LONDON, England (AP) — Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scored a hat-trick to lead the defending champions to a 6-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on yesterday’s opening day of the English Premier League season.

Florent Malouda put Chelsea ahead early before Drogba hit a free kick and a close-range finish to move into sixth place on Chelsea’s list of all-time leading scorers. Frank Lampard passed into the net before Drogba hit a deflected shot in at the near post and Malouda scored again in the last minute.

“It’s a good start but there are difficult moments and they are coming,” Drogba said.

But the big win gives Chelsea an early lift before last season’s runners-up Manchester United kick off against Newcastle tomorrow. Arsenal are at Liverpool in today’s game.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart saved Manchester City as the big-spending Blues escaped with a 0-0 draw despite being dominated at Tottenham, while Blackpool returned to England’s topflight for the first time since 1971 with a 4-0 win at Wigan.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher put the Tangerines ahead in the 16th and Marlon Harewood scored twice before halftime. Alex Baptiste then rounded off the scoring with 15 minutes left with a 30-metre (yard) shot.

“I will take a photograph of the table and then retire,” Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said.

Also, Aston Villa beat West Ham 3-0, Blackburn beat Everton 1-0 and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Stoke 2-1. Sunderland lost Lee Cattermole to a 44th-minute red card but held on for a 2-2 draw with Birmingham, and Mark Hughes guided Fulham to a 0-0 draw at Bolton in his first game as manager.

Malouda tapped in against newly-promoted West Brom in the sixth minute when goalkeeper Scott Carson dropped the ball. Drogba’s 45th-minute free-kick put him level with Jimmy Greaves in Chelsea’s all-time scorers list and his close-range finish 10 minutes later put him ahead of the former England striker.

Lampard scored from about 12 metres (yards) and the Ivory Coast striker moved to 134 club goals when his shot from the edge of the area deflected off a defender. Drogba was substituted moments later and Malouda completed the rout in the last minute with a calm shot from Nicolas Anelka’s pass over the defence.

Drogba scored 29 times last season as Chelsea edged Manchester United to the title by a single point.

Of Chelsea’s current squad, only Frank Lampard, in third place, has scored more goals than Drogba. Drogba is also the only non-English player in Chelsea’s top 10.

“I said last season I wanted to score goals and make history,” Drogba said. “I don’t want to stop here. I want to carry on and put my name higher.”

Manchester City have spent more than £100 million (US$156 million) on players since Tottenham edged them to fourth place and a Champions League qualifying berth last season. But none of their newcomers made an impact at White Hart Lane and young goalkeeper Joe Hart won the man-of-the-match award for a string of saves.

Hart stopped a close-range volley by Jermain Defoe, a spectacular side-footed volley from outside the area from Tom Huddlestone and a long-range shot by f;llback Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

Tottenham play the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at Switzerland’s Young Boys on Tuesday before meeting Stoke next weekend. Manchester City, who are close to signing England midfielder James Milner from Aston Villa, have a midweek Europa League play-off with Timisoara before playing at Liverpool.