Summary
A single Demba Ba goal, scored from close-range
in the first half, gave Chelsea a third home league win in a row.
The Blues had the chances for more goals, Oscar
in particular having a frustrating afternoon in front of the target, but it was
a game that only found a high gear on a few occasions. The handful of times
West Brom did threaten the Chelsea goal they found Petr Cech on-form and
unbeatable. There was some neat approach play at times from the home team who
claimed a deserved victory.
Team news
Frank Lampard returned to midfield to become
Chelsea's joint third highest appearance maker of all-time and played alongside
Ramires. Ahead was Juan Mata making it 100 Chelsea games in less than two years
for the Spanaird who operated behind the returning Ba, with Oscar and Eden
Hazard the wide midfielders.
David Luiz partnered Branislav Ivanovic in
central defence.
West Brom, without on-loan Romelu Lukaku, were
able to pass Shane Long fit to play as a lone striker. Their defence was
unchanged but they drafted in Graham Dorrans and and Marc-Antoine Fortune to
play wide in a 4-2-3-1 shape, mirroring Chelsea and a change from their recent
4-4-2.
First half
With Tottenham having gone ahead of Chelsea in
the table last weekend and the north London derby to come on Sunday afternoon,
this game at the Bridge was all about winning the three points to put added
pressure on Spurs and Arsenal ahead of that clash.
Oscar could, and probably should have put the
Blues in front with just three minutes played, the chance made by an exquisite
ball by Ba who had taken possession out wide and passed low and out of reach of
West Brom's retreating central defence. It came to Oscar just eight yards out
but his first-time stab was pushed wide by Ben Foster.
Mata shot across the face of goal and wide
moments later before West Brom counter-punched with a Steven Reid free-kick,
arrowed past the Chelsea defensive wall. Cech had taken up the correct position
and tipped it over the bar.
With 15 minutes played, Oscar was again found on
the edge of the six-yard box and in a central position, this time by a Mata
cross after Ramires had made in-roads with a run through the middle. The
Brazilian's header was straight at Foster. The mask-free Ba was next to find
the West Brom keeper's hands, with a skidding shot.
Juan Mata
Chelsea were pushing hard for an opener and
Hazard, scorer of an important goal in the previous outing at the Bridge, was
the player who looked most on his game, frequently coming deep or switching
wings to get the team playing.
West Brom were limited in their ambition at this
stage of the contest but their many bodies back could not prevent Chelsea
having a shot on goal when Yacob fouled Oscar. David Luiz took the free-kick
and it was made harder for Foster when it deflected up off the wall, but the
former England keeper made it to the top corner to claw the ball wide.
From the corner that followed, the Blues opened
the scoring. Oscar and Lampard combined to send a cross to the far post where
David Luiz did well to head down and back to Ba. From six yards out the
Senegalese swept the ball home. There were 27 minutes played.
Demba Ba scores
Mata went close soon after and then Oscar sweetly
half-volleyed a Mata corner. It looked net-bound until a West Brom leg kicked
it wide. Oscar wasn't having the luck in front of goal. He and Azpilicueta had
further shots blocked.
Chelsea had been well on top but would have liked
more than a single-goal lead to take into the dressing room at the break to
reflect that balance of play. Fortune's strong running down the right had
caused some difficulties for the home team on odd occasions but the early
free-kick apart, Cech had been largely untroubled.
There was decent applause for the players for
their first-half performance as they went down the tunnel, but a hobbling
Ramires was assisted by the medical staff as he made the journey.
Second half
Ramires recovered during the interval and took
his place among two unchanged sides at the kick-off.
The wait for the 200th Lampard goal continued.
Mata ran offside before squaring a Hazard pass to Lamps to find the net early
in the half and then the captain on the day hit a free-kick into the wall.
Hazard was the game's first booked player for a
late challenge near the corner flag. Chelsea had the Baggies penned well back.
Hazard later believed he should have had a
penalty when he and Olsson collided in the area. It was side-to-side contact
and the ref waved play on.
Hazard is fouled against West Brom
There was an hour played and time was becoming an
increasing concern for the trailing visitors. Steve Clarke made his first
change - Peter Odemwingie coming on for Fortune.
A foul was given for a challenge on Hazard by
McAuley and it warranted a booking. This was wide outside the area however and
the free-kick was cleared.
David Luiz took his turn to fire a free-kick into
the wall before, on 77 minutes, yet another instalment of the dual between
Oscar and Foster ended in the keeper's favour. Azpilicueta had sent over a
speculative cross that Ba headed down well, but the shot from the no.11 was too
straight.
Moses came on for Hazard soon after, the first
Chelsea change, but before the substitute touched the ball, Oscar collected a
throw and turned and wriggled into enough space to properly test Foster with an
angled shot. This time it needed a diving stop to deny the Chelsea midfielder.
The value of the insurance of a second goal was
emphasised when the best was brought out of Cech twice in a minute; the first
time from an Odemwingie free-kick and then from close-range by a deflection off
Azpilicueta as he tried to defend a corner.
Frank Lampard in action against West Brom
Lampard volleyed well over as that goal proved
beyond the Blues and as we survived four minutes added time there were some
strong defensive headers inside our area. Cech was asked to save one more low
shot before Demba Ba's first goal since mid-January proved enough to win the
three points.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, David Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Lampard (c);
Hazard (Moses 80), Mata (Mikel 90+4), Oscar; Ba (Torres 87).
Unused subs Turnbull, Cahill, Terry, Bertrand.
Scorer Ba 28
Booked Hazard 55.
West Brom (4-2-3-1): Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson (c), Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Yacob (Rosenberg
82); Fortune (Odemwingie 61), Morrison, Dorrans (Thomas 70); Long.
Unused subs: Myhill, Jones, Tamas, Brown.
Booked McAuley 64, Odemwingie 84.
Referee Kevin Friend.
Crowd 41,548.
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