Chelsea were down to 10 men in the 55th minute as Chris Brunt’s sweeping pass found Salomon Rondon ghosting by on the outside of John Terry and was then held back ever so slightly by the Chelsea captain before entering the box. Mark Clattenburg fished out the red and Terry was gone for the second game in a row and not by his own choice. Willian was subbed off for Gary Cahill wearing a facial protector as Mourinho looked to bolster the defence. Four minutes later, the Baggies cut the deficit to just the one goal as James Morrison getting his head on a wickedly curving cross by Calum McManaman, the Baggies best player by a country mile, to flick it over Thibaut Courtois.
West Brom had about a half hour to get the equalizer and possibly the winner but somehow other than McManaman’s fizzing shot which missed goal by inches, there were no other clear cut chances. Tony Pulis’s side inexplicably stepped off the pedal and were content in pushing the ball around as if afraid Chelsea would hit them on the break which did happen a couple of time with Diego Costa half volleying a Pedro cross into the side netting and then flashing his shot over the crossbar.
The first half saw plenty of action and the first 20 minutes was a one way street as the Baggies pushed Chelsea around working the ball nicely into open space. McManaman, a handful to handle for Nemanja Matic and Cesar Azpilicueta with his stepovers and change in pace was brought down by the Serbian in a clumsy challenge in the penalty area. After a bit of discussion between Morrison and Chris Brunt, the usual set piece taker, the former made it clear he was going to take the penalty. A regrettable decision, as Morrison chose to blast the ball down the middle and Courtois falling to the left was able to telescope his long legs to keep the ball out.
You know what was going to happen next. Chelsea broke with Pedro motoring forward collected Eden Hazard’s pass and then cutting inside to loose off a shot which clipped Martin Olsson changing the trajectory just enough to catch out Boaz Myhill. Chelsea then broke on a counterattack as Fabregas picked out Willian with a long diagonal ball and the Brazilian found the peripatetic Pedro who with a few touches towards the box smashed his cross across goal which was turned in very neatly by a tumbling Diego Costa. Just when the game seemed to be getting away from the Baggies, James McClean flashed a long cross which Salomon Rondon lurking far post smartly volleyed back into play to find Morrison who kept his composure this time to crash the ball past Courtois.
Chelsea were up two goals again as Costa padding a Fabregas scoop was able to see off Gareth McAuley’s challenge and lay the ball for Azpilicueta to run in unnoticed from the left flank and his soft shot had enough placement to squeeze in near post.
The three points go to Chelsea but this victory was anything but comfortable. Mourinho allowed himself a smile after his thunderous visage matched the weather. If Morrison had converted that penalty and West Brom shown more ambition with Terry gone and half an hour left on the clock, this could have been a different result. The Blues have let in 7 goals and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure the Blues will redouble their efforts to pry John Stones from the Toffees.
Want to watch the whole match. First half and second half.