Chelsea Paper View (a)

Inspiration from Drogba does trick

Watford's Adrian Boothroyd had been looking forward to pitting his wits against Jose Mourinho, but after all the shenanighans of last Sunday in the capital, the day's football after the Lord Mayor's Show was mercifully not about managers or officials, but players. Predictably, Chelsea's were infinitely better than those of the Premiership newcomers, who found their direct style comfortably countered and were pushed back into the bottom three by a second hat-trick of the season from an inspired Didier Drogba.

Andriy Shevchenko, set up by Drogba, scored as well and for the last 20 minutes the principal point of interest was whether Chelsea might reach five goals for only the second time in Mourinho's three seasons at Stamford Bridge. He had to settle for completing 50 home games in the Premiership without defeat and keeping the pressure on Manchester United ahead of what already looks a momentous meeting between the two a fortnight today. Sunday Independent

Deadly Drogba makes his a treble

Critics of Chelsea's unique style like to think that money can't buy you class, but Roman Abramovich's financial clout has bought the team spectacular consistency. After they reached a landmark 50 Premiership home matches undefeated, the celebrations were cranked up with a hat-trick for the Premiership's deadliest hitman, Didier Drogba.

There was a time when his £24million price tag was a stick with which his detractors could beat him. On form, however, it is difficult to find a better striker in the business.

Drogba was outstanding, not only in the manner in which he demolished Watford and plundered the goals that took his season's tally to 14. His all-round play was also to be admired. He was a conspicuous influence defending his own team's penalty area and, as Aidy Boothroyd pointed out, what a sight it was to see him chasing and harassing the opposition back four in the 93rd minute when he had already made sure the match ball was his for keeps. All of Chelsea's players were out of reach for sorry Watford, but they must have felt that Drogba was from another planet. Sunday Observer

Drogba 'best striker in Europe'

Not even Sir Alex Ferguson could quibble with Jose Mourinho's claim that Didier Drogba is the best striker around. The Premiership's leading scorer, the Champions League's leading scorer, Drogba now has the vital statistics to go with his physique and power. Nineteen appearances this season, 14 goals. Nobody in the major European leagues comes close to his strike-rate.

Drogba's second hat-trick of the campaign brushed aside the muscular resistance of Watford without so much as a tumble or a tantrum. The new, improved Chelsea forward is winning as many plaudits for his attitude as for his goals. "He epitomises what a professional footballer should be," Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd said of a man who was the very opposite at times earlier in the year. Drogba left the field playfully squirting a water bottle at colleagues and laughing. He is enjoying himself.

"He has no doubt got a lot of money, but there he was chasing down our back four in the 93rd minute," Boothroyd added after watching Drogba match the work ethic of his own hard labourers. A little over a week ago, Chelsea handed their talismanic forward a hefty four-year contract. If it made him comfortable, there was little sign of it. Not since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was in his prime five years ago have Chelsea had such a restless, hungry goal-getter. Sunday Telegraph

Shevchenko feels loved

THE BIG SHOCK AT STAMFORD BRIDGE was not the rumour that Andriy Shevchenko wants to return to Italy, nor that Didier Drogba dominated the match without a single dive, but that Adrian Boothroyd had discovered Chelsea's weak spot. “They are vulnerable,” the Watford manager said. Eyebrows were raised. Do tell, what are Chelsea's vulnerabilities? “If I knew, then we wouldn't have lost 4-0. I'm sure they're there somewhere,” he said.

It was not, in truth, a suitable afternoon in which to assess how Chelsea might be rumbled. José Mourinho's team cruised through the match and their performance brought to mind Elvis Costello's memorable line: “She's filing her nails while they're dragging the lake.” They needed minimum concentration to exert maximum pressure.

Hat-tricks come in all shapes and sizes. Drogba's was the sort that smacked of inevitability and prompted his manager to say: “I have never seen a better Drogba.” The striker, who started his Chelsea career with criticism for underperforming and then progressed to vilification for diving, is the striker to be feared in the Barclays Premiership. Sunday Times