West Bromwich Albion look to end their losing start to the season as they welcome Chelsea to The Hawthorns.
West Brom can move off the foot of the Premier League table with at least a point, whereas Chelsea could climb as high as sixth with victory and depending on results earlier in day playing into their favour.
Team News
Conor Gallagher is ruled out for West Brom due to being ineligible to face his parent club, Chelsea after joining the Baggies on loan from the Blues earlier this month.
Hal Robson Kanu (muscle), Kamil Grosicki (back), and Ahmed Hegazi (hamstring) al face late fitness tests ahead of potential selection.
Kieran Gibbs serves the second of his three match ban and joins Kenneth Zohore on sidelines.
Chelsea are likely to be without new goalkeeper signing, Edouard Mendy as the Senegalese international continues to settle into his new club after missing training for much of this week.
Hakim Ziyech could return from a knee injury if he passes a late fitness whilst Christian Pulisic (hamstring), Billy Gilmour and Marco van Ginkel (both knee) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- West Brom have taken just a single point from their last six meetings against Chelsea (D1, L5).
- Chelsea have won in each of their last three trips to West Brom (W3), conceding just twice and scoring eight goals.
- There has been four red cards in 24 Premier League meetings between West Brom and Chelsea, with the West Londoners picking up three sending offs compared to the Baggies’ one dismissal.
- Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga is the only player to have made more than one error which led to a goal in the opening two rounds this season, having made two such mistakes.
- West Brom’s Matheus Pereira is the first player to score from a free-kick in the Premier League this season, having scored to make it 2-2 last weekend at Everton.
Prediction
After losing a tight contest against Liverpool last weekend, a six goal Carabao Cup display in midweek against Barnsley was the perfect tonic for Frank Lampard’s Blues ahead of what could be an interesting clash if West Brom turn up and continue to deliver a fighting performance as saw in their two matches this past week.
Slaven Bilic’s Baggies however do still have defensive work to do if are to start keeping the opposition out and finding points but I just can’t see them doing much because with Timo Werner and Kai Havertz up front, I can see Chelsea delivering a ruthless attacking display but their defence has been inconsistent at times.
Prediction: WBA 1-3 Chelsea
Result: WBA 3-3 Chelsea