Chelsea moved up into third place of the Barclays Premier League with a comfortable away win, which saw a combination of good fortune and a strong team performance. Stoke were unbeaten at the Britannia Stadium since February and they started confidently, but it was the visitors who went in front just before the break thanks to an own goal from Jonathan Walters.

Stoke almost had a penalty, only ruled out due to a late offside call, before Walters repeated his earlier trick and put us two in front just after the hour.

Within three minutes we were three up, Frank Lampard smashing in a penalty after Juan Mata was fouled, and the game was won, only for Eden Hazard to grab some headlines for himself with a fine drive 20 minutes from time.

Further good news came with the introduction of John Terry as a substitute late on, two months and one day after he sustained a knee injury against Liverpool.

It was the captain whose slip provided Stoke, and Walters, with the chance of a late consolation when he tripped the Ireland international, who dusted himself down to take the penalty, only to blaze it high over the crossbar and round off what was probably the worst day of his professional career.

Three points, goal difference boosted and a climb above Spurs in the league table makes for a very successful Saturday afternoon.

- Match stats:

Stoke (4-5-1): Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross (c), Huth, Wilkinson; Walters, Whelan, Nzonzi, Adam (Whitehead 78), Etherington (Kightly 85); Jones (Jerome 78).
Unused subs Sorensen, Upson, Crouch, Shotton.
Goals
Booked Wilkinson 37

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta (Ferreira 82), Ivanovic, David Luiz; Cole; Ramires, Lampard (c); Hazard, Mata (Terry 79), Bertrand; Ba (Torres 70).
Unused subs Turnbull, Ake, Oscar, Marin.
Goals Walters (o.g.) 45,62 Lampard (pen) 65, Hazard 72
Booked

Referee Andre Marriner
Crowd 27,348

- Match report by chelseafc.com