Drogba took his goal tally for the season to 25 with a double to fire Chelsea four points clear at the top of the Premier League as they ground out a hard-earned 2-0 success.

Their one move of real class allowed Drogba to make the decisive breakthrough in the 40th minute as Wolves were left cursing themselves for failing to make some early pressure pay.

Drogba then made the game safe after 67 minutes as Chelsea recorded only a second win in their last seven games on the road.

Mick McCarthy's side had pegged Chelsea back in the opening skirmishes but, with Petr Cech denying Kevin Doyle and later Adlene Guedioura and Kevin Foley, Wolves were left without any reward for another improved performance.

Chelsea recalled skipper John Terry following his off-the-field problems and it proved a predictably uncomfortable afternoon for the former England skipper who was targeted by the taunts of the Wolves fans every time he touched the ball.

He almost gifted Wolves a 63rd-minute equaliser when he missed his clearance on the edge of the area to let in Foley but his blushes were spared by Cech.

Wolves have now won just one of their last eight league games but they looked anything but a relegation-threatened side in the opening exchanges and would have taken a deserved 20th-minute lead but for the alertness of Cech.

Wolves had already threatened through Kevin Doyle and Foley before the quick thinking of the two Irishmen combined to create an excellent opening.

Doyle latched on to Foley's quickly-taken throw-in and homed in on goal only to see his shot palmed away at the near post by Cech. Jarvis and Jones were also narrowly off target as Chelsea struggled to create a chance of their own.

Wolves continued to carry a threat and when a Jarvis cross picked out Guedioura at the far post in the 55th minute it needed a stunning save from Cech to retain Chelsea's advantage.

But Cech produced an even better stop eight minutes later from Foley following Terry's error. It was a decisive moment as Drogba then made the game safe with a goal that had McCarthy fuming on the touchline.

Cech's long clearance went straight to Drogba and he muscled his way past Christophe Berra before steering his shot past Marcus Hahnemann.