A SUPERB hat-trick from in-form Didier Drogba put Chelsea back on level terms with Manchester United . . .

for a couple of hours at least . . . at the top of the Premiership yesterday afternoon.

Chelsea smashed four at home for the second successive game as they cruised to a comfortable victory over struggling newcomers Watford.

The irresistible Drogba took his tally to 14 with his second treble of the season and set up Chelsea's other goal for strike partner Andriy Shevchenko.

The win made it 50 league games without defeat at Stamford Bridge for the Blues and Drogba was inspirational from the start.

Chelsea, who slammed four past Aston Villa in midweek to reach the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup, brushed aside Watford with the nonchalant air expected from the defending champions.

Drogba, who last week signed a new contract tying him to the club until 2010, was too hot for Watford's inexperienced defence to handle throughout.

The 28-year-old almost put them in front in the 10th minute when he hooked Geremi's free-kick just wide of Ben Foster's left-hand upright.

Moments later the Chelsea striker was presented with another opportunity after Michael Ballack found Geremi on the right flank with a beautifully flighted long pass.

The Chelsea defender clipped the ball back into the path of the waiting Frank Lampard only for his curling cross to be headed over the bar by Drogba.

But the breakthrough finally arrived in the 27th minute when Drogba scored his 12th goal of what is turning out to be a fine season for the Ivory Coast man.

Ricardo Carvalho fed the ball to Geremi on the right flank and his low cross was missed by Shevchenko before falling at the feet of the Ivory Coast striker to prod home from six yards.

Drogba added his second in the 35th minute after Chelsea carved open the Watford defence with ease.

Lampard and Ballack combined in midfield with a myriad of short passes before the ball found its way to Drogba.

He played a neat one-two with strike partner Shevchenko before turning to fire home from an acute angle on the edge of the sixyard box.

It was not vintage Chelsea by any means but the champions had enough power and pace to overcome Watford's stubborn resistance without hitting top gear.

Five minutes before the interval though Cudicini kept Chelsea's two-goal lead intact when he saved with his feet to deny Watford's Dan Shittu.

In the 44th minute Lloyd Doyley was lucky not to give away a penalty when he upended the free-flowing Drogba on the edge of the area.

Chelsea squandered the resultant free-kick when Shevchenko failed to connect with Lampard's pass and Ballack could not convert the loose ball from six yards out.

In the 48th minute, Chelsea almost made it three when Drogba put Ballack in the clear but his cheeky lob fell the wrong side of the upright.

But five minutes later, Chelsea stretched their lead even further with a simple three-man move.

Goalkeeper Cudicini sent a goal-kick high up the field for Drogba to control and play a clever ball to Shevchenko.

The Ukraine international chested the ball round Foster before slipping it into an open net.

In the 61st minute, Watford replaced Hameur Bouazza with veteran defender Chris Powell and moments later Chelsea made their first change of the afternoon when Robben was introduced to the action at the expense of Shevchenko.

Chelsea were in cruise control in what must have been one of the easiest afternoons they have experienced in the Premiership.

Robben made his presence felt immediately with a dazzling run down the left-flank.

However, the Dutchman's subsequent cross was headed clear by Powell as the ever-dangerous Drogba lurked with intent at the far post.

Drogba's hat-trick in the 69th minute was simplicity itself. Robben collected the ball on the right wing before sending the overlapping Geremi free.

The full-back's low cross was perfectly placed for the onrushing Drogba to fire past Foster and notch his second treble of the season.

In the 87th minute, Robben was just wide of the target with a drive from 18 yards as Chelsea continued to search for further goals.

In the final seconds of added time, Carvalho headed just wide of the right-hand upright from Lampard's corner but it was purely academic as Chelsea settled for another four-goal haul.