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CHELSEA v West Brom: Preview

Date: Sunday 11th December, 2016
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 12:00 GMT

After another battle from behind last week gave Guadiola and City the hump, and us a 3-1 win and another 3 points, today’s early kick-off sees Chelsea play host to West Brom.
Whilst we go looking for a ninth consecutive win, West Brom come into the game with 3 wins in their last four games and sitting seventh in the table. You’d have to think that much like ours, West Brom’s current position is about a bit more than everyone around them being poor this season and much of the credit has to go to the managers. The Baggies look to be benefitting from some disciplined defensive displays and they’ll fancy themselves to shut us out today. Mind you, Antonio Conte has showed that despite giving the Duracell bunny a run for its money on the touch line every week, he’s a patient man when things aren’t quite going his way. Just as well really, with Arsenal’s win over Stoke seeing them celebrate the title yesterday.
We’ll just have to hope we can dampen those celebrations today.

MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says “We started as underdogs this season, and I think now it’s very difficult to accept this [being favourites], but it’s normal if you’re playing good football and winning a lot of games. This league has taught me that every game is very tough. Sunday is the type of game we can find difficult if we don’t put the same concentration, the same focus, that we had in the previous games.”
West Brom manager Tony Pulis meanwhile, says “Every week there’s a challenge, a new challenge, and thank goodness the players have been up for it and we’ve got the results we’ve got. When you play against the likes of Chelsea you’ve got to enjoy those games and work as hard as you can and hope on the day it drops for you. But if you’re looking on sliding scales we’re not in their sphere for competing week in, week out. The manager’s come in and he’s changed things round and got the players playing the way they can.

SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Oscar and John Terry are injured although Nemanja Matic (calf) returns. Pedro and Diego Costa are both available despite going off against City last week. David Luiz should also be ok, despite Sergio Aguero’s best attempts to injure him last weekend.
For West Brom, Saido Berahino and Boaz Myhill are injured and both James Morrison and Gareth McAuley are given as doubts.

TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Courtois; Cahill, Luiz, Azpilicueta; Moses, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Pedro, Hazard; Costa
WEST BROM (Possible line-up): Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Yacob, Fletcher; Phillips, Morrison, Brunt

LAST SEASON
Chelsea 2-2 West Brom (13th January, 2016)

RECENT FORM
CHELSEA: WWWWW
WEST BROM: WDWWL

OTHER STUFF
~ Chelsea are unbeaten in 12 top-flight home games against West Brom
~ The Baggies have won just one of their last six league games away from home
~ Chelsea have won just three of the last nine league meetings home and away
~ Chelsea have scored in each of their last 21 home league games against the Baggies
~ Chelsea are going for their ninth consecutive Premier League win for the first time since 2007
~ Chelsea have kept a league-high seven clean sheets this season
~ Tony Pulis has only lost one of his last four Premier League games against Chelsea.
~ West Brom have 20 points from 14 matches this campaign

PREDICTION
BBC Sport: Chelsea 2-0 West Brom
Sportslens: Chelsea 2-0 West Brom
Sky Sports: Chelsea 2-0 West Brom

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