Chelsea easily destroy struggling Stoke

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Chelsea 5 Stoke 0


Danny Drinkwater scored his first Chelsea goal as they cruised to victory in a one-sided match at Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Rudiger, Pedro, Willian and Davide Zappacosta also netted for the Blues, who were not at their best – and were without the rested Eden Hazard – but were nevertheless far too good for struggling Stoke.

The champions were two up within nine minutes and Pedro’s 23rd-minute strike then put them in total control.

Willian made it four with a 74th-minute penalty after being tripped by Geoff Cameron, and Zappacosta netted a late fifth.

Chelsea went ahead courtesy of Rudiger’s header from Willian’s right-wing free-kick.

And when the loose ball fell to Drinkwater after Mame Biram Diouf blocked Pedro’s cross, the midfielder sent a 25-yard shot beyond Jack Butland and into the far corner.

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Chelsea would have gone three up a few minutes later had keeper Butland not saved with his legs to deny Alvaro Morata at point-blank range after the striker had been put through by Willian.

Pedro eventually made it three with a right-footed drive after collecting Willian’s pass.

Having not troubled Chelsea at all, Stoke had a goal disallowed seven minutes before the interval.

Diouf, who brought down Charlie Adam’s long ball and fired past keeper Thibaut Courtois, appeared to be marginally onside but was seemingly adjudged to have used his hand to control the ball.

Early in the second half, Saido Berahino missed a great chance for Stoke, shooting straight at Courtois after outpacing Gary Cahill to reach Adam’s ball over the top.

Chelsea were soon back on the attack and Pedro fired wide before Morata was guilty of a similar miss to Berahino, shooting at Butland after being put through by Willian.

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Butland also kept out strikes from Pedro and Willian before the latter got the goal his hardworking performance deserved.

Zappacosta’s goal – his first in the Premier League – was a beauty.

Josh Tymon could only clear Drinkwater’s long ball as far as the Italian, who thumped home from near the edge of the penalty area.

Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Rudiger; Moses (Zappacosta 56), Kante (Bakayoko 65), Drinkwater, Alonso; Willian, Morata (Batshuayi 70), Pedro.
Subs: Caballero, Fabregas, Hazard, Christensen.