DHAKA: Chelsea retained their place at the top of the English Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham.

John Terry and Diego Costa grabbed the goals in an impressive display as the fourth-placed visitors were brushed aside at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's maddening lack of creativity the last time West Ham visited Stamford Bridge led Jose Mourinho to petulantly claim that Sam Allardyce had held his team to a goalless draw playing "19th century football". It was hard to tell what plan the resurgent Hammers were attempting to follow this time but, in all honesty, it didn't really matter.

Mourinho's team are a different beast now, and were simply too good. Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas turned the midfield 'battle' into a rout well before half-time, Eden Hazard weaved his typical magic in between the lines and Diego Costa surged menacingly around the final third, reports goal.com.

There were too many threats for West Ham to try and nullify and in the end it was captain John Terry, with his second goal in as many matches, who broke the deadlock.

The only lingering worry was that Chelsea might not get the second goal to secure a victory they unarguably deserved, but Costa put those fears to rest on 62 minutes and the Blues cruised to the finish line.

The festive period is a huge test of any potential title contender's energy levels and resolve but if all future opponents are attacked as confidently as this, Manchester City will have to seriously go some to prevent the Premier League title returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time in four years.

That did not materialise in the opening period as Mourinho's men dominated, entering the break 1-0 ahead as Terry scored in back-to-back matches for the first time in a decade.

And even an added urgency could not spark a turnaround for West Ham after the restart, Costa firing home his 13th goal in 15 Premier League outings since moving to Chelsea.

Sam Allardyce's team never really threatened to get back into the game from there, although Morgan Amalfitano struck the post as they pressed late on.

Chelsea got off to a fast start and should have taken the lead in just the fifth minute. Oscar - brought in as the only change to Mourinho's XI - spurned a golden opportunity, blazing a volley over from six yards after Carl Jenkinson had failed to clear Willian's cross.

BDST: 1038 HRS, DEC 27, 2014