Ten-man Chelsea emphatically bounced back from Carling Cup defeat with a 4-0 away win at Upton Park today.
Former West Ham men Frank Lampard and Joe Cole both found the net before Lampard was later sent off for violent conduct, while Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole, scoring his first Chelsea goal, completed the scoring.
It is to date Avram Grant's biggest away win in the Premier League, and the perfect answer to those who have doubted the team over the past seven days.
Chelsea arrived at Upton Park unbeaten against our east London neighbours since May 2003, and with Wembley disappointment to put behind us, today was not the day for that run to end.
Immediately from the start Chelsea set to task, with Ashley Cole biting in the tackle, and after 90 seconds we had the ball in the net, only to see the offside flag rule it out.
John Terry headed Lampard's free-kick towards goal, and Robert Green could only parry out to the feet of Nicolas Anelka who tapped home. Celebrations were cut short.
At the other end former Chelsea man Carlton Cole caught a sight of goal, but Ricardo Carvalho dived in just in time to knock the ball away from the forward's feet.
That was it for a while as the game quietened down, but then three goals in five minutes gave the Blues an unassailable advantage.
First, after 16 minutes, Lampard fired home a penalty in front of the Bobby Moore stand after Salomon Kalou had been clumsily tripped inside the area by Anton Ferdinand.
On 19 minutes it was two. Anelka laid off, and Joe Cole fired a low left-footed drive beyond Green into the far corner. Respectfully, the winger chose a muted celebration at his old stomping ground.
Within a blink of an eye Ballack had made it three, with a mirror of Cole's effort, after Lampard nonchalantly crossed with the outside of his right foot.
Still Chelsea pressed, and Anelka forced Green to save from a header, after Kalou had cut inside to cross.
It was our attacking movement and fluidity causing West Ham problems, and they looked had no answer.
Mark Noble did force Cech into action on the half-hour mark though, his half-volley looked to be dropping underneath the crossbar as the goalkeeper acrobatically tipped over. It was the closest they had come.
Five minutes later chaos ensued after Chelsea were awarded a free-kick just outside our own area. Boa Morte and Lampard were involved, and the Chelsea man was given a red card by referee Peter Walton.
The Chelsea bench was less than impressed, as Steve Clarke, Henk ten Cate and Avram Grant all tried to convey their point to the fourth official, but whatever the argument, Chelsea were down to 10 men.
That didn't prevent us from attacking though, and Kalou broke free to run at the home defence. His shot in the end was tame, and Green could hold. Moments later Anelka hit an altogether more powerful effort, but missed the target by a foot.
With an extra man, West Ham did come forward more, and with added effect, forcing a succession of corners. Paulo Ferreira, playing his first league game in just over a month was forced to hack clear on the stroke of half-time, as Chelsea maintained a three-goal lead.
Alan Curblishley chose to introduce bulky centre-forward Dean Ashton for the second half, on for the ineffective Boa Morte.
It was just six minutes before he had his first opportunity, but his free-kick from 25 yards was straight at the Chelsea wall.
Unchanged in personnel at the break, Chelsea's wide men did drop deeper, and with Anelka also helping out in defensive situations, it was proving difficult to find an attacking outlet.
This invited West Ham on to us, and after 58 minutes they were almost a goal closer. Carlton Cole got away from Terry and looped the ball over the advancing Cech, but recovering, the Chelsea captain got back to hook the ball off the line and away.
Five minutes later and it was game over, a fourth Chelsea goal coming from the least likely of scorers.
Ashley Cole squeezed home his first Blues goal, in his 67th appearance, after Green had parried his namesake Joe's effort out. Kalou had begun the counter-attack.
A minute later, the only Cole not to have found the net, Carlton, was replaced by Bobby Zamora, and Nolberto Solano came on for the quiet Julien Faubert.
For Chelsea, Essien and Malouda replaced Kalou and Joe Cole as both sides seemed to have accepted their fates.
Essien came close to adding to the lead on 80 minutes, but his left-footed effort was deflected inches wide.
West Ham continued to push, but the old cliché of playing all day and still not scoring seemed appropriate, as Terry and Carvalho proved impenetrable.
By full-time, three quarters of the ground was largely empty, with the travelling support still in fine voice.
Three points, four more in the goal difference column and dropped points for Arsenal at home all makes for a day to remember for Chelsea.
West Ham (4-4-1-1) Green; Neill (c), Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney; Faubert (Solano 65), Noble, Mullins, Ljungberg; Boa Morte (Ashton ht); Cole (Zamora 65).
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Ballack, Makelele (Alex 83), Lampard; J Cole (Essien 68), Anelka, Kalou (Malouda 74).
Booked Ballack 35, Terry 45+1
Sent Off Lampard 34
Goals Lampard (pen) 16, J Cole 19, Ballack 21, A Cole 63
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