Chelsea started their Premier League title defence in style as they crushed West Brom 6-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday
London: Chelsea started their Premier League title defence in style as they crushed West Brom 6-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Florent Malouda scored two, Didier Drogba three goals while Frank Lampard scored one. Blackpool marked their first top-flight match in 39 years with a surprise 4-0 win away to north-west rivals Wigan on the opening day.
Ian Holloway's team, promoted via the playoffs, have been widely tipped to go straight back down, but the Tangerines were 3-0 up before half-time, with former Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood scoring twice.
|
| Chelsea star Didier Drobga |
They were in front as early as the 16th minute at Wigan's DW Stadium when Charlie Adam played in Harewood, whose cross was tapped in by Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
Harewood then held off Antolin Alcaraz, before beating Chris Kirkland from more than 20 yards for his first Premier League goal in two-and-a-half-years.
Two minutes before the break, Harewood tapped in after Elliot Grandin's shot was parried. Then, 15 minutes before full-time, Alex Baptiste made it 4-0 when his cross beat Kirkland at the goalkeeper's near post.
"I don't think any of us in our wildest, wildest dreams imagined we could come here and do something like that," said Holloway. "I'm so proud of the lads and the work ethic they showed."
Aston Villa showed there was life after Martin O'Neill with a 3-0 win at home to West Ham just days after their former manager's resignation.
England goalkeeper Robert Green, playing his first senior match since his World Cup blunder, helped give Villa a 15th minute lead.
Results:
A Villau00a03, West Ham u00a00
Blackburnu00a01, Everton u00a00
Bolton 0, Fulham u00a00
Chelsea 6, W Brom u00a00
Sunderland u00a02, B'gham u00a02
Tottenham 0, Man City u00a00
Wigan 0, B'pool u00a04
Wolverhampton 2, Stokeu00a0 1
