Chelsea 2 West Brom 0 - Report and pictures
Abject West Brom were given the run-around by table-topping Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as Diego Costa and Eden Hazard scored the decisive goals.
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The 10-man Baggies were unhappy with referee Lee Mason for the award of Costa's 11th minute opener when the striker looked offside and then the sending-off of Claudio Yacob for a two-footed challenge on Costa.
But Alan Irvine's men were dismal and they had goalkeeper Ben Foster to thank for a string of saves that prevented a huge hammering.
He could do nothing, however, to prevent Hazard adding a second goal before half-time.
Chelsea turned on the style from the outset and could have been 1-0 up inside five minutes.
A corner fell to John Terry in the Albion box and his effort was kept out superbly by keeper Ben Foster.
A rare attack by Albion on nine minutes ended with Stephane Sessegnon firing wide from a James Morrison pass.
But two minutes later Chelsea led through Diego Costa, who strolled in behind Joleon Lescott to side-foot home from Oscar's cross as Albion stopped and appealed for offside.
Foster came to Albion's rescue again with a fine save to keep out a swerving, long-range effort from Oscar before springing back up and keeping out the follow-up from Costa.
And Costa then missed a great chance to make it 2-0 when he ghosted away from Craig Dawson to meet a Branislav Ivanovic cross, only to side-foot wide.
The second goal arrived on 25 minutes, however, courtesy of more dismal Albion defending.
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Hazard was allowed to dart in on his own to collect a Cesc Fabregas corner before side-stepping Craig Gardner and beating Foster at his near post with the aid of a deflection.
It got worse for the Baggies on 29 minutes when Yacob jumped in on Costa on the edge of the box and referee Lee Mason deemed the challenge 'violent conduct' and showed the Argentine a straight red card.
Graham Dorrans then made a fine, saving tackle to deny Oscar a shooting chance inside the box.
And Foster made another double-save just before half-time, first blocking a shot by Oscar and then reacting to palm the ball away from Hazard's feet.
The second half began in a similar fashion with Foster making another superb save to prevent Chelsea extending their lead.
He dived low to his right to keep out a free header from a corner by Blues captain Terry.
The Blue tide towards Foster's goal did not relent, with Ivanovic and Willian both firing just wide.
And Foster was needed yet again when he dived at Hazard's feet to make a smart save as the Belgian raced through.
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