Premier League: Chelsea 6-0 vs West Brom - Chelsea bring the Storm to West Brom
Chelsea took on West Brom at the Stamford Bridge in the last game of the opening day's fixtures in the Barclay's Premier League. Both teams had a point to prove, with Chelsea looking to start their title defence on a high whereas West Brom were looking to make an impact on their first day back in the top flight of English football.
The teams were as follows:
CHELSEA: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Cole, Mikel, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka, Drogba, Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Benayoun, Zhirkov, Kalou, Sturridge, Van Aanholt
WEST BROM: Carson, Jara, Pablo, Tamas, Cech, Thomas, Mulumbu, Brunt, Morrison, Dorrans, Bednar, Subs: Myhill, Olsson, Barnes, Miller, Steven Reid, Shorey, Cox.
The match got underway with West Brom getting the first shot on goal. However, that particular shot on goal was to be one of West Brom's only attempts on the Chelsea goal for the remainder of the game. Three minutes after West Brom threatened to cause an upset on the opening day, Chelsea reminded everyone why they were the champions in England. Drogba whipped in a rocket of a free kick that Carson fumbled into the path of the on-rushing Malouda. The Frenchman had the ball handed to him on a plate and he didn't disappoint; Malouda calmly swept in Chelsea's first goal on the sixth minute mark.
From then on it was all Chelsea. They dominated most of the possession and when West Brom did manage to win the ball back, their poor passing let Chelsea retain possession with ease.
Even though Chelsea were dominant in all areas on the pitch, the second goal didn't come till the forty-fifth minute. Drogba took one of his signature long range free kicks that blasted through the middle of the wall and nestled into the back of the net, leaving Carson with no chance.
So at half time, the score-line read two goals to nil in Chelsea's favour. West Brom knew they had to give it their all in the second half, if they were to have any hopes of containing the persistent Chelsea attack.
That was not the case, however, with Chelsea starting off the second half in the same manner with which they had ended the first. Ten minutes into the second half, Drogba scored his second goal of the game and Chelsea's third. West Brom failed to clear a corner and the ball fell kindly into the feet of Drogba who blasted the net from close range.
Eight minutes later, Chelsea's number eight, ‘Super Frankie Lampard’ as he is called around the ground, netted the team's fourth goal. Anelka found Ashley Cole with a return pass and the left back laid off the ball to Lampard who side-footed the ball home with ease, after making Carson dive the wrong way. The replays of the goal showed just how difficult it was to pull off, but Lampard slotted the ball home with ease and made it seem like he could do so with his eyes closed.
In the sixty eighth minute, Drogba sealed his hat-trick, with a long ranger that took a slight deflection of Tamas. The striker didn't seem to mind that as long as the goal was credited to his name.
Chelsea didn't give West Brom a second to rest as they kept attacking till the last minute of the match. Malouda put the final nail in West Brom's coffin after latching onto a brilliant through ball by Anelka. The French forward rounded Carson as he slotted home with his right foot.
The match ended with the score being six goals to nil in Chelsea's favour. Benayoun made his debut for Chelsea after being brought on to replace Frank Lampard. He didn't really prove himself to the Chelsea fans yet. The midfielder managed to get only two or three touches on the ball and seemed to be invisible for the latter stages of the game. He has a lot of work to do if he wishes to prove himself to the team. On the other hand, Alex proved to everyone just why he is known as the tank around the Bridge. The defender was phenomenal throughout the game, not letting anyone get past him. Most Chelsea fans will now be grateful that Carvalho left the team so that Alex would get more playing time. It was a hard choice to decide who to award the man of the match award on the Chelsea squad, but in the end if was Drogba's hat-trick that saw him take home that personal honour.
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