So far so bad for defending champions Chelsea. The Blues have yet to win a game after drawing with Swansea and losing a blowout against Manchester City, but they could get back on the right track against a struggling team in West Bromwich Albion. West Brom have also collected just a point after their first two matches, but could get a crucial win considering their history at home against Chelsea.
Read on for a breakdown of this intriguing Premier League fixture. Get some more of the world’s best soccer action with our complete previews for Arsenal vs. Liverpool and Everton vs. Manchester City.
West Bromwich Albion managed to bag a point in a scoreless draw against Watford on Saturday. The Baggies were uninspiring, failing to register a single shot on target. They had an excellent shot late with Rickie Lambert playing the ball across goal, only for Saido Berahino to head it off target.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Berahino was one of West Brom’s bright spots last season, scoring a team-high 14 goals and assisting in another in 32 appearances. Berahino can’t do it all alone, which prompted the club to sign promising Ecuadorian forward Salomon Rondon to a record £12 million. Rondon showed off his potential by scoring 13 goals in 17 appearances for the Russian Premier League’s Zenit St. Petersberg.
West Brom failed to score in consecutive Premier League games under manager Tony Pulis for only the second time. The Baggies may finally be able to score after being held to just two shots on target from their first two matches. Chelsea’s defense hasn’t been at its best, allowing a total of five goals through the first two matches.
The Baggies are unbeaten in their last three league matches at home against Chelsea.
Betting on Chelsea
Chelsea are on to their worst start in the Premier League since 1998, collecting just a single point in their first two matches. The Blues were trounced 3-0 by Manchester City on Sunday as they continued to look lackluster on the pitch.
Star striker Diego Costa had an uneventful day. He was denied a penalty after his forehead was cut in a collision with Man City’s Fernandinho. Much later on, Costa would hit the woodwork after beating Joe Hart in his only shot in the contest. The Spaniard, who led Chelsea with 20 goals last season, has not scored in the first two games of the team’s title defense campaign.
It also appeared that manager Jose Mourinho took out his frustrations on John Terry. The Chelsea manager was subbed out of the game in favor of Kurt Zouma at halftime. It was the first time Terry had been subbed under Mourinho’s time managing Chelsea. At 34 years of age, Terry may be a step too slow to keep up with West Brom’s younger, faster players.
Chelsea’s struggles may continue. They’ve been outscored by West Brom 8-7 in their last six meetings in the Premier League. The Blues have scored just two goals in their last three visits to The Hawthorns in the past three seasons.
Chelsea are unbeaten in three of their past four matches against West Brom.
Writer’s Prediction
Chelsea take the full three points with a tight 1-0 victory. Create a betting account now and enjoy the best odds and lines for the best soccer action in the world.
