Blues have spring in their steps as Terry returns

IT is too early to talk of Chelsea’s renaissance, but on a day warm enough to suggest that spring is stirring the green shoots of recovery are beginning to peep through for Jose Mourinho.

An ultra-functional victory extended the champions’ winning streak to four matches; a dominant performance from Petr Cech served as a reminder of what was missed as the goalkeeper recovered from a fractured skull; and, crucially, there was the most welcome of cameos from John Terry.

The visitors should have been out of sight by half-time but their penalty-box profligacy allowed Charlton to barge their way back into the game and they might have snatched a point had two gilt-edged chances fallen to a striker rather than Amady Faye.