Chelsea 3 Wimbledon 0

By Mark Bradley, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer

Gianfranco Zola had just one person on his mind after he scored Chelsea's first goal in an overwhelming demolition of Wimbledon at Stamford Bridge.

After sweeping home a first-time shot 31 minutes into the game to cap a glorious move involving Dan Petrescu and Tore Andre Flo, the Italian raced straight to the Chelsea bench, leaving his team-mates trailing.

Clearly filling up with emotion, he grabbed a number 10 shirt emblazoned with the name of compatriot Pierluigi Casiraghi and was joined by the rest of the team in holding it aloft in tribute to the injured centre-forward.

Casiraghi is likely to miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury sustained in last Sunday's 1-1 draw at West Ham.

And the united spirit which now courses through the Chelsea squad was as clear in that touching, pre-planned gesture as in the determination in their performance that would finally seem to make the club genuine title contenders.

Chelsea have traditionally struggled against the no-nonsense, physical Wimbledon approach, winning just two of their 12 encounters at Stamford Bridge and none of the past three.

This season it is vastly different. Chelsea simply outclassed Wimbledon, they outpassed them, outthought them and demonstrated the huge gulf which has opened up between these two London neighbours.

Victory was completed in the second-half through a first-time strike from Gustavo Poyet and Dan Petrescu's opening goal of the season.

By the end, Wimbledon were chasing shadows even after a triple-substitution.

Chelsea had been forced to reshuffle, with Albert Ferrer failing a late injury test, Dennis Wise suspended, Casiraghi injured and Brian Laudrup having departed.

But even though Wimbledon had Irish internationals Mark Kennedy and Kenny Cunningham available after winning their club versus country row, the Dons rarely threatened the Chelsea goal.

The impressive Flo began the procession of chances by heading just wide and came even closer as he hit the outside of the post after neatly evading a sliding challenge from Chris Perry.

Keeper Neil Sullivan then managed to change direction to save a wickedly-deflected effort from Petrescu and was relieved to see referee Jeff Winter wave away penalty appeals after Zola appeared to have been pushed as he went for the rebound.

There was no denying Chelsea, though, and Zola's first-time finish was as exquisite in its nonchalant simplicity as the build-up had been.

Chelsea continued to push forward, with Sullivan denying Poyet with a one-handed reaction save and Zola firing just wide shortly before the break.

There was only momentary relief for the Dons after the break, with Cunningham shooting just wide in a rare foray out of a besieged defence as Poyet lay injured.

Chelsea's inevitable second came on 54 minutes, as Petrescu patiently waited for Poyet's break from midfield before playing a cross from the right into his path and the midfielder slotted home his shot without hesitation.

From that moment on, it was exhibition football from Chelsea as they mesmerised the opposition with their passes, movement and touches.

Petrescu scored the third on 65 minutes after breaking clear to capitalise on Zola's through-ball and recovering his footing after his first effort was blocked by Ben Thatcher to slot home at the second time of asking.

Dons boss Joe Kinnear was forced to throw on Carl Leaburn, Dean Blackwell and Efan Ekoku in a desperate move straight afterwards to rescue his outclassed side.

Ekoku even saw a shot deflected wide, but it was a miracle that Chelsea did not score a fourth in the final 15 minutes as Frank Leboeuf, Zola, Roberto Di Matteo, Flo and Celestine Babayaro all threatened.

After scoring five against Arsenal's reserves in the Worthington Cup in midweek, this time out the Blues had to make do with three.

But the sparkling performance against their bogey side and that united gesture to the stricken Casiraghi in hospital said it all about the transformation that is slowly taking place at Stamford Bridge.

Teams

Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu, Babayaro, Leboeuf, Desailly, Poyet (Duberry 80), Le Saux, Di Matteo (Morris 85), Flo, Lambourde, Zola (Nicholls 80).

Subs Not Used: Goldbaek, Hitchcock.

Booked: Le Saux.

Goals: Zola 32, Poyet 55, Petrescu 70.

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Kimble (Blackwell 67), Perry, Thatcher, Earle, Roberts, Gayle (Leaburn 67), Hughes (Ekoku 67), Kennedy, Ainsworth.

Subs Not Used: Ardley, Heald.

Booked: Hughes, Roberts, Earle.

Att: 34,757

Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).