CHELSEA v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 9th November 2013, 3pm
Stamford Bridge

MATCH NOTES

The last time the Baggies won at Chelsea came 30 years ago to the day when a Garry Thompson goal handed Albion a 1-0 win in a Milk Cup 3rd round tie.

The two teams also met on this date at The Hawthorns in 1963 in a First Division clash. Terry Simpson scored for the Baggies in a 1-1 draw, Bert Murray scored for the visitors.

Albion's last game on this date came in 2002 when they played out a 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium, Scott Dobie scoring the Baggies' goal. The club's last win on November 9 came in 1991 when goals from Don Goodman and Gary Robson gave Bobby Gould's side a 2-1 victory at Reading.

Chelsea's last game on November 9 took place in 2008 when two goals from current Albion striker Nicolas Anelka gave them a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in 65 Premier League home games as manager of Chelsea (W51, D14).

Albion have won just one of their last 15 league games in London, their only victory coming at QPR on Boxing Day last season when they beat Harry Redknapp’s men 2-1.

Chelsea have won all seven Premier League meetings between the two clubs at Stamford Bridge, scoring 18 goals and conceding just one.

Albion's last six games: Crystal Palace (H) 2-0; Liverpool (A) 1-4; Stoke City (A) 0-0; Arsenal (H) 1-1; Manchester United (A) 2-1; Arsenal (H, LC) 1-1 (3-4 on pens)

Chelsea's last six games: FC Shalke 04 (H, CL) 3-0; Newcastle United (A) 0-2; Arsenal (A, LC) 2-0; Manchester City (H) 2-1; FC Shalke 04 (A, CL) 3-0; Cardiff City (H) 4-1

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Albion will be without in-form right-back Billy Jones for the Stamford Bridge clash after he suffered a hamstring injury in last week’s win over Crystal Palace. The experienced Steven Reid looks most likely to deputise for Jones.

Steve Clarke also has doubts over former Chelsea duo Scott Sinclair (hamstring) and Nicolas Anelka (groin) but will be boosted by the return of Victor Anichebe following his hamstring injury.

Ben Foster (foot) and Zoltan Gera (knee / hamstring) remain out.

Squad from: Myhill, Daniels, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Yacob, Mulumbu, Sessegnon, Berahino, Anichebe, Dorrans, Morrison, Long, Brunt, Vydra, Dawson, Anelka, Lugano, Popov, Reid, Amalfitano, Sinclair.

Chelsea

Eden Hazard returns to the Chelsea squad after being left out in midweek due to disciplinary reasons having missed a training session ahead of the Champions League game with Schalke.

Spanish striker Fernando Torres is missing with a thigh problem, so either Samuel Eto'o or Demba Ba will take his place up front.

Marco van Ginkel (knee) is a long-term absentee.

Squad from: Cech, Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Cole, Bertrand, Luiz, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Mikel, Ramires, Lampard, Willian, Oscar, Mata, Schurrle, De Bruyne, Hazard, Ba, Eto'o.

QUOTES

Baggies' boss Steve Clarke:

“It was a good win against Palace last weekend. Not a vintage performance in difficult conditions on the afternoon. But it was a day just to win to get three points. It’s important, as and when you have matches you identify as games you should pick up points in, you manage to do that - we’ve done that. We have 12 points from our last seven games which, I think, is a decent return. If we can take 12 points from the next seven games coming up then, approaching Christmas, we’ll be in a good place.

"A win wouldn't mean anything to me other than the fact it's another three points for the Albion. It would be a good scalp to take, winning at Stamford Bridge and beating Chelsea, but that's it. I think if we're 100 per cent focused, and concentrated and play at our maximum, then we have an opportunity to compete with any team in the Premier League and that's what we have to focus on.

"Chelsea have very similar personnel to last season. Maybe they're a bit more dogged and defend a bit deeper than they did last year at times but they're pretty much the same group of players, so we've got an idea what to expect.  But we'll concentrate more on what we can do. It's unusual for teams who are going to compete for the title to lose back-to-back Premier League games, so that's our challenge. They did play this week and won against Schalke in the Champions League so they've had a game to get last weekend's defeat at Newcaslte out of their system. It wouldn't have necessarily made it easier for us if they had won at Newcastle, it was always going to be a difficult game.”

www.wba.co.uk

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho:

“Of course I'm very happy to meet him before and after the match, it will not be the same thing to play against Steve than to play against any other manager because he is a special guy in my career. We have stayed in touch but didn't speak about our jobs directly.

“He had a very good experience as a player and an assistant manager. He was always very focused and very organised. When he became manager for the first time he was very well prepared and I knew that he would do very well. I am so happy for Steve. He knows that every match he plays I am wishing he will win, but not tomorrow, which is strange.

“During the match it will be hard for us because he is very good and he organises his team very well, defensively and in counter-attacks. They are always a difficult team - this season we have a simple example of that: they stopped Arsenal winning and they won at Old Trafford.”

www.chelseafc.com

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 10/1, Chelsea Win: 3/10, Draw: 4/1.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Anelka 11/1, Anichebe 12/1, Long 14/1, Vydra 16/1, Berahino 16/1, Sessegnon 16/1, Rosenberg 20/1, Brunt 25/1, Sinclair 25/1, Morrison 25/1, Mulumbu 33/1, McAuley 33/1, Dawson 33/1, Amalfitano 33/1.

Chelsea: Eto'o 7/2, Ba 4/1, Hazard 5/1, Oscar 5/1, Schurrle 5/1, Mata 6/1, Lampard 13/2, Willian 13/2, De Bruyne 9/1, Ramires 11/1, Luiz 20/1, Ivanovic 20/1, Cahill 25/1, Essien 25/1, Terry 25/1.

REFEREE

Andre Marriner (West Midlands) (replacement for Lee Probert who was originally allocated the game)

The official took charge of one Albion game last season - the 3-1 defeat at West Ham United in March.

Marriner last took charge of a Chelsea game in September for the Blues' 2-0 win at home to Fulham.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are now completely sold out. Fans are urged not to travel without a ticket.

WEATHER FORECAST

Dry and sunny, 8°C

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

Chelsea 1-0 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 2 March 2013, 3:00pm

Chelsea: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Lampard (c); Hazard (Moses 80), Mata (Mikel 90+4), Oscar; Ba (Torres 87). Subs not used: Turnbull (gk), Terry, Cahill, Bertrand.

Goalscorer: Ba 28

Booked: Hazard 56 (foul)

Albion: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson (c), Ridgewell; Yacob (Rosenberg 82), Mulumbu; Fortune (Odemwingie 62), Morrison, Dorrans (Thomas 71); Long. Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Jones, Tamas, Brown.

Booked: McAuley 65 (foul), Odemwingie 85 (foul)

Attendance: 41,548

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

Chelsea claimed a routine win over West Brom as Rafael Benitez made a victorious Stamford Bridge return following his midweek criticism of Blues supporters. Demba Ba's 28th-minute goal saw Chelsea return above Tottenham to third place in the Barclays Premier League for 24 hours at least, ahead of tomorrow's north London derby.

West Brom had not won a league match at Chelsea in almost 35 years, and although owner Roman Abramovich may be content with Benitez in charge until the end of the season and a fifth win in seven games, that may not be enough to appease Blues fans. There is recent precedent for a change of Chelsea manager following losses to West Brom, with the Baggies the final Premier League opponents for both Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo. Many wondered if this would be Benitez's last stand following his rant against the title of 'interim manager' and the fans' incessant barracking of him.

Much of the focus was on the Spaniard after his midweek deviation from measured politician to rabble-rouser. Due to his prior association with Liverpool, Benitez's temporary appointment was never a popular one, but he hoped the crowd would use their energies to back the team. They came with handmade banners - "The Interim One" and "Rafa Benitez we're just not that inter im" among them - and would have been unhappy to see captain John Terry named among the substitutes, alongside Fernando Torres, as one of seven changes to the side which progressed in the FA Cup at Middlesbrough. Benitez says he will decide whether Terry, with his fitness travails, can play twice a week and the defender's armband was passed to Frank Lampard, who moved equal with John Hollins as the club's third-highest appearance maker on 592.

Benitez quietly took his seat - it took a few moments for his arrival to be greeted with the usual expletive-laden chants - and Chelsea almost went ahead in the fourth minute. Ba crossed from the right for Oscar, but Ben Foster, who has made himself available again for England, saved instinctively in front of the watching national manager Roy Hodgson. Juan Mata, on his 100th Chelsea appearance, volleyed wide across goal before Steven Reid's long-range effort was tipped over by Petr Cech. Oscar should have had a rare headed goal when he met Mata's clipped cross to the back post after 16 minutes but could not convert. Following the move, the Stamford Bridge patrons observed their homage to Di Matteo, but there was also plenty of encouragement for the players on the pitch, so perhaps Benitez's midweek comments that the fans should put their effort into supporting the team had been heeded to some extent. Ba shot straight at Foster after latching on to a loose ball and Oscar screwed another effort over. Eden Hazard almost took advantage of indecision in the Baggies defence before Claudio Yacob's foul on Oscar presented Chelsea with a free-kick opportunity. David Luiz's effort ricocheted off the wall and Foster scrambled it out for a corner, from which Chelsea went in front. The left-sided set-piece was played short to Oscar, whose inswinging cross towards the back post found Luiz and occupied the attentions of Foster. Luiz headed the ball back across goal for Ba to sweep it in. Mata shot wide soon after before Oscar, twice, and Cesar Azpilicueta had efforts blocked.

Lampard, seeking his 200th Chelsea goal, had an effort ruled out early in the second half, with Mata flagged offside in the build-up. After 60 minutes, Benitez and the Blues fans reacted in unison in appeal for a penalty. Oscar's lofted ball forward was brought down by Hazard, who went down under pressure from Jonas Olsson, but referee Kevin Friend was unmoved. There were more boos at the Bridge when Peter Odemwingie finally got his wish to play in west London - albeit not at QPR - and came on as a substitute. The single-goal advantage was not a comfortable one for Chelsea and Benitez was animated in his technical area, even rising to his feet as the fans chanted "Stand up if you hate Rafa". Chelsea again threatened and again Foster saved from Oscar. Azpilicueta's cross was headed down by Ba for the Brazilian, who scuffed his shot straight at the goalkeeper. Oscar again saw an effort saved by Foster before Cech had to tip over a dipping Odemwingie free-kick. Cech was called upon from the resulting corner as the ball was directed goalwards off the head of his team-mate Azpilicueta. A Victor Moses cross was just behind his fellow substitute Torres and Odemwingie had an effort saved by Cech. Foster came up for a stoppage-time corner, but the hosts held on for three points to the relief of Benitez.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Baggies’ boss Steve Clarke spent 11 years as a player with Chelsea between 1987-98, making 421 appearances. He also spent four years coaching the Blues' first-team.

French striker Nicolas Anelka had a successful four year stint at Stamford Bridge between 2008 and 2012.

Scott Sinclair joined Chelsea from Bristol Rovers in 2005 at the age of 16. He spent four years in West London but made just a handful of appearances for the Blues. In 2012, after a number of loan spells away from the club, he joined Swansea City in a permanent £500,000 deal.

Academy starlet Isaiah Brown made his debut for Albion on 4 May 2013 against Wigan Athletic at The Hawthorns, becoming the second-youngest player in Premier League history at the age of 16 years and 117 days. He joined Chelsea in a controversial move in July 2013.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Neil Clement, Shaun Cummings, Warren Cummings, Alan Dickens, Tony Godden, Derek Kevan, Romelu Lukaku, Paddy Mulligan, Frank Nouble, Fred Richardson, Graham Roberts, Fred Rouse, Frank Sinclair, David Speedie, Kenny Swain and Mickey Thomas.
  
Roberto Di Matteo managed both clubs having previously had a lengthy spell as a Chelsea player, whilst another former Blues' player Eddie Newton, was Di Matteo's assistant at both The Hawthorns and Stamford Bridge; 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; Former Baggies' goalkeeper Bob Ward would later act as Chelsea physio; Former sprint champion Ade Mafe has acted as fitness coach for both clubs.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS CHELSEA