Chelsea
John Terry and new £21million signing Pedro started for Chelsea at The Hawthorns
Saido Berahino was absent from West Brom's squad amid interest from Tottenham in the striker
Nemanja Matic gave away a penalty after 14 minutes but Thibaut Courtois saved James Morrison's strike
Pedro made an instant impact by scoring Chelsea's opener and assisting Diego Costa for their second
Morrison managed to get a goal after 35 minutes with a low strike that this time beat Courtois
Cesar Azpilicueta restored Chelsea's two-goal advantage in the 42nd minute with a Costa assist
Terry was sent off for a last-man offence after 53 minutes as he fouled Salomon Rondon
Morrison then got his second goal in the 59th minute with a header to put pressure on Chelsea
Jose Mourinho's side were under pressure for the last half hour but survived for their first win
By Martin Samuel for the Daily Mail
You see, the thing with Barcelona players is, can they handle it on a wet weekend at West Brom? The answer, apparently, is yes.
There are some new signings who require time to adjust, others who hit the ground running. It is fair to say Pedro, £21million from Barcelona just four days ago, fits into the second category.
Within 30 minutes here, he had scored his first Premier League goal and claimed his first Premier League assist. Chelsea’s delirium at having such a talent on the books was matched only by their delight in Manchester United missing out. ‘Are you watching?’ they asked Louis van Gaal and the Old Trafford recruitment team. If they were, it would be through their fingers.
MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONEHaving drawn a blank against Newcastle on Saturday, the last thing they would have wanted is such a prompt reminder of the quality they claim to have turned down. If Van Gaal’s version of events is genuine, and Chelsea only got the player after United lost interest, one has to wonder why. Pedro is exactly the type of player United need. Hell, he is the type of player any team needs – particularly one stumbling into the season like Chelsea.
- West Bromwich Albion (4-1-4-1): Myhill 6; McAuley 5, Dawson 6, Olsson 5, Brunt 6; Yacob 6; Fletcher 7, McManaman 7 (Gnabry 77), McClean 6 (Lambert 61, 5), Morrison 7 (Gardner 88); Rondon 6.5
- Subs not used: Chester, Lescott, Anichebe, Rose
- Booked: McClean, McManaman
- Goals: Morrison (35, 59)
- Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 7.5; Ivanovic 5, Terry 6, Zouma 6, Azpilicueta 6.5; Fabregas 6.5, Matic 5; Willian 6.5 (Cahill 56, 6), Hazard 7, Pedro 8 (Mikel 84); Costa 7.5 (Falcao 77)
- Subs not used: Begovic, Traore, Remy, Loftus-Cheek
- Booked: Matic
- Sent off: Terry (54)
- Goals: Pedro (20), Costa (30), Azpilicueta (42)
Ratings by Laurie Whitwell at The Hawthorns
- Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
How the Premier League table now stands
Pedro, West Bromwich Albion – this was a perfect storm for champions looking for their first win of the season, so it was perhaps appropriate that rain teemed down throughout. Not that the quirks of English summer bothered Pedro.
He skated across the slippery surface, lightning quick for the first goal, crucial to a quite stunning counter-attacking move for the second. At times, this was Chelsea as remembered from last season.
More vulnerable at the back, certainly – and the dismissal of captain John Terry caps another dismal weekend for the defender – but hard to contain and King Cobra-like in their swiftness in attack. Their second goal started with a West Bromwich Albion corner – seconds later it was in Boaz Myhill’s net.
No wonder Pedro felt at home, though. There were three different Chelsea scorers in the first-half here, and all were Spain internationals.
Pedro, Diego Costa and Cesar Azpilicueta made sure Chelsea got their first win of the season, although Jose Mourinho will equally know his players got lucky at times. In addition to an excellent Albion goal, there was a missed penalty – James Morrison the scorer and the culprit.
It was a perfect introduction to English football for Pedro, in fact – the lousy weather, the ferocious pace and the openness of the play. He now knows he will get chances with his new club – but he’ll have to run doubly hard for them.
That was not a problem in the 20th minute, though, when after an unexceptional beginning to his Chelsea career, Pedro sparked to life. He exchanged passes with Cesc Fabregas and most tellingly with Eden Hazard, collecting the ‘two’ of a one-two and sprinting into the West Brom box, his low finish settling in the corner after a mild deflection off Jonas Olsson.
The next was a priceless piece of art, comprising all the elements that make this Chelsea team special, when at their best. Strong defending, passing with vision, extreme speed on the break and an eye for goal.
Terry’s header, from deep in his penalty box, was powerful and well-placed out of danger, finding Azpilicueta and sending him on his way.
The full-back looked up and picked out Willian with a quite superb crossfield pass and he in turn found Pedro on the right. Half-cross, half-shot, Pedro whipped the ball across the Albion goal, but Costa was leaving nothing to chance. He slid in, stuck out a boot and left Myhill no chance.
The third, and it was to prove vital, was another Spanish production.
Fabregas’s chip in to Costa looked mundane enough but he outmuscled Gareth McAuley and chested the ball down to Azpilicueta. He is not a prolific defensive scorer like his counterpart on the right, Branislav Ivanovic, but he struck thus one well enough – low and hard and enough to slap down an Albion team at the point of coming back into the game.
On two occasions West Brom seemed to be out of this. On 30 minutes, when Chelsea went 2-0 up, and at half-time trailing 3-1. Yet while, going forward, Chelsea rekindled thoughts of last season’s heights, something is very wrong at the back.
West Brom should have been done, but weren’t. They missed a penalty, were denied a goalscoring opportunity by Chelsea and the champions never looked comfortable closing this game out.
For a start, West Brom should have been ahead. There were 13 minutes gone when Nemanja Matic needlessly lunged in on Callum McManaman, bringing him down in the area and giving Mark Clattenburg no dilemma about pointing to the spot.
Morrison, however, chose for hard, low and straight – but Thibaut Courtois made sure his legs protected the centre of the goal. The ball flew up and over the bar. Would West Brom get as good a chance again?
The answer? They would. And not just West Brom, but Morrison, too. In the 35th minute, Chelsea two up, James McClean struck a slightly overhit deep cross which new signing Salomon Rondon did magnificently to keep in with an acrobatic overhead volley.
Whether by luck or exquisite judgement, the ball fell to Morrison who, in yards of space, struck it smartly past Courtois from the edge of the area. If only he had done that with the penalty.
Yet Chelsea, the defensive stalwarts of last season, have been unimpressive this time around and nine minutes into the second-half Terry was exposed. Hooked at half-time against Manchester City he will feel equally concerned by this development, Rondon’s pace leaving him floundering and yielding a frantic tug at his shirt as the striker closed in on the penalty.
What he lacked in pace, however, Terry made up in villainous timing, for he picked the moment just before Rondon entered the area to make the foul. Clattenburg showed a straight red, having first inadvertently brandished a yellow adding to the confusion, and Terry began a slow walk off.
Whether gamesmanship, or simple misery, it was hard to say. Who knows what Chelsea’s back line will look like when he returns; if he returns.
Less than five minutes later, West Brom got what they deserved – McManaman’s cross was flicked on by Morrison, getting in ahead of Matic, and defeating Courtois a second time. Chelsea held on, but without great conviction. Pedro has got into the swing of the Premier League early – now he needs his team-mates to do the same.
