Ding dong, Terry's on a high!

[BlueLion. 21,491]

John Terry and Diego Costa scored as Chelsea maintained their Premier League title charge with a sumptuous performance against high-flying West Ham.

The Blues maintained their lead at the top of the table with a terrific showing that highlighted both their defensive resilience and trademark dynamism and attacking flair.

Thibaut Courtois becomes the first goalkeeper to prevent the Hammers from scoring on the road this season, and between the Belgian and fellow shot-stopper Petr Cech, the Blues have now managed six clean sheets in their last season league fixtures.

It was at the other end of the pitch, however, that one of the game's starring performers stole a fair portion of the limelight, with Hammers keeper Adrian mirroring his superb showing from the 0-0 draw in last season's corresponding fixture.

The former Real Betis man made a string of excellent saves to deny the vast Blue tide that threatened to sweep across the West Ham rearguard, but he was helpless to prevent Terry from scoring his second goal of the week on the half-hour.

And when Costa jinked inside and then outside again, the Spanish international sat three of Adrian's defenders on their backsides before threading the ball into the far corner with an exquisite finish, for what is the striker's thirteenth goal in fourteen Premier League appearances since his big money move from Atletico Madrid in the summer.

If Monday's 2-0 win at Stoke showcased Chelsea's physicality and ability to dig deep and grind out a win, then this case proved the antithesis of that showing.

The Blues were absolutely magnificent in the first half, and their slender one-goal lead heading into the interview belied their superiority. Through Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, José Mourinho's side were able to govern the midfield, allowing for Willian, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Costa to tear the Hammers apart with some gorgeous interplay.

The first interchange between the Blues' front four almost paid immediate dividends when Oscar, clean through on goal, wasted a glorious early opening with his miscued his volley horribly over the crossbar.

That chance had come about when Willian's cross missed its intended target - Costa - and caught Oscar almost by surprise, but there was no accident in the combination that brought about Chelsea's next glaring opportunity, though the pair that produced it might have raised eyebrows.

Following a Fabregas corner, Terry teased in a cross to the back past that Gary Cahill did well to attack, but the England international failed to keep his header on target.

Another corner, this time slightly more well worked, then allowed Cahill his second chance of the game. From Fabregas' intelligent pass, the former Bolton man put his foot through the ball. Whilst his shot from eight yards had all the necessary power to beat Adrian, it lacked the precision required and the Spanish goalkeeper stood tall to parry.

Oscar then floated a free-kick wide before Fabregas was more successful in at least testing the goalkeeper, but his tame effort rarely looked like posing Adrian too much trouble.

The next Chelsea opportunity certainly did produce the best of the Spaniard, as Willian, dribbling some forty yards before shooting, saw his drilled effort take a slight nick off of James Collins. That deflection made things awkward for the goalkeeper, who still managed to parry.

Chelsea did finally manage to stick the ball home beyond the goalkeeper when Terry intelligently got on the end of Costa's flick-on. All stemming from another Fabregas corner, the Chelsea skipper poked home for the second consecutive game as the Blues opened the scoring through another set-piece, almost with delicious irony.

Five minutes later Adrian made a stunning low save to deny Matic, who, given space on the edge of the box, had the time to pick his spot. At full stretch, the goalkeeper turned the Serb's dipping strike around the post.

Chelsea deserved to be more than 1-0 up, and they would have one more chance before the interval to increase their lead, and but only for a better pass from Branislav Ivanovic would they have been able to do so - instead the Serbian's poor pass meant Costa could only shin over a half-volley with the goal at his mercy.

Before the break, though, Ivanovic took a tumble in the penalty area after negligible contact by Andy Carroll - the striker's biggest contribution to this game. Replays showed the Serbia captain certainly exaggerated any touch there may have been, and he was lucky to avoid a yellow card for simulation.

That seemed to fire up West Ham, who came out with renewed vigour after the break. The introductions of Alex Song and Diafra Sakho gave the Hammers more steel in the middle of the park, and Sam Allardyce's team were able to maintain a spell of possession for the first time in the game.

But their good rebuilding work was undone when Cheikhou Kouyate was stripped of the ball with consumate ease by Matic, who fed Hazard. The Belgian, who minutes before had produced another save out of the goalkeeper, dribbled forward, and teed Costa who showed great composure to slot home.

The Chelsea number 19 turned one way then the other, sat three West Ham players on the deck before firing with laser precision into the back of the net - Adrian, this time, helpless to prevent it.

At the other end, Courtois, a virtual spectator, was given his first test of the afternoon when Sakho burst clean through straight from the restart, but the Belgian made a fine save when one-on-one to preserve his clean sheet.

Meanwhile, Hammers goalkeeper Adrian continued his one-man act of defiance to pull off a special fingertip save from another Oscar effort. The Brazilian shot from fully 30 yards after Hazard was upended, but the goalkeeper was able to just get enough on the ball to divert it over the woodwork.

Adrian then blocked an effort at Matic's feet before Winston Reid's brave tackle smothered a shot from Oscar that seemed destined for the roof of the net. Fabregas then saw a curling effort miss the target by a matter of inches. This was the resumption of Chelsea's first half dominance.

But that superiority was cut short by three substitutions by Mourinho, whilst Allardyce made one final throw of the dice by introducing Morgan Amalfitano. After heading a half-chance a foot or so wide of the post, the ex-Marseilles man then hit the base of the post after turning Ivanovic inside-out.

There were a number of late half-chances for Chelsea to improve their goal difference, with substitute Didier Drogba's long-range dipper the best of those opportunities, but in the end Chelsea saw out the game in relative comfort to maintain their three-point advantage at the top of the Premier League table.

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[BlueLion. 21,491]

Thread title deserves more likes tbh.

[Roquila 1,335]

Very good article. The title is better though

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Very good article. The title is better though

I got excited by my originality and then I saw The Mirror used it earlier on Twitter #cunts

[Roquila 1,335]

I got excited by my originality and then I saw The Mirror used it earlier on Twitter #cunts

lol, fucking Mirror. They don't get it right when they should. #DoubleCunts

[zolayes 14,489]

Terry now second highest goal scoring defender in PL history ,, Only behind Unsworth who got most of his from penalties

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Terry now second highest goal scoring defender in PL history ,, Only behind Unsworth who got most of his from penalties

And 61 in total for Chelsea...