West
Brom welcome Premier League champions to The Hawthorns for their final home
game of the season on Monday Night Football.
The Baggies have taken eight points from a possible 12, including a win at
Old Trafford, to ensure they are not involved in the relegation battle at
this late stage of the campaign.
That is probably for the best as they finish their season with the visit of
Chelsea and then a trip to Arsenal.
While the Baggies are unbeaten in their last three Premier League home games
against Chelsea, the champions have not lost in the top-flight since New
Year’s Day.
They have won six of their last eight matches and can hit the 90-point mark
if they win both their remaining matches.
Team news
West Brom have a fully fit squad to choose from as Callum McManaman has
fully recovered from his foot injury.
Saido Berahino and Brown Ideye are pushing to start after being named on the
bench in last week's 1-1 draw at Newcastle.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa could return from his hamstring problem but the
Premier League winners are without a number of players.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech (calf) is a doubt and more likely to return for the
final game of the season at home to Sunderland but defender Kurt Zouma is
out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury sustained against
Liverpool.
Ramires (kidney) and Oscar (thigh) are also out for the season, with young
players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Isaiah Brown, once of West Brom's
academy, likely to feature.
Opta stats
Didier Drogba has scored eight goals in seven starts against the Baggies in
the Premier League.
Cesc Fabregas has made 18 assists this season; his best return in the
Premier League. Only Thierry Henry (20) in 2002/03 has provided more PL
assists in a single season than Fabregas this term.
West Brom have conceded a league-high 20 goals from set pieces this season
(including penalties).
Only Chelsea (17) have kept more clean sheets in the top-flight this season
than West Brom (15, level with Southampton).
The Blues have gone 16 games unbeaten (W11 D5); the longest run in the
division this season.
Chris Brunt has delivered more assists from set-pieces than any other
Premier League player in 2014/15 (8).
Merson's prediction
I see Chelsea winning this game comfortably, having too much class for West
Brom, and ending their season on a high.
They have received a lot of unfair criticism in recent weeks about their
style of play and being boring, but they have just had that great knack of
being able to win games when not playing that well, unlike many of their
rivals.
PAUL PREDICTS: 0-2 (8/1 with Sky Bet)
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