West Brom 0 Chelsea 4 - Report and pictures

Chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning', 'Your football is s**t' and 'Pulis out' were directed his way from disillusioned Albion fans who watched their team slip to their fourth straight defeat.

Three first half goals knocked the stuffing out of the home side, who actually started brightly before a clinical Chelsea team turned on the style, but home fans were streaming out by the hour mark when the fourth went in.

Those that stayed made their feelings felt at full-time with further calls for the head coach to be sacked, and with owner Guochuan Lai watching on alongside chairman John Williams after jetting in from China for the game, Pulis's job now hangs in the balance.

It is now 11 games without a win in all competitions, and just two victories in the past 21 league games - the worst run in his managerial career.

It was telling that the most threatening player going forward was Matt Phillips and the defensive player who showed the most fight was substitute Claudio Yacob - two players who have been unable to get in the team recently.

Before the game, Pulis hit back at the fans in his programme notes by starting a staunch defence of his time at The Hawthorns with the words, 'Talking about reminding people...'

It came after the away end had turned on him at Huddersfield, but despite the muted build-up inside The Hawthorns before the game, Albion's fans were soon getting behind their team thanks to a bright start.

Pulis kept faith in the 5-3-2 formation that has struggled in recent weeks, but brought Phillips in for Allan Nyom at right wing-back and Salomon Rondon in for Hal Robson-Kanu up front - and it was working in the opening stages.

Jake Livermore created the first opening three minutes in by skipping away from two Chelsea midfielders before finding Phillips on the wing.

His low cross nearly found Rondon but was turned away, but it came back in and was headed on target by Jay Rodriguez.

A minute later Rondon had the ball in the net with a header from a Phillips cross that Thibaut Courtois fumbled into his net, but the Venezuelan had strayed half a yard offside and it was correctly ruled out.

That bright start lifted the mood at the ground, and the home crowd were soon roaring on their team.

Minutes later Rodriguez slipped Rondon through on goal but Albion's No.9 was muscled off the ball too easily and the chance went begging.

It proved costly, because 17 minutes in, the visiting champions took the lead.

Eden Hazard, who had just been complaining of injury, sprung back to life and drove towards goal before fizzing a low shot towards the the far corner.

Foster did well to get a glove onto it, but he could only push it out to Morata, who gleefully tucked hom the rebound for his eighth league goal of the season.

If that goal was a kick in the teeth, the next one just seven minutes later knocked the stuffing out of Albion - and it was a clinical and classy move from Chelsea.

Cesc Fabregas fired the ball into Morata with his back to goal 35 yards out, but his gorgeous first-time flick on was enough to entice Foster off his line and into a footrace with Hazard.

The Belgian won it, and rounded the keeper with ease before tucking home Chelsea's second and celebrating with glee in front of the Birmingham Road End who had been booing him moments previously for making the most of a challenge.

Albion didn't give up though, and Phillips in particular looked threatening down the right. Unafraid to run at messrs Alonso and Cahill, his performance on the wing made you wonder why it had taken this long for Pulis to pick him.

And the crowd didn't turn at 2-0, they realised their team had been cut open by a superior team.

No, the goal that really took the sting out of the game and left the fans fuming was the third, eight minutes before half-time. Because unlike the first two, it was san inexcusable goal to concede.

Fabregas clipped a routine free-kick to the back post where Alonso was criminally unmarked, and so the Spaniard guided the ball into the roof of the net unchallenged.

After that, Albion's players were walking around shell-shocked until half-time - potentially aware of the gravitas of the scoreline.

Pulis dragged Paris Saint-Germain loanee Grzegorz Krychowiak off at half-time and replaced him with Claudio Yacob, who immediately added more fight than the Pole.

A tackle that won the ball from Fabregas in midfield drew the loudest cheer of the day from the home end, and when he rounded on the Spaniard for diving in the Baggies box, it was warmly received by supporters.

The Argentinian was obviously up for it, because he had a set-to with Morata soon after, just before Rondon was also booked for diving in the box.

Despite Yacob's attempts to ruffle a few feathers, the champions were in complete control, and they made it four shortly after the hour mark with another simple goal.

Fabregas's ball over the top was a straight one, but it found Hazard in acres, and the Belgian checked back inside Hegazi before curling his second goal of the afternoon into the far corner.

That prompted a mass exodus of Albion fans with half an hour still to go and more chants of 'Pulis Out' from the Smethwick End.

The Baggies boss sent Oliver Burke on with 15 minutes to go, and then gave James McClean seven minutes to make a difference.

The winger immediately stole the ball of Davide Zappacosta and rushed towards Courtois one-on-one, but just as those fans who had stayed started to beleive they would be rewarded with a consolation, McClean screwed his shot wide of the post.

What happens now is up to Lai and Williams.

KEY MOMENTS

05 Rondon heads Phillips's left-footed cross into the net, but it's correctly ruled out for offside.

17 GOAL CHELSEA - Morata tucks home the rebound after Foster does well to save Hazard's fizzing low shot.

23 GOAL CHELSEA - Fabregas fires the ball into Morata, whose glorious flick-on entices Foster to come out, but Hazard beats him to it and rounds the keeper ebfore finding the net.

37 GOAL CHELSEA - Fabregas clips a free-kick to the back post and an unmarked Alonso guides it unchallenged into the roof of the net.

63 GOAL CHELSEA - A simple ball over the top from Fabregas finds Hazard. He cuts back inside Hegazi before finding the net with ease.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Eden Hazard - Had a hand in three goals, scoring two of them.

POSITION IN THE TABLE

17th, with 10 points from 12 games.

TEAMS

Albion (5-3-2): Foster; Gibbs, McAuley, Hegazi, Evans (c), Phillips (McClean 84); Barry, Livermore, Krychowiak (Yacob 45); Rodriguez (Burke 70), Rondon. Unused subs: Myhill, Nyom, Brunt, Robson-Kanu.

Chelsea (3-5-2): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill (c); Zappacosta, Bakayoko, Kante (Willian 77), Fabregas (Drinkwater 67), Alonso; Hazard, Morata. Unused subs: Caballero, Rudiger, David Luiz, Amapdu, Pedro.

Referee: Jon Moss (Horsforth)

Attendance: 23,592 (2,733 away)