Nicolas Anelka scored in the first minute as Chelsea beat Fulham 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League’s West London derby.
The Frenchman’s strike set the tone for a frantic opening as Erik Nevland equalised in the fourth minute, before Florent Malouda restored Chelsea’s lead before 10 minutes were up.
Thereafter the home side seized control with an impressive display and Didier Drogba made the game safe with a clinical 53rd-minute effort.
Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink had been expected to rest several players for this game, sandwiched between the two legs of a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.
Yet the Dutchman made just two changes from the side that lined up at the Camp Nou, with Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka replacing Branislav Ivanovic and Michael Ballack.
Hiddink may even field exactly the same team against the Catalans next midweek as Cole is available after serving a European suspension.
Chelsea spent much of the week fending off criticism about the supposedly ultra-defensive, physical approach that marked their goalless draw in Spain.
They could not have scripted a better response than the one that came within 60 seconds of the first whistle.
Anelka found Malouda on the left and continued his run into the box. Malouda found Drogba who touched the ball deftly back to Anelka and Chelsea’s top scorer found the back of the net.
It was a wonderful, sweeping move and a far cry from their cautious, cynical image.
What followed minutes later was equally out of keeping with Chelsea’s reputation, as some woeful defending let Fulham back into the game.
As Danny Murphy played a through-ball to Nevland, three-quarters of the Chelsea back line stepped up to play offside but Alex followed the pass, playing the Norwegian onside.
Nevland outpaced the Brazilian but still had a lot to do with his shot from the right corner of the box. He hit a decent shot but Cech should have saved easily, yet somehow let the ball squirm underneath him into the far corner.
Chelsea were undeterred, and continued to pour forward. Frank Lampard clipped a shot just wide from the edge of the box before Malouda restored the lead within 10 minutes.
Drogba got beyond his man on the Chelsea right and played in a low cross for Malouda, who placed the ball adroitly into the right corner of the net.
Thereafter the pace dropped, unsurprisingly, although the home side continued to dominate.
Drogba nearly added a goal to his two assists when Lampard played him through, but the striker was flagged offside before he nutmegged Mark Schwarzer to find the net.
The home side dominated the second half with more slick football. Chelsea played at a high tempo and left Drogba on even after he spent several minutes on the ground after hurting his chest in a collision with John Paintsil.
The Ivorian remained at the heart of everything good from Chelsea, and added the third after a fine counter-attack.
Lampard dispossessed Paul Konchesky at the edge of the Chelsea box, released Anelka and the Frenchman in turn played it through for Drogba, who raced away from Aaron Hughes and slid the ball underneath the body of Schwarzer.
Drogba later slid wide from close range with Anelka the provider again while Lampard was typically assured in midfield.
The result damages Fulham’s chances of a seventh-place finish, particularly as it leaves them bereft of strikers.
Andy Johnson missed the game, and both Nevland and Bobby Zamora were forced off by knocks, leaving Diomansy Kamara as Roy Hodgson’s only option.
This fine Chelsea performance may not help them win any domestic silverware, but a similar performance on Wednesday could leave Barcelona confounded.
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