Chelsea continued where we left off at Sunderland - with a performance of dominant possession and excellent movement. Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka scored the goals.

Just as pleasing as the displays from the attack and midfield was a defence that kept a first clean sheet of the season. In fact Fulham were not able to muster a single shot on target.

Carlo Ancelotti's pre-match words that he believes the Christmas tree 4-3-2-1 shape the best for away games manifested themselves in his selection against a Fulham side that lined up in the same 4-4-2 as Sunderland used midweek.

However there were still changes to the Chelsea 11 despite the retention of the system that proved so successful on Wearside.

This time it was Anelka and Lampard rather than Kalou and Deco who would support lone striker Drogba and it was through excellent link up play between Didier and Nico that the goals were scored, Drogba shortly before the break and Anelka midway through the second half with Chelsea looking stronger and stronger. There had been a change in the way Anelka had been asked to play after the interval. He was more central and more often up front.

Malouda returned in the deeper midfield line, as did Mikel, and Carvalho took his place in defence again with Ivanovic making way.

The home side brought Damien Duff into the left side of their midfield with Clint Dempsey, twice a scorer in this fixture last season, moving forward to take the place of injured Andy Johnson.

The first shot of the game was Dempsey's, hooked over on the turn inside two minutes. The Blues went straight up the other end for Drogba to head on but Malouda's surging run was ended by Pantsil who hacked the ball behind for a corner.

Cech, whenever the ball was in his hands, was attempting to hit the front men with long clearances - a tactic that was fruitless when Hangeland was able to head clear but more profitable when Drogba turned Hughes and won a free-kick on 12 minutes. Ballack's effort cleared the bar by a comfortable margin.

Play was congested in the first 20 minutes but when the ball did fall to Mikel in space, the Nigerian connected with his sweetest shot for quite some time but with the crowd in the Fulham end behind the goal fearing the worst, the 30-yard effort swung late and the wrong side of the post from a Chelsea point of view.

The offside calls were unkind to Chelsea in the opening period, Cole twice flagged up when level with the defence.

Ballack rose well and made good contact with a Malouda free-kick on 25 minutes but headed into the covering defender.

Terry then tried his luck from distance in similar fashion to Mikel but with a similar result.

Past the half-hour mark the game was very much reminiscent of the Sunderland one, Chelsea totally superior in possession but without the clear cut chances.

The wait for one lasted 38 minutes and it was taken with relish by Drogba. Lampard had worked Carvalho's pass out of a tight spot and forward to Anelka.

The Frenchman weighted his ball to Drogba well and with Fulham right-back Pantsil playing him onside, the finish was low past the unprotected Schwarzer.

It must have been a pretty contented dressing room at the break. Cech had not needed to make a save.

There was a scare five minutes after the restart when Carvalho's header on a Fulham long, high ball lacked control and he will have been relieved to see it bounce wide and behind.

At the other end Drogba did well to get a shot on target from a tight angle after Anelka's pass but Schwarzer saved.

Malouda dragged a shot wide on the hour as Chelsea began to assert ourselves again after a spell when Fulham gained momentum.

The home fans began to voice disdain for Gera, who was subbed for Kamara on 62 minutes. As at Sunderland the opposition midfielders were finding it tough against this Chelsea side and shape. Dempsey reverted to the midfield.

Fulham captain Danny Murphy, injured in a challenge with Carvalho was next to leave the pitch, Baird coming on.

Chelsea were increasing the pressure against tiring opposition, winning two corners in quick succession and Lampard dragged a shot wide of the far post after Drogba found him in space.

The second goal was now a case of when rather than if and the answer to that question was 76 minutes.

This time Drogba returned the complement to Anelka after a lovely Ballack ball forward. The Ivorian guided his pass into his colleague's path and Anelka opted to skip wide of Schwarzer before slotting home in front of a Putney End entirely filled by Chelsea fans.

Substitute Nevland hooked a shot over as Fulham attempted to respond.

The outstanding Drogba almost planted a cross on Anelka's head on 84 minutes before 20-year-old Sam Hutchinson was given a run out at right back, his second appearance and first for over two years.

On a beautiful sunny day by the Thames and against opposition who caused problems last season, the final whistle blew on a game that has left the Blues fans who saw it very optimistic for the season ahead.

Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Cech; Bosingwa (Hutchinson 85), Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Ballack, Mikel, Malouda; Anelka, Lampard (Deco 80); Drogba.
Scorers Drogba 38, Anelka 76.
Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Gera (Kamara 62), Murphy (c) (Baird 69), Etuhu, Duff; Dempsey, Zamora (Nevland 74).