I was not quite sure what to expect from Chelsea FC’s visit to face West Bromwich Albion. Would we see two teams barely shift out of first gear? Or would West Brom try to get one over on the champions?
The Baggies are safe from relegation and Chelsea as you know had already clinched the title two weeks prior. The lead up to the match was focused on the lovefest between the two managers José Mourinho and Tony Pulis.
Both men waxed lyrical about their opposite number and talked about how great of a job the other was doing. It was obvious that there was a great deal of mutual respect between the two men but would that have been any different if this was a potential titled decider?
Besides the bromance between Mourinho and his buddy Tony, Chelsea FC fans were hoping to see their youth players get a chance against West Brom. All three youth players that were expected to take part in the match played for at least part of the 90 minutes but that was all that went according to plan.
Instead of the friendly kick-about that many of the fans were expecting, this match turned ugly very quickly. Leave it to professional football/streetfighter Diego Costa to stir up trouble in a meaningless match. Costa’s shoving match with the West Brom defender and ensuing a scuffle saw Cesc Fabregas receive one of the most bizarre red cards I have ever seen in football.
Normally when a player receives a red card for violent conduct he has either punched or kicked an opposing player. In this case, Cesc received the card for kicking a ball at the back of a West Brom defender’s head.
It was a moment of pure madness as spectators around the world sat dumbfounded at why the Spaniard would do such a thing. He accepted his sending off gracefully but left his manager and the supporters dumbfounded.
With Chelsea playing a man down and West Brom already having a one goal advantage, the momentum was clearly on the Baggies’ side. They took advantage of a complacent Chelsea side and ran out 3-0 winners.
To add to an already bizarre night, the away supporters cheered and sang even louder when the Blues were down 3-0 then they did at the beginning of the match. They serenaded the Hawthorns crowd with by singing variations of “We’ve Won The League”. The away support drowned out the home fans in what was one of their best results all season though it should of course come with a bit of an asterisk.
After the match, Mourinho made it a point to cross the field and salute the away support. He clapped and gestured to the crowd and waved his index finger in the air as they sang and chanted. It was the happiest 3-0 loss that I have ever seen. It was strange to sit there and watch our beloved Chelsea lose in such a fashion but as the away fans chanted and sang, we’ve already won the league!
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