Diego Costa and Eden Hazard scored first half goals which sunk dispirited WBA a who went Dow to 10 men early on when Claudio Yacob lunged into Costa with a horrific two-footed challenge.
Costa's wonderful goal, his 11th in 10 league matches killed off any resistance from WBA as the Blues notched up an easy three points.
Eden Hazard added the second in a first half in which Chelsea, totally dominant, should have had at least six goals.
As soon as the visitors' Claudio Yacob was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Costa, the game was over as a contest, not that it was one at that point.
The second half was a shocker in terms of a match with 10-man WBA siting in their final third, inviting Chelsea to break them down. The fact that the Blues failed would have annoyed Jose Mourinho no end. He criticised the fans lack of involvement and commitment in the previous match at the Bridge, and in the first half they did raise their game.
Sadly the team failed to raise theirs in the second, so he can have no complaints about the paying public's indifference to them on that score.
But it started off ever so well for the Blues.
They should have gone ahead within five minutes when, following an intricate move between Eden Hazard and Oscar, the ball was fed from the byline to John Terry. His glancing goal-bound flick was touched on by goalkeeper Ben Foster and the bal. inched across the goalline and just past the upright.
But the total dominance of Chelsea bore fruit six minutes later when Diego Costa beat the offside trap, Oscar sent across the perfect call which the Brazil-born Spain striker chested down and blasted a smart right-footer past a haplessFoster.
That goal was Costa's 11th goal I. 10 league matches this season.
England goalkeeper Foster then produced a high-quality double save, first to thwart a sumptuous Oscar right-footer and then Costa on the follow-up.
Hazard then got in on the act, but Joleon Lescott bundled the. Al. Away. Costa,on 20 minutes almost stabbed in number two but the ball crept wide of foster's right post.
The Blues coils easily have been four up in 20 minutes, and its that lack of killer goal that has frustrated Jose Mourinho in the past.
As sure as day follows night, goal one was followed by goal two and it was Hazard who did the honours.
Taking a quick corner from Cesc Fabregas on 24 minutes, the Belgium midfielder dropped his shoulders at the near post and let fly with a left-footer that clipped off first Craig Gardner and then Foster before nestling in the back of the WBA net.
To make matters worse for the beleaguered visitors, Claudio Yacob then produced a stupid two-footed lunge on Costa which deservedly was rewarded by a red card from Lee Mason.
Mason then turned down a penalty appeal two minutes before the break when Foster appeared to take down Oscar but he did just managed to get the ball before hand.
There was no changes in personnel at half-time but the game started as the first ended with a great chance for the home side. Nemanja Matic ghosted in at the back post to receive a fine pass from Oscar. But the Serbian hit the ball first time, and it sizzled just wide of Foster's crossbar.
Foster was soon in action again, parrying away an efforts by Willian.
With Chelsea having 88 per cent of the second half, WBA boss Alan Irvine decided to make a change on 68. minutes, Cristian Gamboa coming on for Chris Baird.
Foster, easily WBA best player, was on hand to tip away a Hazard close-range effort 18 minutes from the break.
Disappointing Saido Berahino was taken off with striker Victor Anichebe coming on on 78 minutes.
This was quickly followed by a Chelsea substitution, Loic Remy for Oscar. Didier Drogba entered the fray two minutes later with Costa taking the plaudits as he left the pitch for the ex-Ivory Coast striker.
Mourinho's final change on 85 minutes was to bring on Ramires for Willian as the game continued to die a death with the final whistle seemingly taking an age to come.
When it did, there was an an almost audible sigh of relief from the 41,600 fans.
Chelsea now turn their attention to Schalke in the Champions League and they face the Germans in Germany in Tuesday.
Teams: Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Costa.
Subs, Cech, Luis, Zouma, Ramires, Drogba, Schurrle, Remy
WBA: Foster, Wisdom, Baird, Yacob, Lescott, Gardener, Brunt, Dorrians, Berahino, Dawson, Sessegnon
Subs, Myhill, Morrison, Ideye, Anchebe, Gamboa, McAuley, Samaras.
Referee, Lee Mason