MATCH REPORT: CHELSEA 3 EVERTON 1

Chelsea recorded a first home league win at Stamford Bridge against Everton since April 2006, thanks to goals from Daniel Sturridge, John Terry andRamires.

There were only a few glimpses of the awe-inspiring performance that preceded this one against Bolton two weeks ago, but such was Everton's impotence for long spells that it was never needed.

A poor first 30 minutes was forgotten once Sturridge and Terry had headed home from close range, the latter in first-half injury time, and the game was put beyond doubt when Ramires netted his third of the season after a superb breakaway involving Juan Mata and Didier Drogba.

The Brazilian limped off shortly afterwards with a knee injury, and Everton sub Apostolos Vellios pulled a consolation back for the Toffees with 10 minutes remaining, but the result would not be put in doubt.

After Manchester United's draw at Liverpool, ground has been made up, but Manchester City now top the table after a comfortable home win against Aston Villa.

BEST MOMENTChelsea's third goal showed the best of three important figures. Juan Matatwice played accurate passesin very different situations, Drogba showed his unrivalled power with a driving run into the heart of Everton's defence andRamires once more demonstrated his ability to influence proceedings at either end with a turbo-charged run into opposition territory.

TEAM NEWSInternational duty influenced Andre Villas-Boas's decision to make two changes to the line-up that had started a fortnight ago against Bolton. Raul Meireles and David Luiz both played two full games in the last week for their countries, allowing recalls for Branislav Ivanovic and John Mikel Obi.

Fernando Torres was serving the second game of his three-match suspension, so Didier Drogba continued up front flanked by Daniel Sturridgeand Juan Mata.

Ramires was starting his 50th Chelsea game, while John Terry was appearing in his 350th Premier League encounter.

Everton were unchanged from the side beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in their last outing, meaning a lone role in attack for Louis Saha, a regular scorer against the Blues, who today were sporting the Help A Capital Child logo on their home shirts.

FIRST HALFMatches with Everton tend to be physical by their nature, and that is how this one began.

The first meaningful tussle saw Ramires burst through from midfield, only to be bundled to the ground by Sylvain Distin 30 yards from goal, his route otherwise clear, and then within a minute Toffees talisman Tim Cahill got the better ofAshley Cole in mid-air, but headed his effort wide from around 18 yards.

It was a reminder to Chelsea that sometimes you have to earn the right to play your tidy football, and the Merseysiders would need to be matched physically before they could be technically outdone.

Saha caught a decent sight of goal after 10 minutes, cutting in onto his weaker right foot and shooting low at Petr Cech, who needed a second chance to hold the fierce strike.

Chelsea's start was disjointed, wide men Mata and Sturridge seeming to attack in isolation, final balls from full-backs Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Colemisplaced and Drogba struggling to keep hold of the ball under close attention.

After 20 minutes Chelsea's only effort at goal was a mishit Bosingwa drive on his left foot. Moments later at the other end a low Leighton Baines cross found Maroune Fellaini, who was about to shoot before Mikel's excellent intervention denied a likely goal.

The Swiss midfielder's decision not to shoot first time would come back to haunt him on the half-hour, when Chelsea's first cohesive move brought the opening goal.

Drogba had dropped deep to get involved in the play, and spotting Cole's run into the area lofted the ball into the defender's path. Cole did well to beat his marker to the bouncing ball and diverted it across goal, where Sturridge arrived on cue to send a diving header home from close range for his third in two games.

Chelsea were still far from dominant but heading into half-time with a narrow lead would have pleased Villas-Boas. As it was, he was able to go in at the break with a two-goal advantage, thanks to Terry's injury-time header.

The one added minute had been played but with a Chelsea free-kick to come,Frank Lampard swung the ball into the danger zone, Terry leapt highest in a group of four, and Everton keeper Tim Howard could only flap the ball into the net. Chelsea were cruising despite having hardly moved out of first gear.

SECOND HALFEverton were quickly on the front foot in the second half, Leon Osman whipping a low shot against the outside of Cech's left-hand post after just 20 seconds, but Chelsea were equally fast to react and assume a greater level of control than we had seen in the first half.

An excellent counter-attack brought a third Chelsea goal on the hour. Mata had found Drogba in the centre-circle and the Ivorian drove hard at the Everton defence before slipping the ball left back into Mata's path. The former Valencia man squared across the danger zone and there was the Duracell bunnyRamires to slide it home from a yard out.

It was the Brazilian's last contribution, as a moment later he was forced to limp from the field with a knee injury sustained in the act of scoring. Florent Maloudacame on in his place, with Lampard switching from the left to right of the midfield trio.

Mikel and Mata both earned rests too, withdrawn after 76 minutes with the game well won, replaced by Oriol Romeu and Nicolas Anelka.

Osman was allowed another effort from outside the area but curled well wide, and that was as close as they looked like coming before substitute Apostolos Vellios slid home a low Royston Drenthe cross with his first touch nine minutes from time.

That meant another game without a clean sheet for Chelsea, whose defensive work could again be questioned here, with no challenge on Vellios after Drenthe had been given plenty of space to deliver.

The game was won though, and Villas-Boas said in his pre-match press conference he was not so concerned at conceding goals so long as three points kept coming.

A fourth goal nearly arrived in injury time when Lampard sent a powerful half-volley towards goal, but Howard held on.

That means Chelsea must wait for our 6,000th league goal of all time, but with goals flowing again it will surely not be long. Our next outing is against Genk in the Champions League at the Bridge on Wednesday, before a short trip to QPR next weekend.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), Cole; Ramires (Malouda 64), Mikel (Romeu 76), Lampard; Sturridge, Torres, Mata (Anelka 76).
Unused subs Turnbull, Alex, Meireles, Lukaku.
Goals Sturridge 30, Terry 45+1, Ramires 61
Booked Cole 37, Sturridge 69

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka (c), Distin, Baines; Coleman (Drenthe 60), Rodwell, Fellaini, Osman; Cahill (Neville 71); Saha (Vellios 80).
Unused subs Mucha, Heitinga, Bilyaletdinov, Stracqualursi.
Goal Vellios 80
Booked Fellaini 15, Baines 41

Attendance 41,789
Referee Mike Jones