20/08/2006  Chelsea 3 Manchester City 0
 
John Terry, who led from the front to score in his first game as England skipper against Greece on Wednesday, launched Chelsea's bid for a hat-trick of Premiership titles in similar style on Sunday.

Terry led from the front to score in his first game as England skipper against Greece on Wednesday.

And he was on target again as Jose Mourinho's champions sank 10-man City to get the defence of their Barclays Premiership crown off to the right start.

Frank Lampard added a second before the break and Didier Drogba grabbed the third after Bernardo Corradi was sent off on his City debut.

It was business as usual at Stamford Bridge, where Mourinho has still not lost a league game since his arrival, two years ago.

The Blues boss claimed his team were not ready for the new campaign with a string of injuries and an unusually short pre-season programme behind them.

But, as the players emerged from the tunnel for their warm-up, the big screens at Stamford Bridge showed Manchester United hammering Fulham 5-1 at Old Trafford.

United had started with a bang and, ready or not, the Blues would not want to concede early ground to the Red Devils.

Liverpool and Arsenal had both dropped two points on the opening day from games they were expected to win.

Chelsea had to get the job done - and they did with the sort of ruthlessness which has become their trademark under Mourinho.

They did not look particularly fluent in their new attacking formation with two strikers and two wingers.

But they went ahead through their on-field leader Terry in the 11th minute and, from that point, never looked like taking anything less than three points from the game.

Terry once again proved what a big influence he can have on matches.

The defender trotted forward after Ben Thatcher fouled Paulo Ferreira on the Chelsea right.

Arjen Robben delivered an inswinger and Terry slipped marker Richard Dunne to glance a header past City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver, standing in for new signing Andreas Isaksson.

Weaver had no chance with that goal or the second, from Lampard in the 26th minute, which took a cruel deflection off Dunne.

Michael Essien found his midfield partner unmarked on the edge of the City penalty area with his back to goal.

Lampard, also on target for England against Greece, spun and released a low shot which clipped Dunne on the shin and left Weaver stranded.

It put Chelsea in total control despite the string of injuries which left Mourinho without Michael Ballack, Claude Makelele, Joe Cole, Robert Huth, Geremi and Petr Cech.

William Gallas was not considered for selection after upsetting Mourinho with his late return for pre-season and his demands for a transfer.

City boss Pearce came to Stamford Bridge with problems of his own.

Isaksson, Didi Hamann, Hatem Trabelsi and Andy Cole were missing but there were Premiership debuts for Ousmane Dabo and Corradi.

City rarely troubled Carlo Cudicini. Claudio Reyna fired wide from long-range in the first-half and Corradi miscued a difficult chance on the volley.

Chelsea wanted a penalty when an Andriy Shevchenko shot hit Dunne on the arm, five minutes into the second half, but referee Steve Bennett waved away their appeals.

It was another of the controversial ball-to-hand incidents which have dominated the first weekend of the Premiership.

Replays clearly showed the ball hit Dunne's arm but it was not intentional and City escaped.

Any hope of a dramatic City comeback vanished when Corradi collected his second yellow card in the 63rd minute.

The striker was booked when he and Dabo performed a pincer attack on Ferreira - and the Italian received his second booking for a reckless late challenge on Essien.

It was a clear-cut decision for referee Bennett, who also booked Essien for his reaction to the foul, when the Chelsea midfielder tugged Corradi's hair.

Drogba made it 3-0 with a diving header, 12 minutes from time, after Wayne Bridge had raced down the left-wing on the overlap and collected a pass from Robben.

It looked like a good day for the champions would be capped when Shevchenko had the net in stoppage time - - but the Ukrainian's hopes of opening his Premiership goal account on his debut were ended by an offside flag.