AFTER all the ugliness and acrimony of recent days, we were finally treated to something beautiful.
By ROB BEASLEY
A club mired and marred by the actions of two of its biggest stars responding in the best possible fashion.
With a breathtaking display of open, attacking football to wash away the foul taste of racism and rancour, of tweets and t**ts.
For the champions of Europe put on a display worthy of the title — a swashbuckling demonstration of why they are also Premier League leaders.
A team which is fast becoming the envy of all the others.
And they did it after going a goal behind to a Norwich team who did their utmost to heap more trouble on the Londoners.
Visiting skipper Grant Holt hammered home a first-time shot on 11 minutes to send the Canaries supporters into song.
The reaction, though, was swift and sweet.
Fernando Torres glanced in a flying header to superbly convert a fine cross from the right by Branislav Ivanovic.
It was the Spaniard’s fifth goal of the season so far and fourth in the league — that is something he did not achieve until April 29 last season.
And then, fittingly, the man who has long been the acceptable face of Chelsea, Frank Lampard, took centre stage.
An attempted overhead kick from Torres was blocked but rebounded to the Blues midfielder, who was lurking on the edge of the box.
And Norwich keeper John Ruddy was left powerless as Lamps found the back of the net with a trademark 20-yard right-footer.
It was his 129th Premier League goal for Chelsea, making him the Blues’ joint-highest scorer in the top flight alongside 1960s hero Bobby Tambling.
But, for once, Lampard was surpassed in the man-of-the- match stakes thanks to the brilliance of Juan Mata.
Two Champions League goals in midweek were followed by two assists at the Bridge.
The first was one of the most exciting and extravagant assists of the season so far.
Mata romped free from deep in his own half on a one-man counter-attack.
In fact he was so quick out of the blocks that he even had to slow down and wait for his team-mates to catch up.
When they did, he paused then rolled an inch-perfect pass between and beyond the Norwich backline for the advancing Eden Hazard to meet with perfection.
And the £32million Belgium star did the rest, curling a low right-foot shot beyond Ruddy for 3-1 on the half hour.
A romp was on the cards.
Oscar’s clever dribble and shot was well saved by Ruddy but the Blues should have added to the score soon after the break.
Hazard was sent flying in the area by the leg and backside of Leon Barnett for the clearest penalty this century.
But referee Anthony Taylor had obviously heard so much about Chelsea’s ‘divers’ recently that he ignored the incident completely.
A glaring mistake but the Blues have only themselves to blame after their recent simulations.
Shame for Lampard, though, who could have gone clear of Tambling’s mark had Roberto Di Matteo’s men been handed the spot-kick.
Oscar sent in a rasping 20-yarder, Mata was denied by Ruddy and Hazard had another penalty claim shunned.
To be fair to him it did look like a push in the back but it was nowhere near as clear-cut as his first claim.
Torres should have increased Chelsea’s lead with 15 minutes to go as the chances came and went without troubling the scoreboard.
Hazard sent him free but just as he had done in the fourth minute of the first half, he failed to take advantage of a clear opening in the manner a £50m striker should.
His wastefulness was amplified just a minute later when defender Ivanovic showed him exactly how to finish, the right-back smashing a Mata backheel into the back of the net.
That put Mata on seven assists in all competitions this term as he scooped the man-of-the-match award for the second game running.
But the point about Chelsea these days is that there is more than one threat to nullify.
Stopping Mata would be a start but it will not stop this free-flowing Chelsea.
There are Hazard and Oscar to worry about, Torres to shackle and, as always, Lampard to keep in check.
But even if you manage that, Ivanovic or David Luiz will still be lurking to try to win the day.
That is why Chelsea are having their best start since the title-winning season of 2005-06, with six wins out of seven.
Add to that 15 goals and just four conceded and you get the feeling Chelsea are still a mean team but with a licence to thrill at last.
No wonder the fans were singing Di Matteo’s name.
The Italian has given them something to sing and dance about and, even more importantly, put everyone’s focus back on football at last.
