Chelsea moved up to 4th position in the League Table after pulling off a great victory against West Brom with a margin of 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. The Stamford Bridge warriors really needed this victory as the pressure was increasing with every passing days on the Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. One side of the supporters were wishing to see their manager sacked after the poor defeat against Watford. But the side had come back stronger to prove their worth in the field. The Blues will now face Hull City in the fifth round of FA Cup and then will welcome the Catalan Giants Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on next Wednesday in the round of 16 clash of UEFA Champions League.
First take a glance how the teams have shaped up for the big occasion :
Starting Eleven :
West Brom (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper : Ben Foster.
Defenders : Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs.
Midfielders : Phillips, Krychowiak, Barry, Brunt.
Attackers : Rondon, Sturridge.
Chelsea (3-4-3):
Goalkeeper : Thibaut Courtois
Defenders :Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta.
Midfielders : Victor Moses, N’Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas, Davide Zappacosta.
Attackers : Pedro, Olivier Giroud, Eden Hazard.
The Talking Points Of The Match Are :
1.Eden Hazard Is A Pure Class :
There were 22 players in the field in the match but Eden Hazard was playing in another level. Whenever he was getting the ball there was a sense of fright among the West Bromwich Albion defenders. His dribbling success was beyond any doubt and his distribution of ball was a treat for the eyes.
He had opened the scoresheet for the Blues. It was a simple one two with his teammate Olivier Giroud and then his powerful shot struck the net and the defenders had no clue. Foster had seen the ball going towards Goal but was unable to do anything about it.
In the time of his second goal the ball was provided by the Spaniard International Alvaro Morata in the same manner and his left footed shot at the first post had struck the net.
2. Olivier Giroud Was Really Influential In His First Start For Chelsea :
The winter transfer window signing Olivier Giroud had proved his worth in his first start for the Blues in the Premier League. His physical presence upfront in the opponent’s penalty box was the thing Chelsea had been missing since Diego Costa left the club. Olivier Giroud had got several chances to get his first goal for the Blues but he was not able to get a goal. He had provided the assist in the first goal of Eden Hazard. He was replaced by Alvaro Morata at 58th minute of the match.
3. Chelsea Were Able To Keep A Clean Sheet In The Match :
The defenders of the Blues would be immensely happy to keep a clean sheet after many matches. Christensen was back in the central defense after coming back from the injury. West Brom missed two real good opportunities in the first half and Courtois was doing his job well under the bars. Overall it was a great team performance from Chelsea’s point of view which was really needed.