If  West Brom had to suffer a 40-point hangover, perhaps Stamford Bridge was as good a place as any to do it.

Now the Baggies have to blow away the cobwebs quickly and find a new focus for what remains of a fabulous season.

For Steve Clarke, a losing return to his spiritual football home made for a frustrating weekend.

But the Hawthorns boss and Albion fans can surely forgive their players a momentary lapse just seven days after hitting their primary pre-season target with fully three months to spare.

And if a below-par day at the office was going to happen in the wake of such a momentous achievement, it was probably just as well it came against a Chelsea side who might well have been good enough to see off even a fully-firing Baggies.

Without out ever fully tapping into the potency that made them European champions less than a year ago, the Blues showed enough power and drive to see off Clarke’s men with relative ease, despite the scoreline suggesting a somewhat closer encounter.

On an afternoon of hostile passions and bitterness in the stands, a routine victory was no small achievement from a Blues side who, even with John Terry and Fernando Torres restricted to spectators’ roles for the most part, possessed plenty of flair and determination to complete their task.

Yet for Albion fans, there was a lingering feeling of disappointment that their side had not pushed the Blues just a little harder and given the critical home supporters something to really boo about.

With agitated home boss Rafael Benitez the inevitable leading man and his players and their fans cast in key supporting roles, the Baggies were always destined to be merely extras in the latest instalment of the Chelsea soap opera.

But Clarke and the travelling Baggies fans might have left wondering whether their side could have done just a fraction more to claim a share of the spotlight.

There was more than enough effort and endeavour, especially in a closely-fought final half-hour, to ensure Clarke’s men left the capital with positives to carry into some important fixtures ahead.

There was, however, just a nagging sense that the intensity and crispness that had crept back into their game in recent weeks was missing for long spells as the Blues were rarely required to switch into top gear.

Albion never quite got to grips with the impish movement of the Chelsea midfield, with precocious Brazilian Oscar especially lively to force impressive Baggies keeper Ben Foster into several excellent saves.

Nor did they treasure the ball sufficiently when they had it to trouble the Blues backline with real quality.

That left Shane Long often cutting a lonely figure in attack and feeding off scraps, with the Irishman only receiving regular support once controversial striker Peter Odemwingie stepped off the bench in the final half-hour.

If Long had to toil for a part in the game, Foster had no such trouble as he was tested frequently in front of England boss Roy Hodgson just days after ending his international sabbatical.

He twice denied Oscar in the early stages, blocking a close-range shot superbly before making a more routine stop from a header.

But, after opposite number Petr Cech had kept out a Steven Reid thunderbolt, Foster blotted his copybook a little as the Blues went ahead.

Having pulled off another good save to concede a corner, he misjudged Oscar’s far-post cross from a short flag-kick, Gareth McAuley failed to stop David Luiz heading across goal and Demba Ba turned the ball home.

Chelsea continued to hold the upper hand after the interval with Eden Hazard screaming for a penalty after tangling with Jonas Olsson.

But the hosts could not find the killer second goal, meaning Cech’s instinctive stop to prevent a Cesar Azpilicueta own-goal was a scary moment for Benitez at the Bridge.

Ultimately, however, the Baggies paid the price for a tame first half and Chelsea claimed a victory that, in spite of a tense final half-hour, was considerably more comfortable than the single-goal winning margin suggested.

For Albion, it was a fractional lapse that their supporters will be quick to forgive after a season of so many memorable highs.

But, with 10 games remaining and the promise of Europe still a dream, they will not want the magic to end just yet.

By Steve Madeley