26/10/2002  Chelsea 2 West Brom 0
 
Graeme Le Saux's first league goal for 10 months ensured 
Chelsea victory - but the Blues rode their luck as West Brom 
pummelled their woodwork and brought one of the saves of the 
season from Carlo Cudicini.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's cool 29th-minute finish and Le 
Saux's opportunist strike after 54 minutes put the home side 
2-0 up at Stamford Bridge.

But the Baggies' former Chelsea defender Neil Clement was 
the inspiration for a barnstorming four-minute spell just 
after the hour when the visitors hit the post and crossbar - 
and forced Cudicini to make a quite brilliant point-blank 
save.

The first half of this game had been completely forgettable 
apart from Hasselbaink's goal and a couple of moments of 
inspiration from Gianfranco Zola, the Premiership's top scorer 
at kick-off.

But, thankfully, the second period was far more 
entertaining - and, after West Brom's fightback, the scoreline 
flattered Chelsea.

Baggies captain Derek McInnes had recovered from his 
bizarre training ground collision with a traffic cone to 
start.

Early on, Jesper Gronkjaer - back in Claudio Ranieri's XI 
after personal problems kept him out at Maine Road - was lucky 
to escape without a booking when he halted a long pass 
destined for Jason Roberts with a blatant handball.

Hasselbaink and Zola amusingly conspired to tackle each 
other in the 16th minute, ruining their first opening. 
Emmanuel Petit fired over from Hasselbaink's eventual 
lay-off.

Albion's excellent harrying was stifling the Blues' 
attacking play, with Megson's men looking threatening on the 
break.

A moment of Zola inspiration did raise the hopes of the 
silent banks of Chelsea fans momentarily, but Hasselbaink took 
his team-mate's angled pass around Hoult then disappointingly 
ran the ball out of play.

But the Dutch forward made no mistake when Petit's flicked 
pass bounced through to him in the 29th minute.

The Baggies backline went AWOL and Hasselbaink sidefooted 
goalwards, with the ball flicking off Hoult's leg and into the 
net via the foot of his right-hand post.

And Hasselbaink, now with four goals to his name this 
season, was furious with Quique de Lucas shortly afterwards 
when he dragged a tame shot wide rather than slip the striker 
a pass.

Chelsea's early second-half pressure paid off in the 54th 
minute when Le Saux stroked home from 10 yards.

Hasselbaink teased Darren Moore and fired goalwards, with 
Sean Gregan clearing off the line straight to Le Saux, who 
scored with ease.

But Chelsea suddenly fell apart and could have even gone 
behind in an incredible four-minute period just after the 
hour, in which their woodwork was rattled twice and Cudicini 
pulled off a wonderful close-range save.

First, Clement picked out Andy Johnson, whose header 
smacked into the far post and luckily rebounded straight into 
Cudicini's grasp.

Then Clement, who left Stamford Bridge two years ago, 
stormed forward from left-back and thundered a 25-yard 
piledriver against the face of the home crossbar.

And Cudicini pulled off a remarkable parry from substitute 
Lee Hughes' six-yard effort following Igor Balis' cross. The 
Italian keeper somehow turned the ball around his left-hand 
post.

Zola could have made the game safe - but blazed over from 
Hasselbaink's pull-back when it seemed easier to score.

At the other end, Hughes raced clear of Marcel Desailly 
with nine minutes left but shot too close to Cudicini.

The Italian keeper also saved well from Scott Dobie's late 
drive.