It was a game of two halves at the Hawthorns. Chelsea were stunned as the Baggies took chance after chance to lead 3-0 at the break. However, a spirited second-half come back saw the Blues snatch a late equaliser for a share of the spoils.
Player Ratings
Ratings are out of ten.
Willy Caballero – Picked ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga the Argentine was given an excellent opportunity to stake a claim with new signing Edouard Mendy added to their goalkeeping options. Unfortunately, the 38-year-old didn’t shine, easily beaten on three occasions – 5
Reece James – Great going forward, but work to be done on his defensive ability. Was given a problematic afternoon by the Baggies attack – 6.
Andreas Christensen – A surprising selection. The Dane struggled as did the entire back-four. – 6.
Thiago Silva – A rude awakening to the premier league. The Brazilian will have to get used to the pace, and hustle and bustle approach to football. An uncharacteristic error cost the Blues. – 6.
Marcos Alonso– Great at wing-back, but as part of a back-four, he struggles. Defensively he doesn’t cut it. Has to take the blame for two of the goals – 4.
N’Golo Kante – Improved after the break as everyone was poor in the first half. – 6.5.
Mateo Kovacic – Struggled throughout. Looks to be lacking match sharpness at the moment. – 6.
Kai Havertz – Didn’t enjoy the same freedom as Barnsley. Worked hard and picked up an assist – 7.
Mason Mount – Worked tirelessly. A fabulous strike to get the Blues back in the game. – 7.5.
Timo Werner– Hit the bar, and had a shot well saved. Worked hard throughout, but looked a bit isolated on the left. – 7.5.
Tammy Abraham– Not his best game. Missed an early chance and on another day could have had a hattrick. However, he was in the right place at the right time to score late on. A proper poachers goal. – 7.
Substitutes
Cesar Azpilicueta – Made a difference by improving and organising defensive duties. – 7.
Callum Hudson-Odoi – A fabulous second-half performance from the youngster. His confidence grew with a well-taken goal. Looked impressive and more comfortable on the left-hand side – 8. (Man Of The Match)
Olivier Giroud – Came on for the last 20-minutes. Put himself about with some clever touches. – 7.
