This Sunday Chelsea travel to The Hawthorns to take on West Bromwich Albion with the hope of getting their first win of the season.
Having lost this corresponding fixture 3-0 last term coupled with the 3-0 reverse last weekend at the Etihad, this is a fixture the reigning Premier League champions would have probably preferred having to negotiate much later in the campaign, when they’d have hit a better vein of form. However, The Blues, who have just made their worst start to a season in 17 years, will be upbeat having welcomed two new quality signings to the squad.
The arrivals of Pedro and Baba Rahman have had everyone in Stamford Bridge buzzing and has undoubtedly given the team a lift, though whether they’ll be handed their debuts or their welcomed presences will be enough to gift the “wounded lions” the much needed fillip to get them into their stride and firing on all cylinders as champions remains to be seen.
West Brom themselves are on the same patch as us – a solitary point after two games – and will be fancyng their chances of repeating last season’s result, especially as Tony Pulis seemingly has Mourinho’s number, having beaten the Special One with West Brom and Crystal Palace in the last 16 months.
Two Chelsea managers – Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo – have been sacked soon after their visits to the Hawthorns. Although Mourinho doesn’t stand such risk, does he, in this moment, have what it takes to buck the trend of fruitless visits to the Midlands club? Can he for once think outside the box and shake things up, especially at the defence as it seems he [and by extension our defence] is increasingly becoming too predictable? With Courtois set to regain his place between the sticks, will we still see and have to perpetually moan over Ivanovic at right back and Azpilicueta at left back? Considering the pace of the Baggies forward, Saido Berahino, will we see Terry start only to be curtly subbed at half time again for the pacier Kurt Zouma, when the damage had already been done? Heck, what does he need to do to get Costa, Fabregas and Hazard et al into their groove again?
As usual we are none the wiser, so we are asking you to second guess Mourinho ahead of the game; we are asking you to name the Starting XI versus WBA, keeping in mind that the injured duo of Oscar and Moses are unavailable for selection as well as the intrigues Pedro and Baba will be bringing to things.
So who’ll get us started?
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