05/03/2005  Norwich 1 Chelsea 3
 
Chelsea opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the Barclays Premiership with a 3-1 win at Norwich.

But it required two goals in seven second-half minutes from Mateja Kezman and Ricardo Carvalho to silence relegation-haunted Norwich after Leon McKenzie had dared to threaten an upset.

McKenzie had cancelled out Joe Cole's searing opener with a header from Darren Huckerby's cross.

In the end Chelsea merely underlined their claim that the Premiership crown is theirs for the taking.

Manchester United were supposed to pile the pressure on Chelsea before kick off with a win at Crystal Palace and so close the gap at the top to three points but instead they were held to a goalless draw at Selhurst Park.

Chelsea had the chance to show United how it should be done when up against a side battling for their Premiership lives.

They controlled the opening 45 minutes with an air of authority that could be traced in part to their Carling Cup final triumph last week.

With that first piece of silverware in the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet, the furore surrounding their FA Cup defeat at Newcastle and subsequent Champions League loss against Barcelona had subsided.

The focus was now back on lifting the trophy craved the most, yet despite their first-half superiority, they only had the one goal to show for their concerted dominance, albeit a superlative individual strike from Cole.

They had earlier threatened in the eighth minute, scything open the Canaries defence with a move that culminated in Frank Lampard playing in Damien Duff into space.

After striding confidently into the area, winger Duff lifted his shot over an advancing Robert Green, only for Jason Shackell - at 21 and starting only his second league game - to head off the line.

With Chelsea beginning to move through the gears, Lampard was then inches over the bar with a rising drive from just outside the area moments later.

Realising their team were up against it, there then came a cry of 'come on, let's be 'aving you' from the City fans, a light-hearted reference to director Delia Smith's half-time outburst during Monday's defeat to Manchester City.

As a further rallying cry of 'Delia's barmy army' echoed around the ground, Chelsea - and Cole in particular - silenced the City fans in the 22nd minute.

The goal was all of Cole's own making as he rode tackles from Shackell and captain Craig Fleming before unleashing a fierce drive beyond Green into the top left-hand corner for his fifth goal of the season.

That prompted a chant from the Chelsea fans in Smith's direction of 'Going down with a souffle' and the visitors could have backed up their words with a second in the 28th minute.

Duff was the provider, darting into the area past Marc Edworthy and floating in a cross to the unmarked Cole, but from 14 yards he skied his right-foot volley over the bar.

There were a number of minor skirmishes to end the first period before Chelsea then squandered what could have been costly opportunities early in the second.

Didier Drogba first headed wide a Lampard free-kick and the drove an angled shot into the legs of Green after being played in by Cole, allowing Norwich a degree of confidence.

They took full advantage in the 64th minute with McKenzie heading home a superb left-wing cross from Darren Huckerby, so ending Petr Cech's league shut-out at 1025 minutes.

But Chelsea showed they are Premiership champions-in-waiting, countering eight minutes later with Kezman tapping in two minutes after his arrival as a substitute, ending a move that included Glen Johnson, Cole, another substitute in Eidur Gudjohnsen and Lampard.

Shortly after that, it was all over with Ricardo Carvalho heading home his first goal for the club in meeting an inswinging Lampard corner, so surely silencing Ferguson.