Wilkins revels in Chelsea form

Ray Wilkins expects Chelsea to see in 2009 in style after watching them dispatch West Bromwich Albion 2-0.

Victory left the Blues just a point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and they could end the year top of the table if they beat west London rivals Fulham on Sunday and the Reds slip up against Newcastle.

Chelsea hardly had to break sweat in sweeping aside Tony Mowbray's bottom-of-the-table team, cruising to victory here at Stamford Bridge on Friday thanks to an early strike from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard's effort in first-half injury time.

A polished performance suggested Chelsea have banished the doubts which have bedevilled them at Stamford Bridge for much of the campaign.

Wilkins, the Blues assistant manager, has warned the club's title rivals to expect more of the same in the New Year, when Chelsea hope to welcome back several key players.

Drogba is set to feature more regularly for Luiz Felipe Scolari's side, having made just two league starts in an injury and suspension-ravaged season, and is likely to be unleashed again at Fulham.

Defender Ricardo Carvalho, meanwhile, has been pencilled in to return for the FA Cup tie with Southend on 3 January after recovering from injury.

With new signings also expected to arrive in the January transfer window – CSKA Moscow striker Wagner Love is a long-standing target – Chelsea could soon be back to their formidable best – a prospect which excites Wilkins.

“Competition is what big clubs are all about,” said former Chelsea captain Wilkins.

“The competition is already there to a great extent but that will rise even more as players return and that will help the performance levels rise.

“It's vitally important to have everyone fit and firing. The squad is fuller now than it has been for most of the time this season and that gives us lots of options to explore all over the pitch.”

The return of Drogba, in particular, could not be more timely. Chelsea's patchy form at Stamford Bridge, where they have dropped 15 points this season, can largely be explained by his prolonged spells on the sidelines.

Nicolas Anelka may have plundered goals on their travels, where Chelsea are not suffocated for space, but at home, against tightly-packed and deep-lying defences, Scolari needs another option and Drogba provided it.

He was at his most belligerent on Boxing Day heading in Chelsea's first goal from Joe Cole's precise cross in the third minute and tormenting the visitors' defence thereafter.

Only a fine save from Scott Carson denied him a second-half goal and, when he was substituted to guard against a minor thigh injury in the second half, he was rapturously received.

“Didier is an exceptional centre-forward and it's great to have him back,” ex-England midfielder Wilkins added.

“It's not really a question of proving whether Didier and Nicolas can play together. The key is that their movement was exceptional and that's why we caused West Brom so many problems.”

Albion, for their part, were grateful simply to have kept the score down. The only other damage to the scoreline was inflicted by Lampard, who dinked in from close range after neat work from the two Coles – Joe and Ashley – down the left flank.

The Baggies are also likely to boast more attacking intent when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday with Roman Bednar – a substitute at Stamford Bridge – expected to return.

“We had half an eye on Sunday's game,” Mowbray said. “We have to target certain games and decide which matches we have the best chance of picking up points in.

“Tottenham on Sunday is a different game for us, different players and if we win then, it will have been a great decision to leave the guys out today (Friday).”