Torres breaks duck
Chelsea's Spanish striker Fernando Torres celebrates scoring his first Premiership goal for the London club against West Ham United at Stamford Bridge in London on Saturday.Photo: AFP
Fernando Torres scored his first Chelsea goal in his 14th appearance for the club as Carlo Ancelotti's side secured a 3-0 victory over West Ham to remain six points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United.
Frank Lampard had given the reigning champions a 44th minute lead and, after Torres broke his duck, Florent Malouda completed the win with a stoppage time strike at Stamford Bridge.
It was Torres's goal that triggered the loudest cheers as the Spaniard finally found the net for the first time after 733 minutes of action following his British record £50 million transfer from Liverpool in January.
The striker had again been left on the bench but his impact when he appeared as a 76th minute substitute ensured West Ham's chances of clawing their way back into the game disappeared and with it their hopes of lifting themselves off the foot of the table.
The Hammers were also forced to come into this game without their two senior players after injuries ruled out Matthew Upson and Scott Parker.
Attention immediately before kick-off focused on the pre-match handshake with Chelsea captain John Terry and West Ham full back Wayne Bridge due to confront each other for only the second time since last February's allegations about the nature of the relationship between Terry and Bridge's former partner.
Once again the two players avoided contact and the sideshow over, Chelsea reacted immediately by creating the first opening of the game in the second minute.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti kept faith with the three-man strike force of Salomon Kalou, Didier Drogba and Malouda that has started both games since the Champions League exit to United.
And Kalou and Malouda combined to carve open the West Ham defence before Malouda was denied by an excellent save from Hammers keeper Robert Green.
Drogba's perfectly weighted ball allowed Cole to speed to the byline where the full back pulled back for Lampard to crash the ball home from 12 yards.
But substitute Torres made the game safe when he collected Nicoals Anelka's through ball and sent a left foot shot beyond Green in the 84th minute before Malouda wrapped things up with a superb long-range drive.
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