Chelsea made the breakthrough in first-half injury time at the Britannia Stadium when Walters inadvertently put Cesar Azpilicueta's cross past his own goalkeeper with a bullet header. Improbably, Walters then diverted a Juan Mata into his own goal to make it 2-0 in the 63rd minute and two minutes later Lampard blasted home his 194th Chelsea goal from the penalty spot after Mata went down in the Stoke box.
Stoke had not been beaten at home all season but that record was shattered, with Eden Hazard adding a superb fourth in the 73rd minute with a sweetly struck left-foot shot from 25 yards. Chelsea fans had even more reason to cheer when captain John Terry came on as a substitute following a two-month injury lay-off, while Walters blazed a last-minute penalty over the crossbar to compound his misfortune.