POMPEY made one change to the side that were defeated on penalties in the Community Shield last weekend as Younes Kaboul was drafted into the side to replace the departed Pedro Mendes.
The Frenchman was expected to be handed a midfield role, with
last season's back five unchanged.
Peter Crouch was in from the start to make his second debut for the club - seven years after his first.
Chelsea included two new signings in Jose Bosingwa and Deco in manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's first game in England.
More pictures from the matchPOMPEY: James, Johnson, Distin, Campbell, Hreidarsson, Bouba Diop, Diarra (Mvuemba, 68), Kaboul, Kranjcar (Thomas, 73), Defoe, Crouch. Subs: Ashdown, Lauren, Utaka, Cranie, Traore.
CHELSEA: Cech, Bosingwa (Ferreira, 84), Terry, Carvalho, A Cole, Deco, Mikel, Ballack (Malouda, 38), Lampard, J Cole (Wright-Phillips, 78), Anelka. Subs: Hilario, Di Santo, Bridge, Alex.
ATT: 41,468.
OO - Kick-off.
03 - Positive start from Pompey sees Niko Kranjcar slip a clever pass inside to Jermain Defoe, but his shot is easily fielded by Petr Cech.
09 - Chelsea fire their first real warning at David James as Frank Lampard blasts a sweet volley at goal, but James is well positioned to deal with it.
12 - GOAL - CHELSEA 1 POMPEY 0 - Poor defending from Pompey allows Joe Cole to latch on to Michael Ballack's pass and angle a low shot beyond James. Nobody tracked Cole's run from midfield and that was a gift of a goal.
20 - Hermann Hreidarsson's high free-kick finds Peter Crouch, and his knockdown for Papa Bouba Diop presents a tough chance. It's somehow familiar as he skews a volley horribly wide.
21 - James makes a vital save with his feet as the visiting defence is sprung open again - this time Nicolas Anelka is denied by the Pompey keeper.
26 - GOAL - CHELSEA 2 POMPEY 0 - It's another shocker of a defensive goal for Pompey to lose as Anelka nods home from a yard out. Bosingwa's deep cross finds Deco at the far post, James is out of position attempting to cover his absent defence and Anelka rises above Glen Johnson to double the lead.
30 - That should have been 3-0 as Sol Campbell misses a straight punt upfield and Anelka nips in to top-poke an effort just past the far post. It's fair to say that Pompey are defending like a pub team at the moment.
35 - James has a few crossed words with Johnson for allowing a cross to zip across the six-yard box. The Pompey keeper has already dished out some stick to Campbell. Jamo is not a happy bunny and you can understand why.
38 - Early sub for Chelsea as Michael Ballack limps off to be replaced by Florent Malouda.
43 - Pompey at last offer a threat on Cech's goal. Niko Kranjcar arrows in a low drive, Cech spills it but makes a good block as Crouch follows up and Johnson's effort from the rebound is kicked away by a Chelsea defender.
45 - GOAL - CHELSEA 3 POMPEY 0 - Sylvain Distin is adjudged to have handled in the box, and Frank Lampard rolls home the penalty. David James is booked for kicking the ball away after the award of the spot-kick by the linesman. The game is already as good as over.
HALF TIME.
You can't help but think Pompey are just playing for pride in the second half. If they get a goal back, that might change the thinking, but the priority is not to get a 5-0 or 6-0 hammering now.
46 - We're up and running again. No changes for either side at half-time.
51 - More horrible defending from Pompey as first Joe Cole, then Anelka waste opportunities to make it 4-0. Harry Redknapp is going ballistic at Hermann Hreidarsson.
60 - It's almost too easy for the home side as they pour forward at every opportunity. James' mood has not improved with more clueless defending in front of him. He looks about ready to land a right hook on the next team-mate to make a mistake.
64 - A couple of half-hearted penalty appeals are turned down for Pompey. There's a bit of shirt-pulling at a corner, but then Kranjcar's shot is charged down by Ricardo Carvalho with a hint of handball. Nothing given though.
68 - Substitution for Pompey as Arnold Mvuemba replaces Lassana Diarra.
73 - Another change as Jerome Thomas comes on for his debut to replace Kranjcar.
76 - Pompey have been outclassed on the pitch, but the away fans have won the singing battle - yet again.
78 - There was the first glimpse of teh Crouch and Defoe link-up as the former Liverpool man nods down a high ball, but Defoe steers it wide. Shaun Wright-Phillips replaces Joe Cole as Scolari makes a change.
84 - Chelsea make their last change as Paolo Ferreira is on for Jose Bosingwa.
89 - GOAL - CHELSEA 4 POMPEY 0. Deco wraps things up in style as he smashes home a swerving 30-yarder that James should have saved. It was a powerful shot, but James can only paw it into his top corner to complete Pompey's misery.
90 - FULL TIME.
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