MATCH PREVIEW BY: Dale Brookes

Well what a game it’s going to be come Wednesday night. As we all know it’s going to be one heck of a test against the Champions, but who knows? If Chelsea play like they did at Wigan and if we can put in a battling display matched with the passing we produced in the first half against Portsmouth for the 90 minutes then we have every chance of getting a point. I mean the season is still only two games old so anything can happen at this stage, to be honest though I think we are all going there hoping to keep the scoreline down as much as possible so it doesn’t affect our goal difference. It will be interesting to see what kind of side Bryan Robson will put out, having said on the official site that he was resting key players for these two games. Inamoto, Chaplow & Kanu were not even on the bench against Portsmouth so that to me suggests that they will almost certainly be involved in the 16 on Wednesday night. Oh well guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but I reckon he may go for the 4-3-3 formation he used last time around.

Going back to the Portsmouth game and I thought we played some superb football at times, it was just in the second half where we seemed to give possession away far too easily for my liking and if we do that against Chelsea we will get punished. Hopefully Robson & Pearson will have the players fired up for this one, as after all we are going there more or less expecting to get beat so in theory we have nothing to lose. It would be great if we could take a point from them, as that would give our lads a massive boost going into the home game against Birmingham City next weekend.

Right, prediction time then again, it will be probably one of the hardest matches we will play all season, so it’s best to get them out the way early rather than later. Unfortunately I am going for a 2-0 win to Chelsea, as even though I think we will make it hard for them Mourinho’s men are just a different class to us and it will show on the night.

COME ON YOU BAGGIES!!!

CHELSEA:

Carlton Cole & Ricardo Carvalho are set to be restored to the Chelsea 16 as boss Jose Mourinho makes changes to the side that won 1-0 at home to Arsenal at the weekend. New signing Michael Essien looks set to make his debut in place of Gudjohnsen and Arjen Robben is also certain to be dropped to the bench after a poor display, with Shaun Wright-Phillips possibly making his first start since joining from Manchester City in the summer.

Possible Chelsea Line-up: Cech, Ferraira, Terry, Carvalho, Del Hornio, Wright-Phillips, Essien, Lampard, Duff, Drogba, Cole.

ALBION:

Bryan Robson looks set to make changes to his side despite them winning 2-1 at home to Portsmouth last weekend. Junichi Inamoto is likely to regain his place in the centre of midfield in place of Andy Johnson with two goal hero Geoff Horsfield set to make way for Kanu. New boy Nathan Ellington looks set to be in the squad, but is unlikely to figure as he is still not 100 per cent fit.

Possible Albion Line-up: Kirkland, Watson, Gaardsoe, Clement, Robinson, Gera, Wallwork, Inamoto, Greening, Campbell, Kanu.

SEASON SO FAR

Started the season by winning the Charity Shield with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium and followed that up with a somewhat fortunate 1-0 win over newly promoted Wigan Athletic. Their last game saw them beat Arsenal 1-0.

THE MANAGER

Jose Mourinho was born January 26 1963 in Setubal, Portugal and is the son of a former Portugal goalkeeper, Felix Mourinho.

1990-92: Fitness trainer at various clubs and assistant coach at Estrela Amadora.
1992-97: Worked for Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona.
2000-01: Coach at Benfica and Uniao de Leiria.
2002-04: At Porto, winning triple crown of domestic league and cup and Uefa cup in 2003. Joined Chelsea on a three-year contract in June 2004.

Mourinho has a university degree in Physical Education specialising in football methodology and has won two Portuguese Championships, the Portuguese Cup and Portuguese Super Cup as well as the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup in his last two years in Portugal.  In his first season in England he won the Premiership and Carling Cup.  His methodology is something that is obviously well honed.

SQUAD LIST

(Squad numbers in brackets)

Goalkeepers

Petr Cech (1)
Carlo Cudicini  (23)
Lenny Pidgeley (40)

Defenders

Wayne Bridge (18)
Riccardo Carvalho (6)
Asier Del Horno (3)
Paulo Ferreira (20)
William Gallas (13)
Robert Huth (29)
Glen Johnson(2)
John Terry (26)

Midfielders

Joe Cole (10)
Lassan Diarra (19)
Damian Duff (11)
Michael Essien (5)
Geremi (14)
Jiri Jarosik (27)
Frank Lampard (8)
Claude Makelele (4)
Arjen Robben (16)
Tiago (30)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (24)

Strikers

Didier Drogba (15)
Eidur Gudjohnsen (22)
Carlton Cole (12)
Hernan Crespo (9)

ONES TO WATCH

Didier Drogba - Strong pacy striker who on his day can be world class.

Damian Duff - Pacy winger who can play left or right side. Has a dangerous left foot and is a classy dribbler.

Arjen Robben - Dutchman who has scintillating skill, can use both feet and is never afraid to shoot.

Frank Lampard - One of the best midfielders in the world! Can create an attacking move from nothing as well as scoring breathtaking goals.

Shaun Wright-Phillips - Has devastating pace and skill matched with his long range shooting.

Hernan Crespo - Top notch finishing in front of goal as well as possessing strong build up play. Very similar to van Nistelrooy.

THE GROUND

Stamford Bridge was officially opened in 1877 although it wasn't until 1905 that the newly formed Chelsea football club moved in. For the first 28 years of the ground's existence it was used mainly as an athletics arena by the London Athletic Club.

The current capacity of Stamford Bridge stands at 42,522 whilst the record attendance at the ground was achieved in October 1935 when a crowd of 82,905 assembled for a League Division 1 clash with Arsenal.

The all-seated attendance record is 42,328 - set in December 2002 against Newcastle United.

LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

Chelsea 1-0 Albion
Tuesday 15th March 2005
Barclays Premiership
Kick-off 7-45pm

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Terry, Huth, Gallas, Cole (Kezman 86), Lampard, Makelele, Duff (Smertin 90), Gudjohnsen (Jarosik 74), Drogba. Subs not used: Cudicini (gk), Carvalho

Goalscorer: Drogba 26

Albion: Hoult, Albrechtsen, Gaardsoe, Clement, Robinson, Gera, Wallwork, Richardson (Greening 86), Horsfield (Earnshaw 83), Kanu, Campbell. Subs not used: Kuszczak (gk), Scimeca, Moore

Clement 16 (foul)

Referee: Neale Barry (North Lincolnshire)
Assistant Referees: Gary Sutton (Lincolnshire), Andy Martin (Staffordshire)
Fourth Official: Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire)

Half-Time: Chelsea 1-0 Albion

Attendance: 41,713

Didier Drogba scored the only goal as Chelsea ran out close winners at home to Bryan Robson’s West Brom. The former Marseille striker tapped the ball into an empty net following a Damian Duff left wing cross, as Jose Mourihno’s side moved inches closer to the Premiership title. Geoff Horsfield gave the Londoners an early scare though, as twice he netted, only for both efforts to be ruled out for offside.
 
The game began with both sides looking for points for different reasons. Chelsea could have taken the lead with just 60 seconds on the clock when John Terry rose to meet a Duff corner, but Gudjohnsen with his back to goal could only steer the ball wide deep inside the six yard box. Albion then had two goals disallowed for offside in quick succession, as they refused to lie down against the champions-elect although finally in the 26th minute Chelsea made the breakthrough when Drogba tapped home from a low Damian Duff cross. It could have been more had Drogba, Cole & Lampard taken their chances.
 
After the break, it was all Chelsea and Damian Duff was inches way from increasing the lead when his left footed shot caused keeper Hoult to make a fine save but the Baggies did have their moments when Hungarian winger Zoltan Gera curled a wicked right footed shot just wide of Cech’s left hand post. Drogba came close again for the hosts after Lampard had played him through, but after beating the challenge of Gaardsoe his low drive whistled just past the post. In the 81st minute the best chance of the half was missed when Duff superbly wriggled his way through the Baggies defence to the by-line and pulled the ball back for the waiting Drogba who somehow blazed the ball well over the bar when it looked easier to score.

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Alan Dickens, Tony Godden, Derek Kevan, Paddy Mulligan, Graham Roberts, Frank Sinclair, David Speedie, Kenny Swain and Mickey Thomas.
 
Former Albion manager Jack Smith was a player for Chelsea prior to the Second World War.
 
World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst had a short spell as a player at The Hawthorns before later managing the London club.
 
Ex-Albion player and manager Don Howe had a spell as Chelsea coach.