“I’m probably just being a bit thick,” says Mac Millings, “but if it was a handball by Havertz, why would it matter what phase of play it was?”
Because the referee didn’t see it and VAR can only intervene if oh I haven’t a clue any more.
Both managers look disappointed as they leave the field - Slaven Bilic because West Brom lost a 3-0 lead, Frank Lampard because Chelsea were 3-0 down in the first place. It was a dramatic and slightly weird game, with some appalling defending from Chelsea in the first half. They fought back admirably after half time, with the substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi having his best game for many a month.
Updated
Full time: West Brom 3-3 Chelsea
Peep peep!
90+6 min Chelsea are pushing for a winner. Hudson-Odoi’s cross is booted somewhere, anywhere, by Field.
It was a clear handball from Havertz, so they must have decided it was a different phase of play. That’s debatable. After the ball hit Havertz’s arm it was half cleared by Robson-Kanu to Mount, whose low shot through a crowd was pushed away by the diving Johnstone. Abraham reacted quickest to walk the ball into the net.
Updated
GOAL GIVEN!
GOAL! West Brom 3-3 Chelsea (Abraham 90+3)
Tammy Abraham equalises - but there might have been a handball in the build-up.
90+2 min Mount’s cross is punched away unconvincingly by Johnstone. The ball falls to Werner, whose fierce shot is deflected over the bar.
90 min Five minutes of added time. West Brom make their final change: the excellent Matheus Pereira is replaced by Sam Field.
89 min Werner tries to play a give-and-go with Giroud in the area. One of the many West Brom defenders forces the ball away.
89 min Werner’s long-range shot is comfortably saved by Johnstone.
Updated
86 min Christensen is booked for clattering Robson-Kanu.
85 min Werner spins smartly on the left side of the area to lose Ajayi, who makes an excellent recovery tackle.
83 min James allows West Brom to waste a bit more time with a brainless foul on Pereira.
Updated
82 min Furlong is booked for timewasting at a throw-in.
Updated
79 min The corner is headed away as far as Phillips, whose shot from the edge of the area is blocked by Hudson-Odoi. I think that hit him in the face.
78 min An outrageous flick from Pereira finds Robson-Kanu, whose mishit shot deflects behind for a corner...
76 min Azpilicueta’s long-range curler is comfortably saved by Johnstone.
75 min West Brom almost restore their two-goal lead. Sawyers, given far too much time to line up a shot, drives just wide from 25 yards.
74 min And now a change for West Brom. Matt Phillips replaces Grady Diangana.
Updated
73 min Olivier Giroud is coming on to replace Thiago Silva, which means a switch to three at the back.
Updated
That was immaculate from Chelsea. Hudson-Odoi cut infield from the left, played a slick one-two with Havertz and threaded a first-time shot into the far corner. West Brom thought there was a foul in the build-up to the goal; I’m not sure whether it was checked by VAR.
Updated
GOAL! West Brom 3-2 Chelsea (Hudson-Odoi 70)
That is a beautiful goal.
Updated
68 min I’m surprised Olivier Giroud hasn’t come on; this situation is perfect for him.
67 min Hudson-Odoi, who has been very dangerous since moving to the left, finds Mount in space on the edge of the D. His first shot hits one of the outrushing West Brom defenders.
66 min A change for West Brom. Hal Robson-Kanu replaces Callum Robinson, who scored two excellent early goals.
63 min Mount’s first-time shot from the edge of the area has the string taken out of it by O’Shea.
62 min The lively Hudson-Odoi wins a corner off Furlong. It’s a poor one from Mount, cleared at the near post by Pereira.
61 min Hudson-Odoi has a long-range shot blocked by Livermore. This will be a long half hour for West Brom.
60 min Hudson-Odoi and Werner have switched wings, so Hudson-Odoi is now on the left.
59 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Chelsea’s back line are defending like there’s no Tomori.”
58 min Robinson, 35 yards out, tries to complete a hat-trick in style. Goalkick to Chelsea.
57 min Almost a second for Chelsea. After a nice touch from Mount, Havertz’s deflected shot is punched behind by the stretching Johnstone.
Azpilicueta played a simple ball to Mount, 25 yards from goal. He lost Livermore cleverly and cut across an excellent strike that beat Johnstone at the near post. Johnstone didn’t move so he must have been unsighted.
Updated
GOAL! West Brom 3-1 Chelsea (Mount 55)
There’s one back.
54 min West Brom get a bit of a breather by keeping the ball for the best part of a minute.
53 min Abraham wins a corner for Chelsea, though West Brom are convinced the last touch was off him. Not that it matters - the corner is cleared.
51 min It’s all Chelsea. West Brom are struggling to get out of their third, never mind their half.
50 min “That Chelsea kit deserves to be 3-0 down, at least,” says Andy Bradshaw.
49 min Havertz plays a good pass to Abraham on the right of the area. He tries to find Werner but hie cross is cut out at the near post. It’s attack v defence, as it was for most of the first half.
Updated
47 min “Evening Rob,” says Tom Hopkins. “I suggest that Gary Megson could easily get a team into the top four this season. Just have a properly organised defence and wait for the other team to give you a present.”
Or three.
46 min Chelsea begin the second half.
Chelsea have made a double change: Alonso and Kovacic off, Azpilicueta and Hudson-Odoi on. Mason Mount will presumably move back into midfield.
“Well, on many occasions James has shown his talent,” writes Vinuja. “Hence why he has won Lampard’s trust. But hands down the work rate Azpilicueta delivers with his leadership skills is amazing.”
Half-time reading
Half time: West Brom 3-0 Chelsea
Peep peep! A combination of ruthless finishing and hideous defending means that Chelsea are 3-0 down in a game they have dominated. Callum Robinson scored twice, the second after a rank howler from Thiago Silva, and Kyle Bartley was given his own personal postcode to add a third. Football, eh.
45 min “The cultural exchange programme between Germany and the UK is working wonders,” says Giancarlo Sandoval. “In what other way could two young Germans experience anything similar to the feeling of losing 3-0 to West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. I can’t think of anything as comparable or enriching.”
44 min Diangana shoots over from the edge of the area after a decent West Brom break. That’s their first shot of the match that hasn’t gone in.
43 min “It’s a tad opportunistic, but I’ve never thought Reece James warrants a starting spot,” says Roberto Álvarez. “Is there any right-back that defends better than Azpilicueta in the Premier League?”
Do you not think Azpilicueta is slightly past his best? In fairness to James, in this match he has been very dangerous at both ends.
41 min Alonso’s free-kick hits the wall.
41 min Kovacic is fouled by Sawyers 25 yards from goal. This time it’s to the right of centre, so Alonso will probably take it.
40 min Chelsea have had 72 per cent possession and nine shots. West Brom have had three shots and lead 3-0.
40 min Another chance for Abraham, who sweeps over the bar from James’ cutback. It wasn’t as clear as his earlier opportunity, though he should probably have worked Johnstone.
37 min It took Chelsea five minutes or so to get over the shock of the second and third goals, but now they are dominating the match again.
34 min Mount’s shot takes a deflection and spins a few yards wide of the far post. If Chelsea stay patient they can still draw or even win this game. It would help if they stopped playing silly buggers at the back as well.
Updated
33 min “Further to Simon McMahon’s story about enjoying life in the foothills of the apocalypse,” begins James Humphries, “I thought you might like to know that clicking over to the MBM just now having not looked at it since kick-off gave me the first genuine belly laugh I’ve had all week. I might go and open a beer myself.”
32 min A frustrated Havertz is lucky not to be booked for a lunge at Bartley. Chelsea, unsurprisingly, look shell-shocked.
31 min “Can they program the electronically generated crowd noise to do ‘Sacked in the morning?” wonders Jake Lynch.
29 min Chelsea’s defending for all three goals has been, a-hem, imperfect.
The corner was angled sharply towards Furlong on the edge of the box. He flicked a header into the six-yard box, where Bartley had a scandalous amount of time to sidefoot the ball calmly into the corner. At first he looked offside, but replays show he was being played on by James.
Updated
GOAL! West Brom 3-0 Chelsea (Bartley 28)
Oh my days.
27 min Diangana wins a corner for Chelsea. Reece James has been booked for a foul earlier in the move.
Thiago received a return pass from Kovacic on the edge of the centre circle, but lost concentration and let the ball run under his foot. Robinson nipped in, charged through on goal and beat Caballero with an emphatic low drive.
Updated
GOAL! West Brom 2-0 Chelsea (Robinson 25)
Callum Robinson gets his second after a howler from Thiago Silva!
23 min James’ cross is slightly behind Werner, who can only volley it up in the air. It loops towards goal and is claimed by Johnstone.
23 min “Has Lampard shown any nous to date, whether true actions or words, to suggest he deserves a job in the top two leagues?” says Andrew Hurley. “He has collected half forwards but has an absolutely terrible defence & has done very little (Thiago is too slow) to address it... does he think he’s playing Championship Manager?”
22 min Kovacic loses the ball to Sawyers in midfield. Pereira floats a crossfield pass to Diangana, who chests the ball into the area and is about to shoot when Christensen makes a good interception.
21 min Havertz looks so much better as a No10 than he did in the first two league games, when he played wide right and then as a false nine.
20 min Havertz plays a good pass through to Mount, who moves to the edge of the area but then picks the wrong option.
19 min Werner skips past Furlong and flashes a cross that beats everyone in the middle. Chelsea are well on top, despite the scoreline.
16 min “I remember when Chelsea last kept a clean sheet in the league,” says Stephen Carr. “The year was 19-odd-six and I was wearing an onion on my belt - which was the style at the time...”
15 min: Werner hits the bar! It’s coming. Mount breaks into space down the right and clips a sharp cross towards Werner, whose cushioned volley clatters off the top of the bar.
14 min Chelsea have had 77 per cent of the possession.
12 min: Abraham misses a great chance! Chelsea should be level. James, on the right, curls a wonderful cross into the corridor of uncertainty. It bounces up towards Abraham at the far post, but he slices it wide from six yards. Although the bounce was slightly awkward, Abraham should have scored.
Updated
10 min A good strike from Havertz, 20 yards from goal, is pushed away by the diving Johnstone. It was a comfortable save, but that’s a sign of Havertz’s increasing confidence.
10 min Chelsea were having most of the ball even before West Brom scored. The goal has made them even more dominant, with West Brom playing on the break.
9 min “Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I’m sitting at home with a glass of beer and a pretzel, Field Music’s Measure on the turntable, my team Dundee United having secured a solid point away from home, the last of the late September sunshine still drifting in through the window before the milky twilight descends. It doesn’t feel like the end of days, though I’m sure Romulus Augustus thought the same in 476. And he didn’t have VAR to worry about either.”
8 min Alonso is booked for pulling back Ajayi.
7 min Mount’s free-kick hits the wall.
6 min Chelsea win a free-kick 25 yards out, slightly to the left of centre. Mount, Alonso and James are over the ball...
That was West Brom’s first attack. Alonso’s loose header was picked up by Pereira, who moved into space and slid an angled pass to Robinson on the edge of the area. He shifted it onto his left foot and hit a rasping drive that went through the legs of James, beat Caballero’s dive and nestled in the far corner.
Updated
GOAL! West Brom 1-0 Chelsea (Robinson 4)
Callum Robinson gives West Brom the lead with a cracking goal!
Updated
2 min Chelsea have set up as expected: 4-2-3-1, with Havertz behind Abraham. Werner is roaming from the left.
1 min Peep peep! West Brom kick off from left to right.
The players are ready to go on a cool evening at the Hawthorns. Chelsea are wearing their new third kit; it’s quite striking.
I forgot to say that Thiago Silva captains Chelsea on his Premier League debut. The club captain, Cesar Azpilicueta, is on the bench.
“Evening Rob,” says Matt Turland. “This season has had an absolute abundance of goals and today’s games have already kept up the goalfest. It may be tempting fate but this game is going to have goals in it, isn’t it? I mean, two suspect defences, two attacking ‘philosophies’ and a complete disregard for anything approaching tactics means it has to have goals.”
The goalless draw is in danger of becoming extinct.
“I see you have Christensen in the starting eleven,” says Lasse Espe. “Didn’t he earn a suspension after getting sent off against Liverpool?”
Yep - he served it during the Carabao Cup game in midweek.
Everton are top of the Premier League. They beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park to continue their great start, though the winning goal came from another debatable penalty.
Pre-match reading
Team news
Willy Caballero replaces poor Kepa in goal. Thiago Silva makes his Premier League debut and Tammy Abraham also starts. West Brom make one change from the team that lost at Goodison last weekend: Conor Townsend replaces the suspended Kieran Gibbs.
West Brom (3-4-2-1) Johnstone; Ajayi, Bartley, O’Shea; Furlong, Livermore, Sawyers, Townsend; Pereira, Diangana; Robinson.
Substitutes: Button, Kipre, Phillips, Harper, Field, Robson-Kanu, Edwards.
Chelsea (possible 4-2-3-1) Caballero; James, Christensen, Silva, Alonso; Kante, Kovacic; Mount, Havertz, Werner; Abraham.
Substitutes: Kepa, Tomori, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Barkley, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi.
Referee Jon Moss.
Updated
Preamble
Hello. It’s not just students who have had their buzz harshed by Covid-19 restrictions. Promoted teams rely on their home form to establish themselves in the Premier League, so the absence of crowds - rabid, newly promoted crowds at that - is likely to impact their chances of survival.
Under normal circumstances the Hawthorns would be boinging for the visit of Chelsea. Without home support, the players will have to generate their own defiance. We’re only two games into a long season, but West Brom need a decent result as a matter of urgency. They lost those games 3-0 and 5-2, although they did play well at Everton until Kieran Gibbs got himself sent off just before half-time. It does get a bit easier after today, at least in theory: their next four games are against Southampton, Burnley, Brighton and Fulham.
Mind you, this isn’t the worst time to play Chelsea. They have the usual problems in goal, and Frank Lampard is still bedding in his various summer signings. The latest, the Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy, is unlikely to play, but Thiago Silva could make his Premier League debut. Kai Havertz, who made himself at home with a hat-trick against Barnsley in the week, will surely start.
Kick off 5.30pm.
Updated
