West Bromwich Albion have little to gain from tonight’s match against Chelsea. But anyone expecting them to let Chelsea run rampant fails to understand two words: Tony Pulis.
Chelsea can finish the day as Premier League champions with a win at West Bromwich Albion. Little will change for West Bromwich Albion, win or lose. The gap between seventh-place Everton and eighth-place West Brom is the largest in the Premier League. Thirteen points form the ceiling above West Brom: they can do no better than their current position.
But even though the Baggies are not fighting to avoid relegation nor clambering for a Europa League berth, they are not going to be on the receiving end of a romp. Like any other Tony Pulis squad, tight defence and bland play resulting in a low-scoring affair are their specialities.
West Brom are the highest-ranked team with a negative goal differential: -4. However, they have only allowed three or more goals three times this season. Manchester City and Tottenham both defeated West Brom 4-0, and Everton are recent 3-0 victors. Only the Tottenham loss came at home.
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The Baggies had one draw and five losses in the first half of the season against the current top-six clubs. They have one win, one draw and two losses against the top clubs in 2017. That win was their most recent, coming on March 18 against Arsenal. Since then, West Brom have two draws and four losses. Three of those losses were 1-0, and one of the draws was 0-0 to Manchester United.
Even an apathetic Tony Pulis team can stifle most any offence. West Brom may not have the players and tactical nous to defeat Chelsea (although they did beat Arsenal – then again….), but they can grind out a draw almost by rote.
Chelsea will need Cesc Fabregas at his best to help the fans overcome the soporific of a Tony Pulis team. Fabregas’ passes have a greater chance of opening up West Brom’s defence than an Eden Hazard solo effort. The Baggies will clog the box to such an extent that even Hazard will run out of room to maneuver.
If Chelsea want to do more than keep fans awake, such as giving them something to celebrate long into the night, they will need to get the forwards on the end of Fabregas’ service. West Brom will offer Diego Costa plenty of opportunities to flail and flop at the slightest contact. He can either make their sit-back-and-frustrate game plan 100% effective, or he can link with Fabregas and Hazard to keep Chelsea fans on their feet.
Next: West Brom vs. Chelsea: Predicted XI for just another Premier League match
Chelsea should win tonight with little tension, but not without a solid effort. Tony Pulis and West Brom will not make the final step easy for Chelsea, but Chelsea know what they will face and have everything they need to seal their title.