Team
news, stats and prediction ahead of Chelsea vs West Brom in the Premier
League on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm).
Team news
N'Golo Kante is the only player sidelined for Chelsea ahead of Saturday's
game. The midfielder picked up a hamstring injury on international duty with
France, missing their final two World Cup Qualifiers.
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel also confirmed that Timo Werner would start
against the relegation-threatened Baggies with Callum Hudson-Odoi, Thiago
Silva and Tammy Abraham all fit to feature.
West Brom will be without young midfielder Conor Gallagher. The 21-year-old
is on loan from Chelsea and is ineligible for the game against his parent
club.
Hal Robson-Kanu was sent home from Wales duty after breaching protocol but
has tested negative for coronavirus. All the Baggies' international
contingent are available for the match.
Jones Knows prediction
Here, we have the clash of the best defence and the worst attack in the
Premier League - going by numbers since Thomas Tuchel was appointed.
Across all competitions, it's been 687 minutes since Chelsea conceded -
facing teams like Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid
twice in that run - and Tuchel has seen his side ship just two goals in the
Premier League. A title challenge could be on the agenda next season.
It doesn't take a genius to know that a Chelsea win to nil at 5/6 looks the
most likely outcome here.
There's a touch more value in the goalscorer markets. Kai Havertz looks set
to add to his Premier League tally for the season of just one goal in the
coming weeks if Tuchel continues to see him as a central striker. The German
has struggled to adjust to the Premier League since his £62m move from Bayer
Leverkusen last summer but an arm around the shoulder from his new manager
seems to be helping. He was very unfortunate not to score when leading the
line against both Everton and Leeds, having five shots on goal in total and
registering a combined expected goal figure of 0.86. If selected, he's a
fine price to open the scoring.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-0
Opta stats
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League meetings with West
Brom (W5 D2), coming from 0-3 down at half-time to draw 3-3 in the reverse
fixture at the Hawthorns this season.
West Brom are winless in their last 15 away league games against Chelsea (D3
L12) since a 3-1 win in September 1978. In the Premier League, the Baggies
have lost 10 of their 12 visits to Stamford Bridge (D2), failing to score on
nine occasions in that run.
Since a 0-1 defeat to Bournemouth in December 2015, Chelsea have won their
last 11 Premier League home games against sides in the relegation zone by an
aggregate score of 31-4.
West Bromwich Albion have won just 10% of their Premier League games in
London (W7 D19 L44), the lowest ratio of any non-London side with at least
50 visits to the capital. The Baggies are winless in their last 13 such
games since a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in August 2016 (D2 L11).
Chelsea have had five goalless draws in the Premier League this season, with
three of those coming in their 10 games under Thomas Tuchel. Only in 1998-99
and 2001-02 (both six) have the Blues had more 0-0 draws in a single Premier
League campaign.
West Bromwich Albion have scored fewer (9) and conceded more (30)
second-half goals than any other Premier League side this season. Meanwhile,
no side has conceded fewer goals after half-time than Chelsea (10), while
61% of the Blues' goals scored this term have come in the second half
(27/44).
After conceding 28 goals in their first 10 Premier League games under Sam
Allardyce (2.8 per game), West Brom have shipped just three times in their
last six in the competition (0.5 per game). However, the Baggies have scored
just 10 goals in 16 league games under Allardyce (0.6 per game), failing to
score in their last three.
Chelsea are yet to concede a single goal in their five Premier League home
games under Thomas Tuchel. In English top-flight history, the only team to
keep a clean sheet in their first six home games under a specific manager
are Manchester City under Ron Saunders in 1973-74.
Hakim Ziyech has scored in both of his last two appearances for Chelsea in
all competitions, the same number as in his first 24 games for the club. The
Moroccan hasn't scored in three consecutive club games since a run of four
in January 2016 with FC Twente.
All three of West Brom forward Callum Robinson's Premier League goals have
been scored against Chelsea, scoring once for Sheffield United last season
and twice in the reverse fixture for the Baggies this term.
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