Some post-match reaction for you:
Match report: Chelsea 2-5 West Brom
Jacob Steinberg was at Stamford Bridge to see West Brom stun Chelsea with an uncharacteristically brilliant team performance. Read on ...
Sam Allardyce speaks ...
“We’re really pleased and satisfied with how the players applied their tactics today,” he tells BT Sport. “We set out to control Chelsea’s attacks and see what we could do in possession of the ball. And because we were so good in possession of the ball on so many occasions, and our quality of finishing, it gave us a thoroughly deserved victory. People will look to the fact that they went down to 10 men and so on and so forth, but I’ve been a manager of many teams with 10 men that have won or at least not lost. We took full advantage.
“We started well, we created chances. I think Silva was lucky to stay on when he pulled Periera back with both his hands. Then we had to recover from when they scored but we did that brilliantly. All five goals were quality, not just the finishes but the quality of the build-ups. It’s just a shame we couldn’t have shared some of those quality finishes in some of the other games. But I’m thrilled and delighted with the performance today.”
Thomas Tuchel speaks ...
On where it all went wrong today: “Nothing so much until the red card and then we were not able to cope with the situation,” he tells BT Sport. “I don’t know why but it was like this. After the red card, we could not adapt to the situations, we gave away two very easy goals before half-time but even in the second half anything that could go wrong went wrong. We have to accept a big loss today and hopefully it’s a big wake-up call for all of us, me included.”
On Thiago’s red card: “I didn’t see it but neither of them were his mistake because in the build-up we give the ball away. We got a red card and it was impossible for us to adapt to the situation. It’s not typical for us to concede a goal in the added minutes before half-time and today we conceded two. It was clearly not our day today. I did not see this coming. We need to digest it, shake it off and get back to work tomorrow.”
Callum Robinson speaks: “Unbelievable day for all the boys, the staff, the football club and all the fans watching back at home,” he tells BT Sport. “It’s been a tough season, as you know, with where we are in the league but it’s nice to come here and get so many goals and really enjoy ourselves. That’s a really good Chelsea team, 10 men or not. They’ve got a lot of quality, so it’s a good day all round.”
Match summary: After a scrappy opening 25 minutes, Christian Pulisic gave Chelsea the lead. So far, so normal but then a red card for Thiago Silva turned the game on its head. West Brom scored twice in added time at the end of the first half, with Matheus Pereira bagging a quick-fire brace.
Having weathered a Chelsea storm, they increased their lead just after the hour through Callum Robinson and then Mbaye Diagne made it four with the goal of the game. Mason Mount pulled one back for Chelsea, only for Robinson to score his second of the game (and fifth out of five career Premier League goals against Chelsea) to further riff on their pain.
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Full time: Chelsea 2-5 West Brom
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at Stamford Bridge, where the Premier League has returned with, not so much a bang as a sonic boom. Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten run as Chelsea manager has come to a juddering halt, his side utterly demolished by West Brom in their first game back after the international break.
90+3 min: This is a quite extraordinary scoreline which nobody in their right mind could have predicted this morning. West Brom have looked like Brazil at times here and are well worth their win. Thomas Tuchel’s first defeat as Chelsea manager has been a total humiliation at the hands of the second worst team in the division.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-5 West Brom (Robinson 90+1)
Game, set and match, West Brom: Callum Robinson wraps up the points for the Baggies, running on to a Diagne pass with perfect timing before clipping the ball over Mendy.
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89 min: Chelsea will stay fourth on 51 points, just two points clear of West Ham.
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87 min: Assuming West Brom hold on for the win here, they’ll move to 21 points, seven behind Newcastle who are currently fourth from bottom and host Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow afternoon.
86 min: Diagne has a shot blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta as West Brom try to pile the hurt on Chelsea.
85 min: Conor Townsend gets goalside of Mason Mount to prevent the Chelsea midfielder from getting on the end of a Kovacic ball from deep. Good defending.
85 min: An Irishman tweets.
Can West Brom send this Callum Robinson rather than the other one for the next international window?
— Ewan MacKenna (@EwanMacKenna) April 3, 2021
82 min: A Reece James foul on Robinson earns West Brom a free-kick just inside their own half. It’s taken and Matty Phillips is penalised for offside.
80 min: Kovacic sends a weighted pass in behind the West Brom defence for Timo Werner to run on to. It’s a little too heavy and Sam Johnstone is quick enough off his line to beat the German to the ball.
79 min: Kurt Zouma concedes a corner, sticking out a leg to prevent Phillips from getting a cross into the Chelsea penalty area. Mendy flaps at the inswinger but Yokuslu heads over the bar.
77 min: Kyle Bartley slides in to prevent Reece James squaring the ball across the face of the West Brom goal, not too long after Kurt Zouma had fired over the bar from a corner.
74 min: West Brom’s fourth goal is really worth revisiting. Ajayi hooked the ball clear from a corner and Pereira and Robinson galloped up field. The ball was pinged to Townsend in the penalty area and he teed up Diagne with a sublime first-time back-heel. The West Brom striker fired into the bottom corner with a low diagonal finish.
73 min: Chelsea substitution: Kai Havertz on for Jorginho.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-4 West Brom (Mount 70)
Crikey! Chelsea give themselves a glimmer of hope. Marcos Alonso crossed from the left and the ball fell to Tim Werner about six yards out. He took a touch and instead of shooting with a defender in front of him, unselfishly laid the ball off to Mount, who tapped into a more or less empty net.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-4 West Brom (Diagne 67)
West Brom increase their lead again! From the corner, a lightning fast break on the counter results in Diagne finishing a splendid passing move with a neat finish. West Brom look home and hosed now.
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67 min: A Marcos Alonso cross-come-shot from the left is punched out for a corner by Johnstone. The ball’s floated into the West Brom penalty area and hooked away by Ajayi.
66 min: Mateo Kovacic is booked for a fairly reckless challenge on Semi Ajayi on the edge of the West Brom penalty area. The last thing Chelsea need here is to be reduced to nine men.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-3 West Brom (Robinson 63)
West Brom extend their lead! Callum Robinson volleys home a Darnell Furlong cross from the right into the top corner from just inside the Chelsea penalty area. That is a beauty!
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61 min: On a hat-trick, Matheus Pereira is put in behind the Chelsea defence and fires towards the bottom right-hand corner. Edouard Mendy saves with his legs and you’ve got to say that’s a big, big let-off for Chelsea.
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60 min: Marcos Alonso sends a low cross towards Werner, who has his back to goal on the edge of the West Brom penalty area. He spins and attempts to shoot first time but misses the ball completely. Oh Timo.
58 min: Mateo Kovacic marauds forward, moves the ball on to his right foot and unleashes a ashot. It takes a deflection on its way wide. Reece James takes the corner and Kurt Zouma shins the ball over the bar on the volley. Chelsea are looking dangerous here despite West Brom’s numerical superiority.
55 min: Chelsea win a free-kick in line with the left edge of the West Brom penalty area. Mount attempts to whip the ball inside the near post, but pulls his effort just wide of the upright. He had Johnstone beaten but his aim was a little off.
54 min: Kovacic plays Alonso in behind down the left with a wonderful ball from deep and the Spaniard’s attempted cross is blocked. The ball finds its way back to Kovacic and he crosses it towards the far post. Sam Johnstone pushes the ball into the path of Alonso, who looks to have equalised for Chelsea with a hooked effort. Semi Ajayi sticks out a leg and gets a crucial t0uch on to the post. Alonso cannot believe he hasn’t scored.
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51 min: Callum Robinson chrages down the centre of the pitch with the ball at his feet after intercepting a loose pass from Kurt Zouma. It’s very sloppy from Chelsea and West Brom are visibly growing in confidence.
50 min: West Brom win a thropw-in deep in Chelsea territory. The ball is hurled long towards Ajayi, who fouls Marcos Alonso. Free-kick for Chelsea.
48 min: Timo Werner lays the ball off to Alonso on the left flank and he combines with Jorginho as Chelsea spread the ball across the pitch, trying to find an opening.
46 min: West Brom begin on the front foot but a loose touch from Yokuslu on the edge of the Chelsea penalty areas gifts possession to the hosts.
Second-half: Chelsea 1-2 West Brom
46 min: Having conceded the first Premier League goals of the Thomas Tuchel era at Stamford Bridge, 10-man Chelsea kick off for the second half with plenty of work to do if they are to turn this game around. Mason Mount has been called off the bench and replaces Christian Pulisic. Timo Werner is a late arrival out on to the pitch, presumably having been attending a call of nature. Here’s hoping he hit the porcelain target.
Let’s pick the bones out of that: Despite obdurate West Brom defending, Chelsea took the lead when Christian Pulisic scored on the follow-up after Marcos Alonso had a free-kick touched on to the post by Sam Johstone. Already on a booking, Thiago Silva picked up a second yellow card for trying to protest his team’s lead with a clumsy attempted block on Okay Yokoslu.
Chelsea appeared to be coping with 10 men, attacking West Brom on the break, but lost their heads and went into panic mode after Matheus Pereira had equalised with a fine lob in time added on in the first half.
The Brazilian struck again a miinute or so later, receiving a pass on the right side of the Chelsea penalty area and shaping to shoot into one corner, before firing into the other instead. Hats off to Matt Phillips, who aided and abbetted his team-mate by acting as a blocker to ease the passage of the ball to his feet.
Half-time: Chelsea 1-2 West Brom
After five or more minutes of added time, the players of both sides troop off for the break. Having been a goal down, West Brom go in a goal and a man to the good after a very enteretaining and eventful first half.
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GOAL! Chelsea 1-2 West Brom (Pereira 45+5)
West Brom take the lead! Matheus Pereira shoots into the bottom right-hand corner with his left foot after selling a dummy to three Chelsea defenders who thought he was going to aim for the opposite one with his right. What a turnaround!
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45+3 min: West Brom almost take the lead, Matt Phillips cutting in from the right before curling a shot towards the far post. It looks bound for the top corner but hits the woodwork.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 West Brom (Pereira 45+2)
West Brom equalise: A long ball from Sam Johnstone in the West Brom goal bounces once, then twice in front of the Chelsea penalty area. Matheus Perira times his run to perfection, getting in behind the Chelsea defence to lift the ball over the advancing Eduaord Mendy. That’s a fine goal.
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45 min: Matt Phillips tries to pick Diagne with a low cross into the Chelsea penalty area from the right. Andreas Christensen cuts it out.
43 min: Chelsea break on a counter attack with Kovacic on the ball and Timo Werner and Reece James up in support. He plays the ball wide to James, who shoots straight at Sam Johnstone from distance.
41 min: Reece James cuts in from the right, then jinks this way and that before sending a low diagonal shot fizzing through the penalty area. Sam Johnstone palms the ball out for a corner. From that set-piece, Chelsea win another one. The ball’s sent in from the quadrant but Chelsea are penalised for some indiscretion or other in the penalty area.
38 min: Going back to Silva’s red card - he can have no complaints. Already on a yellow, he slid in to block a Yokuslu shot on goal but mistimed his lunge. He quite clearly caught the Turkish midfielder and knew the jig was up as soon as he did so, shaking his head forlornly.
36 min: West Brom substitution: Ivanovic’s cameo appearance ends and he’s replaced by Callum Robinson. WIth their one-man advantage, West Brom must be moving to a back four.
35 min: Ivanovic does enough to get in the way of Timo Werner as Chelsea break down the field on the counter. He’s had to go at full gallop there, the old man who came on without a warm-up and I think he’s pulled a hamstring.
34 min: Chelsea substitution: Andreas Christensen comes on to fill the Silva-shaped hole in Chelsea’s defence. A somewhat disgruntled Hakim Ziyech is sacrificed bvy an apologetic Thomas Tuchel.
32 min: A lot to unpick after an eventful couple of minutes. Marcos ALonso took a splendid free-kick, curling a shot away from the dive of Sam Johnstone but rattling the right upright. Christian Pulisic was quickest to react and got to the breaking ball just before Darnell Furlong, before spanking it home.
31 min: A goal down and a man up, West Brom have a free-kick just outside the CHelsea penalty area. Conor Townsend curls it high over the bar. That was a great opportunity to at least hit the target.
RED CARD! Thiago Silva is sent off
29 min: Already on a yellow card, Thiago Silva slides in to try to block a Yokuslu shot from the edge of the penalty area and accidentally takes out the Turkish midfielder. He’s off!
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Goal! Chelsea 1-0 West Brom (Pulisic 28)
Chelsea lead! Alonso hits the upright with his free-kick and Pulisic is quickest to react. He scores on the follow-up under pressure from the sprawling FUrlong.
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27 min: Kyle Bartley is lucky to avoid a booking for a challenge on Pulisic, but does concede a free-kick about 25 yards from his own goal, a little right of centre.
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26 min: Branislav Ivanovic moves into the centre of West Brom’s back three/five, with Kyle Bartley moving a little wider.
24 min: Dara O’Shea is forced off with an ankle injury, one he sustained in an accidental collision with his own team-mate Matt Phillips. Former Chelsea legend Branislav Ivanovic , 37, replaces him. Nothing comes of the Chelsea corner.
22 min: A curled Kovacic shot from the edge of the penalty area goes out for a corner off Yokuslu.
22 min: There’s a break in play as Dara O’Shea receives treatment for an injury over by the technical areas.
20 min: Furlong Jnr does well to clear a Reece Williams cross to the far post with Marcos Alonso lurking just behind him.
19 min: On BT Sport, Glenn Hoddle reveals that he once signed Darnell Furlong’s dad, Paul, for Chelsea from Watford. The fee, which was a club record in 1994? £2.3m.
18 min: Deep inside the West Brom half, Marcos Alonso is penalised for a foul on Okay Yokuslu.
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16 min: Timo Werner tries to square the ball across the face of the West Brom goal but his delivery is intercepted and cleared by O’Shea.
13 min: Mbaye Diagne is booked for catching Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta with a stray arm.
14 min: Reece James crosses from the right but Timo Werner is unable to connect with his delivery at the near post. The linesman flags for offside.
12 min: Marcos Alonso gets in behind the West Brom defence to latch on to a ball over the top from Jorginho. Uner pressure from Dara O’Shea, his low, diagonal drive towards the far corner is saved by Sam Johnstone.
10 min: Reece James and Hakim Ziyech combine down the right, with the latter sending a cross towards the far post with the outside of his left boot. Darnell Furlong stretches to head the ball into the arms of his side’s goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone.
8 min: Chelsea play the ball out from the back with Jorginho in possession before playing it sideways to Mateo Kovacic. He gives it away and Darnell Furlong wins a corner for his side as he attempts to get a cross in from the right. Nothing comes of the set piece, with Thiago heading the ball clear unopposed.
7 min: Chelsea are looking a little ring-rusty, with various players giving the ball away cheaply. Thiago Silva is the latest to gift possession to the Baggies.
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5 min: Thiago Silva takes one for the team, hauling Pereira to the ground on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area. Yellow card and a free-kick for West Brom directly in front of the Chelsea goal, a couple of feet right of centre. Pereira fires straight into the defensive wall.
3 min: West Brom get the ball forward and Mbaye Diagne holds off a defender before teeing up Matheus Pereira on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area. The Brazilian shoots straight at Eduoard Mendy.
2 min: Pulisic crosses to the far post from the left, but Werner and Ziyech were anticpating a delivery to the near one. West Brom clear again. There’s a definite pattern emerging here early doors.
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2 min: Conor Townsend plays the ball down the left touchline and Chelsea win possession. Hakim Ziyech whips a cross to the near post but it’s too high for the leaping Timo Werner. West Brom clear.
Chelsea v West Brom is go ...
1 min: West Brom get the ball rolling as the Premier League resumes after the international break.
Not long now: West Brom make the long walk through the Stamford Bridge car park from their temporary dressing-room, while Chelsea emerge from their usual quarters under the stand. The teams line up either side of the team of match officials for the last of ther pre-match prelininaries. Chelsea’s players wear their usual home kit of blue shirts, blue shorts and white socks. West Brom’s are wearing green and yellow striped shirts, green shorts and yellow socks.
Thomas Tuchel speaks: “We did not think about the Champions League game, we just thought about the game today,” he tells BT Sport, when asked what motivated his selection. “In the end we took the decision for all guys who had yesterday and the day before training with us. So in the end we went for the usual rhythm of workload, recovery and sleep at home.
“We had six guys like Mason Mount, Chilly [Ben Chilwell] and Kai Havertz who played on Wednesday and did not take full part in training yesterday, so in the end I went for the usual rhythm of a little bit more freshness and recovery. We put out all guys who finished the session yesterday completely. We also have good impact from the bench.”
Those teams: As expected, Mason Mount gets a rest after his exertions over the international break, while Thiago Silva returns from injury. Thomas Tuchel has made six changes from Chelsea’s last Premier League excursion but Tammy Abraham isn’t quite ready to return and is not included in the matchday squad.
In the West Ham ranks, Sam Allardyce has brough in an extra defender in the form of Semi Ajayi to replace Conor Gallagher and looks likely to line his team up with a back five.
Chelsea v West Brom line-ups
Chelsea: Mendy, Alonso, Silva, Zouma, Azpilicueta, James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Pulisic, Werner, Ziyech
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Rudiger, Christensen, Giroud, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Chilwell, Gilmour, Havertz
West Brom: Johnstone, Furlong, Bartley, Ajayi, Townsend, O’Shea, Yokuslu, Phillips, Maitland-Niles, Pereira, Diagne
Subs: Button, Robson-Kanu, Robinson, Livermore, Diangana, Ivanovic, Peltier, Snodgrass, Grant
We're home! 😍#CHEWBA pic.twitter.com/v3fDAFZVa2
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 3, 2021
Today’s match officials
- Referee: David Coote.
- Assistants: Neil Davies and Nick Hopton.
- Fourth official: Darren England.
- VAR: Chris Kavanagh.
- Assistant VAR: Peter Kirkup.
Early team news: Tammy Abraham and Thiago Silva both returned to training during the international break and could be available for selection for today’s game. Having played two-and-a-half of England’s three World Cup qualifiers, Mason Mount may be rested by Chelsea, which could mean a start for Christian Pulisic. N’Golo Kante has been rul;ed out.
West Brom have a clean bill of health but will be forced to make do without Conor Gallagher, who is on loan at the Hawthorns from Chelsea and not allowed to appear against his parent club.
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Premier League: Chelsea v West Brom
Easter is upon us, the internatinoal break is in the rear-view mirror and the players of Chelsea and West Brom get the ball rolling as the Premier League rounds the final bend and enters the home stretch this season.
Still unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel, fourth placed Chelsea will fancy their chances of chalking up another win in the credit side of their ledger as they host a West Brom side that already look doomed to relegation with just nine games left to save themselves.
Sam Allardyce’s side will hope to catch their hosts cold, with the Saturday lunchtime game immediately after an international break being far from ideal for anyone involved. Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is at 12.30pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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