Saido Berahino bags a brace as West Brom sweep aside newly-crowned champions Chelsea at the Hawthorns. Chris Brunt is also amongst the goals, whilst Cesc Fabregas sees red as the Blues lose for only the third time this term.
Blues pay the penalty for complacency
Chelsea fell to a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion as their 16-match unbeaten run came crashing to an end. Despite suggesting he would field a number of young players at the Hawthorns, Jose Mourinho made just three alterations to his starting XI, drafting in Diego Costa, Gary Cahill and Nemanja Matic in place of Kurt Zouma, John Obi Mikel and Willian.
Costa’s inclusion came as a slight surprise given that Mourinho previously stated he would only field the Spain international again this campaign if the Blues were in desperate need of his services. The Portuguese boss clearly deemed him fit enough to start and was vindicated when Costa came through his 63-minute stint unscathed. Spearheading the champions’ attack – with Loic Remy shifted out to the right flank – Costa looked rusty on his return and couldn’t fashion a single attempt on goal.
Mourinho resisted the temptation to rest Eden Hazard for the Baggies encounter, maintaining the Belgian livewire’s 100% appearance record in the league. Hazard drew a blank for the second successive fixture following Chelsea’s title win, yet the London club’s home tie against Sunderland on the final day should convince owners to keep faith with the PFA Player of the Year.
Cesc Fabregas’ 30% ownership were left bemused when the deep-lying playmaker kicked the ball into a congregation of West Brom players – hitting Chris Brunt on the back of the head – during a break in play. Fabregas was awarded a red card for the bizarre incident and will now sit out the Black Cats tie in addition to the first two matches of next season. His absence could persuade owners to reinvest the funds from his sale and recruit one of Manchester City’s high-priced in-form midfielder (Yaya Toure and David Silva) ahead of their home clash against Southampton.
The Blues have now conceded four times and scored once since clinching the title and with Mourinho admitting his side have eased off since securing the trophy, some may even consider swapping out their Chelsea assets, with the Blues showing little motivation in last night’s lacklustre display.
Berahino nets brace in Baggies triumph
Having been recalled to the side in place of Victor Anichebe, Saido Berahino netted for the first time in eight starts, including a second-half spot-kick. Chris Brunt scored the hosts’ third of the night with a rasping near-post shot that Thibaut Courtois arguably should have dealt with better. The Northern Irish midfielder is enjoying a strong finish to the campaign, with one goal and four assists in six starts, and is clearly enjoying his move back into midfield, with Joleon Lescott fielded at left-back again.
The Baggies’ defence continues to impress under Tony Pulis’ governance, following their fourth clean sheet in five outings. Impressively, the midlands side have also kept out United, Liverpool and Palace over that period. Tony Pulis’ men face an uphill in their attempt to secure another shut-out on the final day when they travel to the Emirates. That being said, the fact that the Gunners failed to score in their past two home encounters offers some reason for optimism. On the flip side, Arsenal’s recent formidable defensive record at home (two goals conceded in five) does limit out interest in Berahino despite his upturn in form.
