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West Brom v CHELSEA: Preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venue: The Hawthorns

Date: Tuesday, 11 February

Kick-off: 20.00 GMT

The weekend was kind to us, with Arsenal being humiliated at Anfield and City coming back from Norwich with just the one point whilst we put in another good performance to take all 3 points at home to Newcastle. Those 3 points put us a point clear of Arsenal at the top of the table and with the 2nd and 3rd placed clubs resting til tomorrow, tonight’s game at The Hawthorns gives us the opportunity of widening that gap to four points.

Not that a win away at West Brom is a forgone conclusion, given we’ve lost on our previous 2 trips to The Hawthorns. Although in our favour, the Baggies have since sacked Steve Clarke and subsequently dropped into the relegation zone – evidently as smart a decision as selling Shane Long!

 

MANAGER’S VIEWS

Going into tonight’s game, Baggies manager Pepe Mel, evidently getting the hang of this football lark, is clear of the number of minutes he expects from his players, saying “If we play for only 40 or 60 minutes then it is impossible to beat Chelsea. So I want to see my players play as one team together, pressing together and dropping off together in set-plays.  Football is a big game.  Today it’s white, tomorrow it’s black. For me it is very important for my players that they think it is possible to win.  Hard work will help us manage that, although the most important thing for me is we play for 90 minutes.  Of course it is disappointing to be in the bottom three. We need to win to move up the table, and this is what I and my players are working for.”

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho meanwhile, (obviously hoping we play a minimum of 93 minutes if the Baggies are only playing for 90) says, “West Brom will be a difficult match.  [They have] a difficult crowd, they defend well, they have physical people in defence and attack and their midfield is organised and they have some talent in attack. And we only have two days to rest – but that’s for both sides.”

 

SQUAD NEWS

For West Brom, Nicolas Anelka, Jonas Olsson and Stephane Sessegnon are all injured and Billy Jones (knee) is given as doubtful.  Thievy Bifouma could start after making his goalscoring debut as a sub against Crystal Palace.

For Chelsea, van Ginkel is a long term absentee and John Terry misses his second game with a muscle strain. Fernando Torres is available again.

 

TEAMS

CHELSEA (From): Cech, Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Luiz, Chaill, Cole, Azpilicueta, Kalas, Ramires, Lampard, Mikel, Matic, Oscar, Schurrle, Salah, Hazard, Ba, Willian, Eto’o, Torres.

WEST BROM (From): Foster, Myhill, Reid, Popov, Ridgewell, Lugano, McAuley, Dawson, Jones, Yacob, Morrison, Sinclair, Brunt, Dorrans, Amalfitano, Mulumbu, Gera, Anichebe, Vydra, Berahino, Bifouma.

 

LAST MEETING

Chelsea 2-2 West Brom (9th November 2013)

 

PREDICTION

West Brom have won their last two matches against us at The Hawthorns, losing just one of their last four games against us. On current form though, the Baggies haven’t won in their last four under new manager Pepe Mel, and have won just once in their last 15 Premier League games. They’ve only managed 3 clean sheets in 22 league games as well, so if we can’t get a result tonight, with 26 points out of the last 30 available and 7 clean sheets in 9 games, then maybe Mourinho’s right about the title this season.

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