toptop
Chelsea
fought back from 3-0 down to earn a point at West Brom and make up for a
first-half defensive horror show at the Hawthorns.
A catalogue of errors left Chelsea 3-0 down at half-time, with Callum Robinson
opening the scoring with a low drive into the far corner from 15 yards after
Marcos Alonso's initial sloppy header (4).
Tammy Abraham missed a glorious chance to equalise, before Timo Werner hit the
crossbar, but Robinson soon had West Brom 2-0 up against the run of play,
pouncing on Premier League debutant Thiago Silva's miscontrol to slot below
Willy Caballero (25).
Kyle Bartley turned home from a corner at the far post following some woeful
Chelsea marking (27) to make it 3-0, but the visitors improved in the second
half as Mason Mount's long-range strike (54) and sub Callum Hudson-Odoi's fine
finish (70) brought them to within a goal of a special comeback.
And it was completed in the third minute of stoppage time as Abraham capitalised
to tap home after Sam Johnstone had parried Mount's low effort, crippling West
Brom after they looked to have fought off the Chelsea onslaught.
But for all of Chelsea's spending at one end of the field, it was their issues
at the other that nearly cost them again, and neither side seemed happy at
full-time following another high-scoring Premier League thriller.
Player ratings
West Brom: Johnstone (6), Furlong (6), Bartley (6), Ajayi (6),
O'Shea (7), Townsend (6), Pereira (7), Livermore (6), Saywers (6), Diangana (7),
Robinson (7)
Subs: Robson-Kanu (6), Phillips (5), Field (NA)
Chelsea: Caballero (5), James (5), Christensen (5), Silva (4),
Alonso (4), Kante (5), Kovacic (5), Mount (7), Kavertz (6), Abraham (6), Werner
(6)
Subs: Azpilicueta (7), Hudson-Odoi (7), Giroud (6)
Man of the match:Mason Mount
How Chelsea recovered from first-half shocker
Frank Lampard had big decisions to make in his team selection, starting
Caballero over Kepa Arrizabalaga, with new signing Edouard Mendy not yet
available, while defender Silva made his Premier League debut and was made
captain.
Lampard explained how Silva's leadership qualities earned him the armband, but
Chelsea were all over the place in the first half as West Brom reacted with glee
to their sloppy defending.
Alonso was at fault for the first, tamely heading the ball into the path of
Matheus Pereira, who drove forward and released Robinson on the left of the box.
The striker had plenty to do, but found the far corner past Cabellero from an
angle for the opener.
Chelsea initially reacted well - Abraham missed a glorious chance at the far
post from Reece James' delivery, while Werner struck the crossbar from another
James centre - but it was Albion who scored next against the run of play.
Receiving the ball back from Alonso, Silva's miscontrol allowed Robinson to
pounce, and after pacing into the area and composing himself, he struck low
under Cabellero to stun Chelsea.
The third may have enraged Lampard the most; Pereira's driven corner looked
straight off the training ground as Darnell Furlong dropped deep to flick on,
and his header found Bartley at the far post to turn home, completely unmarked
and onside.
James, who was finding space in the final third and accounted for 12 of the 17
first-half cross across both sides, was guilty of giving too much space to
Bartley on that occasion.
Team news
Frank Lampard gave Thiago Silva his Premier League debut - and as captain - and
also named Willy Caballero in the starting XI at the expense of Kepa.
Tammy Abraham started up front with Werner, with Jorginho dropping to the bench.
Christensen was back from suspension, meaning Zouma was the man to drop out.
For West Brom, the suspended Gibbs was replaced by Townsend in the only change
from the 5-2 defeat at Everton.
Lampard made two changes at the break - Cesar Azpilicueta on for Alonso and
Callum Hudson-Odoi for Mateo Kovacic - and it triggered some hope for Chelsea as
Mount received Azpilicueta's pass before lashing a fine strike into the bottom
left corner from 25 yards.
Chelsea piled forward and got their second with a fine team goal as Hudson-Odoi
slotted low into the far corner following a neat one-two with Havertz inside the
box.
And the pressure told late on as Mount's low effort from inside the box was
parried by Johnstone, handing the ball on a plate to Abraham to pounce a few
yards out. There was a big shout from West Brom for handball by Havertz in the
build-up, but because the German didn't make the immediate assist, the goal
wasn't ruled out.
Chelsea's defensive woes in stats
Since the start of last season, Chelsea have conceded more away Premier League
goals than any other team (42).
Chelsea have conceded 3+ goals in successive Premier League away games against
newly-promoted sides for the first time since March 1997 (v Sunderland and
Derby).
Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet in 20 of their 21 Premier League away
games under Frank Lampard.
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is the first outfield player to make an error
leading to a goal on their Premier League debut since Issa Diop for West Ham
versus Arsenal (August 2018).
What's next?
West Brom now go to Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday at midday, while
Chelsea are at Tottenham in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Tuesday at 7.45pm,
live on Sky Sports Football, before hosting Crystal Palace in the Premier League
on Saturday at 12.30pm.
Teams
West Bromwich Albion Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley,
O’Shea, Townsend, Pereira (Field 90+1), Livermore (c), Sawyers, Diangana
(Phillips 74), Robinson (Robson-Kanu 66)
Subs Not Used Button, Kipre, Harper, Edwards
Booked Furlong
Goals Robinson 4, 25, Bartley 28
Chelsea Caballero, James, Christensen, Silva (c) (Giroud 73),
Alonso (Azpilicueta 46), Kante, Kovacic (Hudson-Odoi 46), Mount, Havertz,
Abraham, Werner
Subs Not Used Kepa, Tomori, Jorginho, Barkley
Booked Alonso, James, Christensen
Goals Mount 55, Hudson-Odoi 70, Abraham 90+3
Attendance 0
Referee Jon Moss
VAR Darren England