Scolari delighted with bolt from the Blues

Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

Like anyone prematurely robbed of a loved one, Chelsea have found it difficult to adjust to their loss but this was the sort of rollicking performance which suggests closure is imminent. A comprehensive dismantling of a peculiarly inept Portsmouth had the home hoards bellowing the name of another smouldering Portuguese by the final whistle and delivered a chilling message of intent to Manchester United.

Scolari admitted this was a debut beyond his wildest dreams, the equivalent of balancing the books, sealing a lucrative corporate contract and fixing the photocopier on your first day at the office, although his joy was tempered by the admission that more will be needed to restore the Premier League title to west London.

“It was the perfect start — a beautiful game and three points as well,” he said. “I think Portsmouth were surprised that we were more aggressive in our play than last season and we played very well. But we’ll need more quality in the future if we want to be champions — definitely more than this.”

That last comment was designed to crush any budding complacency among his new players, but Scolari has every reason to feel bullish. A new-look formation permitted Chelsea far greater fluency than was routine under Avram Grant, or even Mourinho, Portsmouth left groggy by the forward surges of Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole, and the beguiling patterns weaved by Deco, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole as an advanced midfield trio.

“Their movement within their system was fantastic,” Harry Redknapp, the chastened visiting manager, sighed. “They don’t just stick one up front and sit back. They run from everywhere. They play and run, play and run — there’s always an option for their midfielders. If people aren’t in position, they make a new position. It gave us massive problems.”

The notion of this vivacious team being further pepped by the arrival of Robinho — whose £26.8m (34m) move from Real Madrid is close to completion — will send more shivers up the spine of Alex Ferguson and Scolari must also determine where the injured Michael Essien fits into his system. The Ghanaian may have to accept rotating with John Mikel Obi as the side’s defensive anchor, a position that will stymie his natural attacking urges.

The visitors’ resistance was shattered after 14 minutes, Joe Cole bursting onto Michael Ballack’s pass and drilling past David James, and shortly afterwards the points were effectively secure when Nicolas Anelka — who had initially appeared over-anxious to impress in the absence of Didier Drogba — nodded in after Deco’s shot on the angle had ballooned into the six-yard box.

Chelsea would have been forgiven easing off after that, but that was hardly likely with Scolari scrutinising his players’ every move from the sidelines. Instead, they moved further ahead in first-half stoppage time — Lampard slamming home from the penalty spot after Sylvain Distin handled Joe Cole’s cross — and enjoyed complete control after the interval, even if Deco’s swirling 25-yarder, fisted awkwardly into his own net by James, was the only addition to the scoreline.

Scolari knows that days like this — where his biggest challenge was varying his goal celebrations, which for the record appear to stretch to little more than a raised clenched fist — remain aberrations. Greater challenges await, starting with a first away game, at Wigan, next Sunday, but for the time being he can reflect with satisfaction on the kind of day which makes a mockery of Stamford Bridge’s reputation as the hottest seat in English club football.

“It was good for me — very good,” Scolari said. “It was different to what I’ve lived until now. I expected, one time, to work in England as a coach and today I lived that opportunity. We were very good.

“Will Manchester United be scared? No, I don’t think so. They are not our opponents next week — Wigan are. Maybe they will be.”

MAN OF THE MATCH: Frank Lampard (Chelsea). An all-action performance, capped by the obligatory goal, was a suitable way to mark his new five-year contract.

IT’S A FACT: This was Chelsea’s 250th clean sheet in the Premier League, matching Arsenal’s total achieved yesterday. They are unbeaten in their last 83 Premier League home games, an all-time record.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech 7, Bosingwa 7 (Ferreira 84, 6), Terry 7, Carvalho 8, A Cole 7, Mikel 7, Ballack 7 (Malouda 38, 7), J Cole 8 (Wright-Phillips 78, 6), Deco 8, Lampard 8, Anelka 6.

Subs Not Used: Hilario, Di Santo, Bridge, Alex.

PORTSMOUTH (4-4-2): James 6, Johnson 5, Distin 5, Campbell 5, Hreidarsson 5, Diop 5, Kaboul 4, Diarra 5 (Mvuemba 68, 5), Kranjcar 5 (Thomas 73, 5), Crouch 6, Defoe 6.

Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Lauren, Utaka, Cranie, Traore.

REFEREE: Mike Dean 7. Got the penalty spot-on and there was little else to trouble him.

MATCH RATING: *** Chelsea were sublime in the first half, albeit against an inexplicably limp Pompey. The second was largely irrelevant.