Chelsea have a distinctively Portuguese feel this year, from the new manager Scolari and the two new signings, Deco and Bosingwa.  But will this Portuguese setup fair any better than last season.  Portsmouth would be their first test of the new season; an ever strengthening Portsmouth team which took Manchester United all the way to a penalty shoot out in the community shield.

Chelsea started the game positively and their passing and off the ball movement was noticeably better than last year.  Eleven minutes into the game they capitalized on their possession when Joe Cole slipped behind the Pompy back line and slotted the ball past David James.  The Portsmouth players were looking like statues compared to the slick movement and passing of Chelsea, and it was no surprise when Anelka beat Johnson to a goal line header to put Chelsea 2-0 up.   Lampard finished off the first half by scoring from the penalty spot after the ball struck Distan's outstretched arm.

In the second half Chelsea were in cruise control passing the ball around at will, and Portsmouth never looked like getting back into the game, but did, however, manage to limit the number of Chelsea chances.  Deco sealed a great performance and debut by scoring a 25 yard cracker in the last 10 minutes.

The new Crouch-Defoe Portsmouth attacking partnership looks like it could cause problems on paper, but in this game they didn't get enough service to be dangerous.  Scolari couldn't really have hoped for a better start to the season, a 4-0 opening day win is a surefire way to get the team and the fans behind you.

Overall Match Rating: 3.5 out of 5