Chelsea finally got their title defence back on track after a nervy 3-2 win away at West Bromwich Albion. The Blues looked to be in complete control at half-time when new signing Pedro scored once and assisted while Cesar Azpilicueta made it 3-1 to Chelsea, but West Brom came back in the second half, aided by a red card to John Terry for fouling Rondon when the striker was through on goal.
West Brom made it 3-2 thanks to James Morrison. but it was not enough as Chelsea just about held out for a win. West Brom should have taken the lead when Nemanja Matic fouled Callum McManaman but the penalty taken by Morrison was saved well by Courtois and it was a case of what could have been for the home team as Chelsea rode some luck and claimed their first three points of the season.
The star of the show was Pedro with his goal and assist and we provide the talking points from the entertaining game between the two.
Pedro is something special
A new team, new players, new country and a new league but that doesn’t faze the Spanish winger, who was in excellent form for the Blues. Pedro scored once and assisted another goal while creating a number of chances for Chelsea. He doesn’t seem to have lost any ability or pace and could be one of the smartest buys from Jose Mourinho.
Ivanovic should be given a break
First it was against Swansea, then it was against Manchester City and now against West Brom, Branislav Ivanovic has had a torrid start to the season and many wingers have torn him to shreds. He never had the pace to deal with speedy wingers but his positioning and strength helped him deal with those issues. Unfortunately, it seems that attackers now have his calling card and he needs to be taken out of the firing line for a couple of games.
Pulis’ striker problems
West Brom should have been in the lead when they were awarded a penalty but it was missed by Morrison but he was not their regular taker. Saido Berahino is their designated penalty taker but he was left out of the squad due to some transfer rumours linking him with a move away from the team. Pulis has signed Lambert and Rondon to cover that but surely playing Berahino would have helped the striker and the club out, either way, it seems Berahino is literally out of the team for now.
Chelsea’s defence is a shambles
Another game, another red card, this time it was John Terry who was sent off for bringing down Rondon. To be honest, there wasn’t much he could have done but the communication between Terry and Zouma wasn’t that great. A Jose Mourinho team is known first for their defence, more than anything else, but this team does not look close to a Chelsea team that is being coached by Jose at the moment.
Chelsea cannot win the league if they play like this
It is pretty hard to win the Premier League, even harder to retain it. The Blues might have captured Pedro from under Manchester United’s noses but the way they have played this season, it doesn’t seem likely they will be able to retain the title. They need to get stronger defensively and even their attack isn’t as threatening as it was last season. Fortunately for Mourinho, the season is only 3 games old and he has 35 more games where he can work his magic.