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Chelsea 4 West Ham 1

Just when Jose Mourinho's side needed a performance that befitted their status as Premiership champions, they delivered - and how.

The Portuguese now has one hand gripped on his second consecutive title, this emphatic, raucous win over a craven West Ham maintaining their seven-point lead over United at the top of the table.

Mourinho has long felt that his side would seal the championship on April 9 and, although it remains mathematically in doubt, his assessment now appears accurate. After winning just five of their previous nine matches, this deserved victory could prove decisive.

"We are the current champions and I think we are capable of doing it again," said Mourinho. "We need another eight points and Manchester United need to win all their games, so I think we have many conditions to win it.

"We know when we have played badly but for this match, we were very focussed. We worked on things and the players came together very well and were very positive. It was a fantastic performance."

John Terry agreed with his manager's assessment, adding that the Londoners are "almost" at the finishing post. However, it was not so much Chelsea's result which will have sunk United's hearts - for all their recent travails, Mourinho's players are close to invincible at Stamford Bridge - as their performance.

This was a display that bristled with attacking brio, played at the sort of swaggering tempo which had been alien to Chelsea since the new year.

Most impressive of all was the fact that it came in the wake of James Collins heading West Ham in front early on and then Maniche, Chelsea's Portuguese midfielder, being shown a straight red card in the 16th minute for an ugly hack at Lionel Scaloni.

Instead of being cowed, Chelsea were inspired, playing, as Mourinho put it, "as if we had 12 men, not 10".

Nobody better epitomised Chelsea's diligence and determination than Didier Drogba. Having been pilloried for admitting his tendency to fall over too easily in a television interview after a particularly contentious 2-0 win over Manchester City, West Ham's travelling supporters reminded him of his theatrical tendencies by brandishing scorecards in his direction.

But here Drogba was at his thunderous best. His pace and strength ripped apart West Ham's frail back four and he had a hand in three of Chelsea's four goals. He scored the first himself, crunching in on the rebound after his shot had been blocked by the busy Collins, and 90 seconds later his effort was deflected to Hernan Crespo, who could hardly miss from four yards.

After Terry volleyed Chelsea 3-1 ahead, the England defender following in when Michael Essien's curler thumped off the crossbar, Drogba added the coup-de-grace in the 69th minute by nodding to William Gallas, who swept past Shaka Hislop.

"I think Drogba should go home, switch on TV, listen to the pundits and buy every newspaper on Monday," suggested Mourinho. "Then he will see if the same people who wanted to kill him have the common sense to say what is right."

Chelsea's exuberant supporters rose as one when Drogba was announced as the club's man of the match. Against City, the same decision had been greeted with boos: Drogba's renaissance matched that of his team.

He was helped by West Ham's powder-puff performance. The visitors have toppled several members of the Premiership aristocracy this season, including Arsenal at Highbury, but they were wretchedly negative after taking the lead.

Manager Alan Pardew blamed his side's limp show on their trip to Dubai last week - "We clearly didn't get that right," he admitted - but his safety-first tactics were equally at fault.

It was not until the start of the second half that he risked sending Marlon Harewood up front to partner the isolated Dean Ashton.

But it would be wrong to dwell on West Ham's failings. This was Chelsea's day and it is now probably Chelsea's title.

Opta Fact: Maniche's red card is Chelsea's fifth of the season, only Arsenal have won the title with more red cards in a season (2001/02 - six red cards).

Opta Fact: It is the first time Chelsea have netted more than two goals in a Premiership match for 12 games, the last time being against the Hammers at Upton Park in January.

CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cech, Geremi, Gallas, Terry, Del Horno, Makelele, Maniche, Lampard, Essien (Carvalho 89); Crespo (Robben 66), Drogba (Cole 89).

WEST HAM (4-5-1): Hislop, Scaloni, Collins, Gabbidon, Konchesky, Benayoun (Sheringham 72), Mullins, Reo-Coker, Etherington, Harewood; Ashton (Zamora 84).

Referee: Chris Foy.