A fantastic header from Hernan Crespo – his third goal in as many League games – won the points after a shaky second half for the Blues. Damien Duff created both Chelsea’s goals.

Following our domination of the first half and Boro’s superiority in the second, it was not perhaps deserved. But when world class players produce match-winning moments, such analysis is redundant.

This was a lively game, despite Boro manager McLaren’s customary defensive approach. Chelsea could have taken the lead in the first minute, Duff’s drilled cross eluding a gaggle in the box and Jesper Gronkjaer’s shot drawing a corner from Schwarzer, who was the busier of the two keepers.

McLaren had opted for a 4-4-1-1 formation with Nemeth deployed to feed solo striker Christie and after one or two incisive early moments, the lack of penetration was obvious, and Chelsea’s football was expansive throughout the first period.

Duff, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Gronkjaer were all making good use of seeing lots of the ball and the width if the pitch. The corner count ended eight to two in favour of the visitors.

After 16 minutes, the flustered Boateng was cleverly robbed by Frank Lampard – having an influential game ahead of Saturday’s Turkish rendezvous – and fed Duff. The Irishman cutely played in Gudjohnsen inside the box and he drove low and neatly inside Schwarzer’s right post for his first Premiership goal this season.

Wayne Bridge and Glen Johnson were getting forward and looking very confident.
Has there been a younger defensive foursome fielded in the Premiership than those two plus John Terry and Robert Huth? What is almost certainly Chelsea’s youngest back-line in a competitive match consisted of two 19-year-olds and two 22-year-olds. There were no defenders on the bench. It was a considerable show of faith in his youngsters from Ranieri, and it was only in the second half that their relative inexperience began to show.

In the meantime John Terry hit the bar with a superb header from Lampard’s deep free kick and, although Huth was booked (along with Hasselbaink), there were few scares.

The second half was utterly different. Claudio Ranieri swapped Hernan Crespo for Hasselbaink at half time but it was McLaren’s tactical switch – pushing on Nemeth and allowing Mendieta a free role behind the front two – that changed things.

The Spaniard, on loan from Valencia, was a revelation, dictating play and eluding all minders. Just 18 seconds after the restart he slipped past Huth, and put in the unmarked Nemeth for a simple finish. It was another example of the sloppiness that has cost goals this season, and we only fitfully ran the game for the remainder of time.

Carlo Cudicini never had to make any spectacular saves, but as the young backline was regularly breached, he – alongside Huth, Terry, Lampard and the neat, combative Claude Makelele – had to be alert to several Boro opportunities.

It was not all one-way. Gudjohnsen might have done better with his header from Gronkjaer’s cross, and Schwarzer reacted with astonishment to Huth’s 35-yard free kick just before the hour, knocking the fierce drive away with his forearm.

Then, after Brazilian midfielder Doriva had driven an excellent chance straight at Cudicini and the Italian had reacted quickly to clear from Christie’s feet once again, Crespo began to find good openings.

He had gathered a kick out on the volley and driven it just wide, then just failed to control a clever flicked pass into the box from Makelele when he set out to pressurise Cooper. Having smartly robbed the veteran centre-back, he drove his shot high into Schwarzer’s face.

Now Ranieri made his final flourish, removing Gronkjaer and Gudjohnsen in favour of Joe Cole and Adrian Mutu. The Romanian joined Crespo, Duff switched wings and Cole went left.

With five minutes to go, lively Mutu’s run across goal was stopped unfairly, but his free kick was straight at wall.

McLaren responded by withdrawing Christie and Nemeth for Ricketts and Downing, and switched to a 4-5-1 formation which only served to nullify Mendieta and allowed Chelsea to push forward again.

Within minutes, Duff, back to goal, performed a trademark double feint turn and swung in a wicked cross that Crespo, much like Lampard against Spurs, brilliantly squeezed into the bottom right corner past the despairing Schwarzer. He stormed over to celebrate with the Chelsea fans at that end in delight.

It might all have been premature had Johnson’s inadvisable challenge on Downing in the box been adjudged a penalty.

Whatever, a clever one-two between Cole and Mutu nearly resulted in the Romanian finding the top corner with a curling shot, and another from the same source that was too weak to trouble the Boro keeper, closed out play.

It is our fifth consecutive away win in all competitions, and we are third, level on points with Man Utd, with a game in hand. A sixth away win will put us top.

29,170 watched an absorbing match. How many will have gone away impressed by Chelsea’s match-winning abilities? Probably quite a few.

M-O-T-M= Frank Lampard