Saturday March 3, 2012 Day 27 Finished The Hawthorns

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  1. AVB on brink as West Brom stun Chelsea

    AVB on brink as West Brom stun Chelsea

    A gutless Chelsea side lost 1-0 at West Brom as Gareth McAuley poached a late winner to give the Baggies their third win in a row. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • West Bromwich Albion
    • Chelsea
    • - Don't forget you can watch highlights of this match, along with every Premier League game, from 00:01 on Monday morning (UK only).
    • 90+5 Mata with a terrible free-kick, barely above waist height and headed clear by the first man and that's the whistle! Too little too late from Chelsea - West Brom win 1-0, Chelsea drop three points behind Arsenal in fourth and the Baggies move top half.
    • 90+5 Cole is receiving treatment on the pitch. Mata to take, Cech runs up for it now!
    • 90+4 Cole is down hurt. Brunt then late on Ramires on the right and a booking late on. Cole is in real trouble....
    • 90+3 Well wide from Mata after Torres's flick on landed to his unmarked compatriot! Not an easy one but he sliced it!
    • 90+2 LAMPARD JUST WIDE! Drogba's superb flick on releases Cole, a fine low cross from him but Lampard puts the finish wide from six yards! He was trying to open his body up to get it wide of the keeper but he opened it up too much and missed!
    • 90+1 Mata's corner is headed wide - well wide - by Drogba; four minutes added time being played.
    • 90' Luiz with a long ball that is headed behind by Tamas under pressure from Drogba. I make that the first angled ball aimed for Drogba today.
    • 89' Malouda almost sends Drogba in but West Brom clear. Time running out for Chelsea.
    • 88' ‏@iankouba: "awfully horrendous defending. That goal was coming a long time. Chelsea have been riding their luck then got punished!" FOLLOW ON TWITTER!
    • 87' West Brom have a free-kick some way out but Brunt hammers it well over.
    • 86' Brunt drives in a good cross but Drogba heads away. Lofted back in and McAuley chests it for Andrews but his shot is blocked for a corner.
    • 85' Cole with a two-footed lunge on Long, who bounces up sparing Cole a red.
    • 84' CHELSEA SUB: Ivanovic races off to allow Meireles in.
    • 84' WEST BROM SUB: Long comes on for Fortune.
    • 84' Shocking defending from Chelsea. Collectively they have been a disgrace at the back.
    • 83' GOAL WEST BROM! McAuley prods it home from close range after Chelsea fail to clear a Brunt corner! Cech initially palmed it away but only to Andrews, whose cross is not cleared, dropping to Ridgewell whose low drive is diverted in by McAuley.
    • 82' Brunt with another fine corner but Olsson's header is blocked behind for a corner.
    • 81' Mata to take this... Ivanovic attacks it but he mistimes his header up in the air and away. West Brom counter, Chelsea exposed as Fortune finds Odemwingie but a poor cross. Now Brunt crosses in but Cole heads behind for a corner.
    • 80' Torres gets down the left but a poor touch allows Andrews to clear. But Torres chases it down and is hacked to the turf by Andrews, who is booked.
    • 79' Good play by West Brom now but the one-touch passing doesn't work out as Tamas's cross is blocked.
    • 78' Mata crosses in, Foster will claim but McAuley gets ahead of him to head clear anyway. Foster is furious as he called for ti.
    • 77' Chelsea come forward but but Mata can't get a shot away and West Brom clear.
    • 76' False report - Lampard is staying on with Essien making way for Torres.
    • 75' Foster with a long throw to release Odemwingie, now Mulumbu on it, offloaded to BRUNT WHO UNLEASHES A SCREAMER BUT JUST WIDE!
    • 74' Chelsea with what is becming a rare spell of possession. Torres is getting ready to come on; Lampard, who has barely touched the ball, will come off.
    • 73' Fortune slides Brunt in but his attempted lob hits Cahill and curls into the arms of Cech.
    • 72' Brunt with a far better corner than anything Morrison has managed, Ridgewell meeting it near post but flicking over.
    • 71' Ridgewell down the left once more and another great cross but this time Cole does well to poke it away for a corner as Brunt dived in with a header.
    • 70' Essien with a huge tackle to release Mata on the right but his low ball is cleared by Ridgewell.
    • 69' FORTUNE WITH A FIZZING DRIVE BUT BATTED AWAY BY CECH! West Brom are all over Chelsea, they just backed off Fortune as he ran from deep.
    • 68' Chelsea can't get past halfway right now. All West Brom.
    • 67' Chelsea fail to clear the corner and MULUMBU WITH THE DRIVE BUT TIPPED OVER BY CECH!
    • 67' Luiz slips and, like a clown, the lets Fortune get past him too easily. Fortunately for Chelsea Cahill can defend and blocks his shot-cross.
    • 66' Ridgewell, having done well there, gives away a free-kick on the right and is booked for cumulative offences.
    • 65' Drogba is played in by Lampard on the left, he gets away from Olsson but declines to shoot, instead cutting it back only for Ridgewell to clear from Mata!
    • 64' WEST BROM SUB: With Malouda coming on, Thomas goes down. He is replaced by Chris Brunt, back after two months out.
    • 63' CHELSEA SUB: Malouda comes on for Sturridge.
    • 62' Mata with a nice touch but he drags the finish well wide.
    • 61' @Tijaychoice: "Odemwingie makes Cole look like some league 2 leftback today" FOLLOW ON TWITTER!
    • 60' Odemwingie with some tricky feet on the right to win a corner. Chelsea are all over the place. Cech is fouled as Morrison's ball comes in.
    • 59' Cole with another mistake to let Fortune in but his drive is tipped over by Cech! What is Cole doing today?
    • 58' Risky header by Luiz to Cole with Odemwingie ready to pounce! He gets away with it though. Luiz does not inspire one with confidence. But following that he makes an excellent challenge on the Nigerian after Mata gave it away.
    • 57' Ashley Cole in a right pickle is left for dead by Fortune, but the striker's touch lets him down and he fouls Essien as the Ghanaian tried to clear. Drogba is moving awkwardly now...
    • 56' WEST BROM SUB: Tamas on for the stricken Reid. Looking at the replay at least it wasn't his knee - he tweaked his ankle.
    • 55' Reid is helped off after going down. Hopefully it's not his game knee; he just pulled up and went straight down.
    • 54' Morrison sends it far post, Andrews knocks it back in, now Odemwingie has it with his back to goal but he doesn't shoot and Chelsea clear. Reid slips and goes down in major pain, play-on though and Mata plays Sturridge in but the keeper Foster flies out to clear.
    • 53' Ramires on the run but Morrison challenges well. Mulumbu to Odemwingie wide right, now Reid on it but Drogba leaves him in a heap. Free-kick West Brom.
    • 52' Drogba almost turns into space on the edge of the box but McAuley blocks him.
    • 51' Sturridge is still moaning but he won't talk the ref into showing a card for that. It's not Spain!
    • 50' Sturridge controls the ball and his hacked down by a clumsy rather than malicious challenge from Ridgewell.
    • 49' Luiz with a good strong challenge on Odemwingie on the Baggies right. The throw is sent in long but Ivanovic chests it back to Cech.
    • 48' Mata with a decent cross from the free-kick but off the top of Drogba's head under pressure from Olsson.
    • 47' Chelsea start the half with a good period of possession. Ramires wins a free-kick off Reid wide left.
    • 46' The second half is underway.
    • - No changes at half-time.
    • - So what did you make of that half? West Brom shading it but Chelsea also should have scored. Let me know on Twitter @Reda_Eurosport. FOLLOW ON TWITTER!
    • 45+3 Drogba heads Morrison's corner clear but Thomas has it wide left; his cross is cleared but again West Brom retain possession. The whistle goes, it's goalless but both sides have missed chances. West Brom looking the more comfortable and confident, but Chelsea also should have scored.
    • 45+2 West Brom come again as Reid cuts inside, Odemwingie to Morrison, wide to Thomas, his cross is cleared but the second ball in finds Mulumbu, he runs at the defence who keep backing off and his low finish hits Cahill to fly behind! Corner.
    • 45+1 Three minutes added time being played, by the way.
    • 45+1 Wild clearance from Cole behind for a corner after Mulumbu tries to curl it in behind him - he needed to make contact though as Odemwingie was in. The corner is cleared, but West Brom come again. Luiz weirdly tries to shepherd the ball behind from close range with Ridgewell on him but escapes as the home defender's toe-poke goes wide!
    • 45' Ivanovic leaves Fortune in a heap on halfway. West Brom free-kick. Poor ball in the air from Olsson. Another odd decision.
    • 44' Olsson with a very ambitious attempt to catch Cech off his line.
    • 43' Morrison goes down hurt after tangling with Essien, who strolls over to apologise. Both went with the foot up for a highish ball, Essien following through a touch.
    • 42' Morrison's corner is flicked on by Olsson but a terrible touch by McAuley is straight to Sturridge, who brings it clear.
    • 41' Cole does well this time to prevent Odemwingie firing in a shot after a superb crossfield pass by Ridgewell.
    • 40' BAD MISS BY STURRIDGE! Great play by Drogba on the right, digging out a lovely curling ball that takes out the home defence and lands at the feet of Sturridge; but his first touch is poor, even so it landed nicely enough for a finish but he dragged it just wide.
    • 40' Ridgewell on the left again, superb cross this time and Odemwingie flies in but the header is up in the air and away.
    • 39' ESSIEN FROM RANGE AND FOSTER FLIES ACROSS TO STOP ONE-HANDED! A half-volley from the Ghanaian after taking it on the chest.
    • 39' A flick on by Drogba lands to Mata, who finds Sturridge, who shoots from range and deflected wide for a corner.
    • 38' Andrews should flick that Morrison corner on from the near post but he heads well wide, getting his bearings wrong.
    • 37' West Brom swarm forward again with Ridgewell in acres on the left but his cross is desperately headed behind by a leaning Ivanovic. Corner.
    • 36' Thomas does well under pressure form Cahill and Ramires to somehow scoop the ball away, now Reid surges forward down the right but his cross is cleared.
    • 35' Nice ball from Drogba to Mata again but the cross spins behind. Cole things it was a corner but the ref has a word telling him to keep his strongly-worded opinions to himself.
    • 34' Good run from Luiz from Chelsea, one of his driving forays forward down the right, but West Brom clear his cross.
    • 33' While Luiz has his head treated, I turn to Twitter. @pirutman and @DamasusUdie both see West Brom winning this. Certainly the pre-match odds, heavily favouring Chelsea, do not do the form of both sides justice. FOLLOW ON TWITTER!
    • 32' David Luiz is down holding his perm. Seems he picked up a knock in that passage of play, clash of heads.
    • 32' Morrison's corner is cleared but only to Mulumbu; Morrison crosses again, Drogba clears but only to Andrews and Mulumbu shoots but well over.
    • 31' Fortune slips Odemwingie in down the right, Cahill and Luiz are in a tizzy and the Nigerian is in but his scuffed shot hits Luiz, corner.
    • 30' This time Cahill fouls Fortune and West Brom have a free-kick just inisde the Chelsea half. Taken short.
    • 29' After that good spell for Chelsea the fizz goes out of their play a bit.
    • 29' Fortune with a double-foul on Cahill, pulling his shirt and shoving him. Taken short and cheers from the home fans as Drogba gets his cross all wrong.
    • 28' This is much much better from Chelsea as they work the ball from left to right, patiently probing but Morrison blocks Essien's pass.
    • 27' Lampard's ball in is a good one, panic in the box as Odemwingie can't get the header clear, super first touch Cahill on the penalty spot but a brave Morrison flies in to block with his head!
    • 27' Lampard clips a pass wide to Cole, with the England left-back winning a corner. Cahill and Luiz come up for it...
    • 26' Drogba on the right gets beyond Ridgewell but fouls him in the process and West Brom have a free-kick.
    • 25' Drogba releases Ramires centrally, he has space to run into and slides a through ball to Mata in the box but it's just behind him and West Brom clear.
    • 24' Mata almost releases Drogba but doesn't pick the right ball.
    • 23' Cahill with a crossfield pass but the move breaks down. West Brom certainly making more of the running now.
    • 22' Morrison with a surging run down the right, he leaves Essien for dead and it opens up past Ramires but, off balance, he thrashes a left-foot shot miles over.
    • 21' Another poor corner from Morrison is easy for Cech once more. Now Mata has it on the left, but his cross is blocked for a throw by Mulumbu.
    • 20' A lucky ricochet sends Fortune in but Cahill recovers well to intercept. Fortune again has it, wide right this time, but Luiz heads his cross behind. Corner.
    • 19' Fortune on the left holds it up for Thomas, inside to Morrison whose shot whacks Essien on the head. Odemwingie again gets around Cole but his shot is dragged well wide.
    • 18' A bright start by both sides on a bright day - hard to follow things at times due to the sunshine.
    • 17' Ridgewell with a low cross that is flicked away by Ivanovic, to Fortune who drills in a low shot but well wide.
    • 16' Mata slips it wide left for Lampard after a patient spell of passing, but his final pass is poor and slides out for a throw.
    • 15' More Chelsea pressure as Reid is forced to clear from Mata. Now West Brom break, Morrison releasing Odemwingie down the left but he strays offside.
    • 14' Drogba flicks it on for Mata who is in on the right but, from a tight angle, his rising drive is batted behind by Foster! Corner.
    • 13' Ridgewell with a crunching tackle on Drogba, who responds with a handshake.
    • 12' Olsson initially tackles Sturridge but then he gives it away! Fine cross from the England forward TO MATA ON THE VOLLEY but he kicks air! Normally he'd bury them!
    • 11' Good football again from Albion as they carve Chelsea apart but Fortune's final pass is poor and the visitors clear.
    • 10' Morrison with a clever run into space wide left but Cahill heads his cross clear.
    • 9' Cech gathers a poor corner from Morrison with relative ease. But West Brom get it back from the clearance. Odemwingie on the right again, he leaves Cole for dead but the far-post cross is wasted with no-one gambling from West brom.
    • 8' GOOD SAVE CECH! Morrison with a fizzing drive from the edge of the box after Thomas's lay-off. Good play by Odemwingie to create the chance with a right-wing run inside.
    • 7' Lampard fouls Thomas on the Baggies right wing and the hosts have a free-kick in a good position, by the touchline and a few yards shy of the edge of the box. Ridegwell and Olsson the men to watch... And Olsson meets it but Drogba blocks and Chelsea clear!
    • 6' The initial corner is cleared but Chelsea get it back, a Mata cross causing problems but Olsson able to clear from Sturridge.
    • 5' That good spell sees Essien ping a long pass for Mata free on the right but it's nicked behind by Ridgewell for a corner.
    • 4' Good spell of possession form Chelsea now as they take the game to the Baggies.
    • 3' Great cross from Ridegwell lands to an umarked Odemwingie at the far post but he inexplicably tries a cut back, getting it all wrong with a mis-kick.
    • 2' Drogba gets in down the left but the flag is up for offside, going a touch early.
    • 1' A minute or so behind schedule, the first half gets underway at the Hawthorns, Chelsea in dark strips as is the away custom.
    • 14:58 Before we get started, Peter Odemwingie picks up his Player of the Month award for being rather good.
    • 14:57 The teams are out as they jump through the standard pre-match hoops.
    • 14:56 FACT: Frank Lampard has scored 149 Premier League goals and could become only the sixth player to reach the 150 milestone. Thuper Frank's thuper goalth.
    • 14:55 If you fancy getting in touch about this game - with your predictions, comments about AvB's latest rant or any other musings related to this match - you can do so on Twitter @Reda_Eurosport. FOLLOW ON TWITTER!
    • 14:50 MATCH ODDS: West Brom 16/5, Chelsea 10/11, Draw 12/5.
    • 14:45 FACT: West Brom have only scored four goals in 11 Premier League meetings with Chelsea; West Brom have only ever once won three Premier League games in a row, back in September 2002.
    • 14:40 FACT: Didier Drogba has scored eight goals in eight Premier League games against West Brom, his joint-highest tally along with Arsenal against any opponent; the Ivorian has scored 99 Premier League goals.
    • 14:35 FACT: Chelsea have won 18 and lost none of the last 20 matches in all competitions against West Brom; The Londoners have won all 11 Premier League meetings with the Baggies; However, Chelsea have only won three of their last 11 Premier League games (W3 D6 L2).
    • 14:30 Andre Villas-Boas: "I have to choose the team and try to choose the best team for every single game. Sometimes it hasn't involved Frank, but it doesn't mean I have a personal problem with him. His interpretation is his own but I have no problem, and I explained these decisions to him, these are decisions for the benefit of the team. He is a legend of the football club, if [the fans] chant his name during the game it's because he represents that. He fully deserves it."
    • 14:25 Roy Hodgson: "They're being pipped by Arsenal for fourth spot at the moment. Frankly, if they're going to get into the top four, they have to be looking at games like West Bromwich Albion as games they can win and perhaps should win, given the quality of players at their disposal. They're a good team and a massive club. For the last 10 years or more they have been one of the 'big four'. They have been enormously successful and have racked up titles."
    • 14:20 CHELSEA TEAM NEWS: Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge have recovered from the knee and toe problems picked up on Ivory Coast and England duty respectively. Both start, meaning Fernando Torres is again on the bench. Florent Malouda is also a sub after his match-winning performance for France against Germany in midweek, while Frank Lampard starts. John Terry is a long-term absentee after his knee op.
    • 14:20 WEST BROM TEAM NEWS: There are no changes from the XI that thrashed Sunderland 4-0 last time out. Winger Jerome Thomas has recovered from the hamstring injury he picked up in that win, their second by a four-goal margin in succession. Skipper Chris Brunt has returned to the bench after a two-month lay-off with a broken foot. Fellow midfielder Paul Scharner has not fully recovered from the rib injury.
    • 14:15 Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
    • 14:15 TEAMS - West Brom: Foster, Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Andrews, Mulumbu, Morrison, Odemwingie, Fortune, Thomas; Subs: Fulop, Long, Brunt, Dorrans, Shorey, Tamas, Cox /// Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Sturridge, Drogba, Mata; Subs: Turnbull, Romeu, Torres, Mikel, Malouda, Meireles, Hutchinson
    • - Hello and welceome to our LIVE coverage of Chelsea's trip to in-form West Brom as Andre Villas-Boas's under-achievers face a difficult clash in the Premier League.

  • Summary

    • 90+3 Well wide from Mata after Torres's flick on landed to his unmarked compatriot! Not an easy one but he sliced it!
    • 90+2 LAMPARD JUST WIDE! Drogba's superb flick on releases Cole, a fine low cross from him but Lampard puts the finish wide from six yards! He was trying to open his body up to get it wide of the keeper but he opened it up too much and missed!
    • 83' GOAL WEST BROM! McAuley prods it home from close range after Chelsea fail to clear a Brunt corner! Cech initially palmed it away but only to Andrews, whose cross is not cleared, dropping to Ridgewell whose low drive is diverted in by McAuley.
    • 75' Foster with a long throw to release Odemwingie, now Mulumbu on it, offloaded to BRUNT WHO UNLEASHES A SCREAMER BUT JUST WIDE!
    • 71' Ridgewell down the left once more and another great cross but this time Cole does well to poke it away for a corner as Brunt dived in with a header.
    • 69' FORTUNE WITH A FIZZING DRIVE BUT BATTED AWAY BY CECH! West Brom are all over Chelsea, they just backed off Fortune as he ran from deep.
    • 67' Chelsea fail to clear the corner and MULUMBU WITH THE DRIVE BUT TIPPED OVER BY CECH!
    • 67' Luiz slips and, like a clown, the lets Fortune get past him too easily. Fortunately for Chelsea Cahill can defend and blocks his shot-cross.
    • 65' Drogba is played in by Lampard on the left, he gets away from Olsson but declines to shoot, instead cutting it back only for Ridgewell to clear from Mata!
    • 59' Cole with another mistake to let Fortune in but his drive is tipped over by Cech! What is Cole doing today?
    • 58' Risky header by Luiz to Cole with Odemwingie ready to pounce! He gets away with it though. Luiz does not inspire one with confidence. But following that he makes an excellent challenge on the Nigerian after Mata gave it away.
    • 54' Morrison sends it far post, Andrews knocks it back in, now Odemwingie has it with his back to goal but he doesn't shoot and Chelsea clear. Reid slips and goes down in major pain, play-on though and Mata plays Sturridge in but the keeper Foster flies out to clear.
    • 45+2 West Brom come again as Reid cuts inside, Odemwingie to Morrison, wide to Thomas, his cross is cleared but the second ball in finds Mulumbu, he runs at the defence who keep backing off and his low finish hits Cahill to fly behind! Corner.
    • 40' BAD MISS BY STURRIDGE! Great play by Drogba on the right, digging out a lovely curling ball that takes out the home defence and lands at the feet of Sturridge; but his first touch is poor, even so it landed nicely enough for a finish but he dragged it just wide.
    • 39' ESSIEN FROM RANGE AND FOSTER FLIES ACROSS TO STOP ONE-HANDED! A half-volley from the Ghanaian after taking it on the chest.
    • 27' Lampard's ball in is a good one, panic in the box as Odemwingie can't get the header clear, super first touch Cahill on the penalty spot but a brave Morrison flies in to block with his head!
    • 14' Drogba flicks it on for Mata who is in on the right but, from a tight angle, his rising drive is batted behind by Foster! Corner.
    • 12' Olsson initially tackles Sturridge but then he gives it away! Fine cross from the England forward TO MATA ON THE VOLLEY but he kicks air! Normally he'd bury them!
    • 8' GOOD SAVE CECH! Morrison with a fizzing drive from the edge of the box after Thomas's lay-off. Good play by Odemwingie to create the chance with a right-wing run inside.
    • 7' Lampard fouls Thomas on the Baggies right wing and the hosts have a free-kick in a good position, by the touchline and a few yards shy of the edge of the box. Ridegwell and Olsson the men to watch... And Olsson meets it but Drogba blocks and Chelsea clear!
    • 14:15 TEAMS - West Brom: Foster, Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Andrews, Mulumbu, Morrison, Odemwingie, Fortune, Thomas; Subs: Fulop, Long, Brunt, Dorrans, Shorey, Tamas, Cox /// Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Sturridge, Drogba, Mata; Subs: Turnbull, Romeu, Torres, Mikel, Malouda, Meireles, Hutchinson

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      6.4 7
      Defenders
      Substitution Out57′ 5.6 7
      Goal 6.4 7
      6.1 6
      Yellow Card 6.5 7
      Midfielders
      7.1 7
      Yellow Card 6.1 7
      6.1 6
      Strikers
      7.2 7
      Substitution Out64′ 6 6
      Substitution Out84′ 6.4 7
      Subs
      Substitution In84′ 6.1 6
      Substitution In57′ 7.4 6
      Substitution In64′ Yellow Card 6.4 7
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      6.6 6
      Defenders
      Substitution Out84′ 6.4 6
      5.7 6
      5.6 5
      Yellow Card 4.8 5
      Midfielders
      Substitution Out76′ 6.9 6
      5.7 6
      5.6 6
      Strikers
      Substitution Out64′ 5.6 6
      6.7 5
      6.2 6
      Subs
      Substitution In64′ 4.1 6
      Substitution In76′ 4.8 6
      Substitution In84′ 4.3 6

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