André Villas-Boas does not come across as a man who would welcome any undue fuss for a birthday. He turns 34 on Monday, and has no special plans.

"Work. Maybe dinner with my wife," he said a little reluctantly after watching a routine victory for his new team. But his present may well come in the week ahead. Chelsea meet the Belgian champions, Genk, on Wednesday, and then on a derby weekend are looking to close ground on at least one of the Manchester clubs as United and City lock horns while they drop in at Loftus Road.

They may not be in full swing yet but Chelsea are in a very handy position. It must be comforting for Villas-Boas to be able to mould his team – this selection did the business without the suspended Fernando Torres and the rested David Luiz and allowed for another cameo from Oriol Romeu – while maintaining a 100% success rate at home. Three goals poached from inside the six-yard box, three points, thank you and goodnight.

"Fine-tuning" is how Villas-Boas defines Chelsea's current situation. "The amount of games we have will help the team to play better. We have not done anything special. We have to keep going to find a position of comfort at the top of the table. That's where we want to be."

For Everton, a third consecutive defeat was demoralising, all the more so as they were not without hope that they could eke out a result here, having journeyed south with an excellent record at Stamford Bridge. They duly began without inhibitions. Petr Cech made a fumbling save, and Mikel John Obi made an exemplary defensive intervention to prevent Marouane Fellaini from having a free shot.

Early on Chelsea struggled to get a foothold. Didier Drogba led the line without the power of his prime, potshots came from distance, but from unusual suspects such as José Bosingwa and Ashley Cole. No danger.

No panic, either. All of a sudden, two slick passes changed everything. Juan Mata switched possession to Cole, whose cross hung beautifully to allow Daniel Sturridge to nod Chelsea ahead from close range. His fourth goal of the season was greeted appreciatively in the Shed, who chanted "Sturridge for England".

In first-half stoppage time Frank Lampard was the architect of Chelsea's second, with a perfectly flighted free-kick into the heart of the penalty area. John Terry bulldozed in front of Tim Howard to direct his header into the net.

"A killer," rued Moyes, who was disappointed that poor defending helped Chelsea on their way. That was the opposite to the foundation of all Everton's positive results here in recent seasons. "I don't know what the difference was," he mused. "Maybe that 400 million difference turned up after 20 minutes, eh?"

One of the players who was recruited at the kind of fee beyond Everton's means was the lively and intelligent Mata, who gave Chelsea a new dimension. Just after the hour mark the Spaniard steered in a cross from the left, and Ramires timed his run for another close-range finish. Unfortunately for the in-form Brazilian, he took a knock on the knee in the process of scoring, and hobbled off, although Villas-Boas dismissed any worries afterwards.

Everton still found it in them to respond, when the substitute Apostolos Vellios slid in a footnote with his first touch seconds after coming on. But there would be no more drama.

With a home record as powerful as Chelsea's in recent years, as well as all the heartstrings that are attached to the place, it is little wonder the most traditional of fans are resistant to the idea of moving from Stamford Bridge. Following the club's noises about tying up loose ends in terms of housekeeping, fans outside the ground were leafleted. "If we lose this battle, the club can relocate ANYWHERE without any consultation with supporters," wrote the Say No CPO group, which is campaigning against the sale of the Stamford Bridge pitch from a fans' body to the club.

Inside, a little banner swirled over the heads of the crowd beneath Roman Abramovich's box: "This is our home." It was not exactly mutiny, but it was something, even if it must have made Everton's supporters wonder.

Decrying ambitions to upgrade facilities paid for by their billionaire benefactor? They could only wish to have that complaint.