referee Michael Oliver.

There was no hesitation about the penalty award. No doubting that Kaboul was going to be sent off. And there was no mistaking either the manner in which Hazard made it 2-0 from the spot.

To be fair to Spurs they probably didn’t deserve that on the balance of play. But, let’s face it, they gifted Chelsea both those goals and you can’t afford to do that.

And if going two down and being reduced to 10 men wasn’t bad enough Spurs’ day got even worse when the inspirational Dawson limped off.

Then Demba Ba, a late substitute for Eto’o, rubbed salt in already painful Spurs wounds with two goals in two minutes at the death. And death really was the operative word here.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Match Stats

Chelsea: Cech 6, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 6, Terry 6.5, Azpilicueta 7, Lampard 5 (Oscar 46, 6.5), Matic 7.5, Ramires 6.5, Hazard 8, Schurrle 6 (Willian 66, 6), Eto’o 8 (Ba 76, 7)

Subs: Mikel, Salah, Schwarzer, Kalas.

Manager: Jose Mourinho 7.5

Yellow: Lampard, Azpilicueta

Goals: Eto’o 56, Hazard 60, Ba 88, 89

Spurs: Lloris 5.5, Naughton 5, Dawson 6 (Fryers 72, 5), Kaboul 4, Vertonghen 4.5, Sandro 6, Bentaleb 5, Walker 5.5, Sigurdsson 5 (Paulinho 61, 5.5), Lennon 5, Adebayor 5.5.

Subs: Soldado, Townsend, Chadli, Friedel, Kane.

Manager: Tim Sherwood 6

Yellow: Bentaleb, Naughton, Sandro

Red: Kaboul

Referee: Michael Oliver 7.

Attendance: 41,598

Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 0 Match Video

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West Brom 0 Manchester United 3:United never give up

A year ago the suggestion would have been heresy. The Dutch striker’s goals had been crucial in firing United to the title in the final season of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Now? Well, the evidence grows by the game that Van Persie may be more hindrance than help to the side. He was ineffectual for much of yesterday’s welcome victory that took United into sixth place in the Premier League table – except when it came to tackling.

Van Persie was perhaps fortunate not to be sent off when escaping what looked a likely yellow card for a lunging tackle a few minutes after being booked for another foul. He was indebted to a tolerant referee.

It didn’t take Moyes long after that incident to substitute the subdued Dutchman, and his replacement Welbeck was more involved in the play and also linked up far more smoothly and flexibly with his teammates.

The contrast was profound, and United’s third goal was thrilling proof as almost every player was involved in a move of 18 passes that ended with Welbeck chipping past the keeper.

At the heart of it all was Juan Mata, whose deft touches, clever passes and intelligent movement gave the vision of the future that Moyes surely dreams of.

For West Brom boss Pepe Mel, though, it was another nightmare – a seventh match without a victory since he took charge. His team never lacked energy or effort, but at key moments they were found wanting.

The first was when Van Persie did contribute with a curling 34th minute free-kick that allowed Phil Jones a free header to put United ahead.

West Brom’s defence was equally at fault for the second goal in the 65th minute when the impressive United full-back Rafael rampaged down the right and Wayne Rooney was clear in space at the far post to head in the cross.

They were two goals too easily conceded by the Baggies. How far they have slipped since their victory at Old Trafford early in the season?

Welbeck’s goal gilded the lily for the United manager, who must have been heartened to hear the travelling fans sing in support of ‘David Moyes’ red and white army’.

After the shocking performance in their previous match, the loss away to Olympiakos in the Champions League, this was an encouragement even though problems remain.

Youngsters Phil Jones and Chris Smalling were nervous at times in central defence, troubled by the hefty presence of Victor Anichebe.

Moyes, naturally enough, preferred to dwell on the positive, saying: “I was really pleased with our all-round performance. The attitude had changed completely from the Olympiakos game.

“Danny looked sprightly when he came on, and it was a wonderful third goal. I felt as though we had goals in us today.

“I was always going to take Robin off because he played a full 90 minutes for Holland in midweek. I didn’t think it was a second yellow card and a sending off, but we didn’t want to risk it after that.”

West Brom did have their chances to score through the game. Anichebe shot just wide before half-time, and only a last-ditch clearance by Mata prevented a goal for Chris Brunt in the 57th minute.

United keeper David De Gea also made a fine save to keep out a stinging drive from Zoltan Gera, but there was too little threat overall for the home team, for whom relegation is a serious danger.

Manager Mel is under intense scrutiny, and it won’t have helped that most Baggies fans had trooped out of the Hawthorns long before the final whistle. Mel brushed aside questions about his future – and what else could he do?

Mel has a strong reputation from his years of work in the Spanish league, but it was always a risk to throw him into an English relegation battle.

West Brom vs Manchester United Match Stats

West Brom (4-2-3-1): Foster 5; Reid 6 (Sessegnon 60), McAuley 6, Olsson 6, Ridgewell 5.5; Yacob 5.5 (Morrison 40), Mulumbu 6.5; Amalfitano 6.5, Gera 7, Brunt 6 (Berahino 66); Anichebe 7.

Subs not used: Myhill, Vydra, Dawson, Thievy.

Booked: Anichebe

Manager: Pepe Mel 6

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Rafael 8 (Vidic 87), Jones 6.5, Smalling 6.5, Evra 6; Carrick 6.5, Fellaini 6; Mata 7, Rooney 7.5, Januzaj 6.5 (Kagawa 76); Van Persie 6.5 (Welbeck 63)

Subs not used: Giggs, Lindegaard, Young, Fletcher.

Booked: Van Persie, Januzaj

Goals: Jones 34, Rooney 65, Welbeck 82

Manager: David Moyes 7.5

Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire) 4.5

Att: 26.184.

Man of the match: Rafael

West Brom 0 Manchester United 3 Match Video

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English Premier League Match Week 29 Results

Saturday, 8 March

West Brom 0 Man United 3

Man City Postponed Aston Villa

Norwich City 1 Stoke City 1

Crystal Palace 0 Southampton 1

Cardiff City 3 Fulham 1

Arsenal Postponed Swansea City

West Ham Postponed Hull City

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 0

Sunday, 9 March

Newcastle Postponed Everton

Monday, 10 March

Liverpool Postponed Sunderland

Tuesday, 25 March

Arsenal 19:45 Swansea City

Newcastle 19:45 Everton

Wednesday, 26 March

West Ham 19:45 Hull City

Liverpool 20:00 Sunderland

Barclays Premier League Match Week 29 Table

 

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