Chelsea began the defence of their EPL title in the same emphatic manner in which they clinched it last May, putting half-a-dozen goals past hapless top-flight new boys West Brom.

Star striker Didier Drogba was the main beneficiary of the Baggies poor defending and inability to form a proper defensive wall at free-kicks, grabbing a hat-trick. French wideman Florent Malouda bagged a brace of goals.

And he started the rout in the sixth minute when he side-footed home from close range after Albion keeper Scott Carson mishandled a Drogba shot from a setpiece and blocked Jon Obi-Mikel’s follow-up.

The Blues grabbed a vital second goal just before half-time, Drogba scoring direct from an edge-of-the-box free-kick when his shot went straight through the defensive wall.

Drogba scored number three on 55 minutes from close range after Malouda’s left-footed inswinging corner caused a scramble inside the six-yard box.

Frank Lampard side-footed home the fourth eight minutes later from a neat Ashley Cole pass before Drogba completed his hat-trick with a deflected 20-yard right-foot drive in the 68^th minute.

Malouda rounded things off on 90 minutes, latching onto Nicolas Anelka’s well-weighted pass, rounding Carson and sliding the ball in off the post with his right-foot.