Chelsea Crush Hapless Schalke

Robbie di Matteo did not enjoy a happy reunion with his former club, as the class of 2014 mercilessly tore his German team to pieces. John Terry got Chelsea off to a blitzkrieg start. His accurate header rendered him the fourteenth different Chelsea player to score a goal this season already. After that early goal, the walls caved in on the hosts. Chelsea's performance was a five-star one which produced five goals.

Even Jose Mourinho was highly satisfied with what he coined a "perfect" display. Who would ever have thought that the arch pragmatist Mourinho could ever deliver beautiful football? His argument has always been that if he had the right players at his disposal, then the flair would come. Well, now it has come to pass. Chelsea are playing football that renders favourable comparisons with the best clubs in their pomp, be it Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or dare I say it, Manchester United.

There seems little evidence that this Chelsea team are heading for any imminent collapse. They have quality all over the pitch which enables them to switch from practitioners of sexy football to a functioning machine that knows how to close out matches or which can cope with any siege that might be laid upon its defence. The high-flying Blues appear to have all the bases covered. Anything is possible for this team this season. Only a raft of injuries seem likely to derail the unstoppable progress. Costa is one yellow card away from a domestic suspension, but Chelsea have already managed without him this term.

It was good to see Drogba and Ramires emerge from the bench and score goals in quick succession. It was equally great for the impressive Willian to finally record his first Champions League goal for the west Londoners. Maybe it will be the first of many.

Fortunately, our most emphatic away win in the Champions League since a similar trouncing of Galatasaray in the autumn of 1999 means that Jose can field a second string team for the visit of Sporting Lisbon in two weeks time. Schalke may complain about Chelsea's reserve team, but it is not for Chelsea to prop up the Germans' European ambitions. Besides, a Chelsea second XI is more than capable of handling the far from impressive Sporting Lisbon. The match will enable Petr Cech to get another outing and act as something of a rehearsal for those entrusted to play against Derby County the following midweek. Let's hope that Mikel, Salah, Schurrle, and Zouma all step up to the mark. Otherwise they can expect to sit and watch their accomplished team mates demolish all and sundry for the next few months. Good times.

FC Schalke 04 0 CHELSEA 5; half time: 0-3. Tuesday 25th November 2014.

CHELSEA goal scorers: Terry; Willian; Kirchhoff (Own Goal); Drogba; Ramires

CHELSEA team: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Costa. Used substitutes: Drogba, Ramires, Schurrle.

CHELSEA LEADING SCORERS:

Costa - 11 goals

Hazard - 6 goals

Drogba and Oscar - 4 goals

Matic - 3 goals

Fabregas, Ivanovic, Ramires, Remy, Schurrle, and Willian - 2 goals