Chelsea connections with West Bromwich Albion won’t fit into a bag
Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion have become familiar foes in a fixture that stretches over a century, but what makes the clubs so intertwined?
Saturday will mark the 140th match between Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion, a run that dates back to 1905 when the pair languished in the ye olde League Division Two.
This particular tie has remained consistent throughout the ages, so it comes as no surprise that the two have weaved into one another’s past, present, and future.
Just over a week ago, Branislav Ivanovic returned from the cold of Russia to the Premier League, to the delight of both Baggies and Blues fans. Although the Serb will feature for Slaven Bilic, the 36-year old will be fondly remembered for his tenure at Chelsea, for whom he won three league titles, a trio of FA Cups, and both major honors in Europe.
Conor Gallagher perches at the opposite end of the spectrum with his Chelsea career having hardly left the ground. Shooting up through the academy, positive loans at Charlton Athletic and Swansea City eventually landed Gallagher a move to the Midlands in the hope Frank Lampard will eventually include him in his future plans.
Ivanovic and Gallagher join a striker contingent of players to have played for the Blues and West Brom. The rollercoaster that is Nicolas Anelka seemed to have got his cart back on the tracks at Stamford Bridge, winning the Golden Boot and a place in the Team of the Year in 2009/10. Daniel Sturridge also showed signs of promise at Chelsea, eventually finding his talented feet at Liverpool.
However, joining West Brom signaled a sorry demise for Anelka and Sturridge in polar opposite misgivings. Whilst Sturridge suffered a hamstring problem that ruled him out for several months- an injury he has never truly recovered from in terms of performance levels- the Frenchman was sacked for ‘gross misconduct’ over an inappropriate gesture on the field.
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Romelu Lukaku, on the other hand, had a much more joyous spell away from West London. 17 goals from 35 games in 2012/13 shot the striker into the spotlight, who has since risen into the top echelons of the global game.
Remaining on the Belgian theme, Eden Hazard has fond memories of facing West Brom. He has dazzled and taunted defenders up and down the country, but his favorite victims have been the boys in navy and white. His seven goals are the most he has netted against a single team from the top division.
Hazard also sealed his 100th league start, in unceremonious circumstances, losing 3-0 to Tony Pulis’s team, with Cesc Fabregas receiving a straight red card. Chelsea had already been named champions, a third for Jose Mourinho. It also marked the moment John Terry had not missed a single minute of Premier League action, becoming the second outfielder to do so a title-winning team after Gary Pallister in 1992-93.
Michy Batshuayi can also bathe in glory against the Baggies. The Batman became the hero of the hour in 2017, with his solitary strike enough to ensure Chelsea would be league winners once again, under new guidance from Antonio Conte. That 1-0 over West Brom meant that the Italian would become the fourth man to win the Premier League during their first spell in England, behind Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti (notice the Chelsea theme) and Manuel Pellegrini.
Chelsea has provided much more than just personnel to their familiar foe. They have a tendency to hand out defeats, and the odd drubbing, to the Baggies. In fact, West Brom has lost more matches against Chelsea than they have to any other Premier League opponent (18).
They also suffered 13 consecutive losses between 1993 and 2011, including the 6-0 hammering on the league’s curtain-raiser in 2010, the largest opening day victory in the competition’s rich history. Former Chelsea midfielder, Roberto Di Matteo, was in charge of the Baggies that day; just two years later, he would be leading the Blues to Champions League glory.
Talking of managers, Andreas Villas-Boas final fixture in charge of Chelsea would come in a 1-0 defeat to West Brom on the 3rd March 2012. After a solemn run of three wins from 12, the powers that be axed the Portuguese coach in place for none other than Di Matteo.
Steve Clarke is another link, having made 421 appearances for the Blues as a reliable defender. He continued his journey off the field as part of Mourinho’s coaching staff. The Scotsman departed shortly after the Special One, pursuing various other backroom roles before eventually landing the front of house job at West Brom in 2012. Clarke masterminded the sides highest ever Premier League finish in eighth, defeating Chelsea 2-1 along the way.
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Long and illustrious links bounce between the Blues and the Baggies, but will more magic be made on the weekend?