Preview: West Brom vs Chelsea Premier League 15/04/2011
The Hawthorns will witness Premier League match time again, as West Brom get set to welcome Chelsea in match week 33 on Saturday, April 16.
Saturday’s game is the second of a two-legged contest, with the first, hosted by Chelsea on August 14, 2010, having ended 6-0 in Chelsea’s favour. In their season opener, Chelsea appeared to carry on from where they had left off the previous championship winning season, by getting the scoreboard moving, barely five minutes into the game, when Malouda scored the first of his two goals in the match. Drogba chose the occasion to record a hattrick, and Lampard’s struck in the 64th minute of a game that was a nightmare for the Albion defence.
Chelsea’s dominant win helped erase memories of rusty pre-season form displayed especially by players like Cech and Drogba. The win was to launch an early season lead on the points table that Chelsea were to enjoy for about 15 weeks, until they conceded the lead to Manchester United.
Despite some good individual performances by the likes of Mulumbu, Thomas and Dorrans, Albion were out of their league, against the champions.
Head to head, Chelsea have enjoyed a 9-0 clean sweep in the last nine league games between the sides.
In their last 10 league games, West Brom have registered 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses; Chelsea have won 6 of their last 10, while losing and drawing 2 each. Of their 16 home games this season, West Brom have won 6, drawn 6 and lost 4, while Chelsea have won 6 of their 16 games on the road, while drawing and losing 5 each.
In match week 32, West Brom won 3-2 away at Sunderland, while Chelsea registered a 1-0 home win against Wigan.
Chelsea’s hopes of retaining their crown have faded but the champions could still hope to displace Arsenal in second position. West Brom, in mid-table, appear safe – for now– from the relegation mine, but are merely seven points adrift of West Ham in 18th place. Any points salvaged from Saturday’s game would help, in an extremely tight season.
West Brom’s starting eleven against Sunderland had the following players: Carson, Reid, Olsson, Meite, Shorey, Thomas, Scharner, Mulumbu, Brunt, Odemwingie and Cox. Morrison, Tamas and Fortune were used as substitutes.
Chelsea had the following men in their starting eleven against Wigan: Cech, Ferreira, Ivanovic, David Lutz, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba and Malouda. Alex, Benayoun and Torres played as substitutes.
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