The winning run is up to nine league games in a row and we have the brilliance of Diego Costa to thank for breaking down stubborn opposition in Sunday’s high-noon game at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues found it tough to create chances against Tony Pulis’s in-form side but with quarter-of-an-hour to go, a superb individual Shed End strike from our topscorer, his 12th of the campaign, sealed the points to maintain our three-point lead at the top of the table.
Prior to that winner it had been a mostly scrappy game in which we had the bulk of possession but could not find much space in the attacking third. Albion went close on a couple of occasions and a deflected shot wide was our best attempt of the first half. We looked more secure after the interval and the clean sheet proved the platform for the one starring moment from our striker to win the game, consigning the Baggies to 39 years here without a league win.
With Nemanja Matic, an injury absentee from the win against Man City last weekend, available again and everyone else over their bumps and niggles from that game, Antonio Conte was able to revert to the line-up most frequently selected in the winning run. David Luiz was able to play with a strapped leg, a legacy of the Sergio Aguero challenge.
That meant Cesc Fabregas was back on the bench with the Serbian alongside N’Golo Kante in the engine room of the team to take on a West Brom side unsurprisingly unchanged for a fifth game in a row, given they were unbeaten in that time.
It was Albion with the first effort on target today, but Salomon Rondon’s header was never going to trouble Thibaut Courtois. At the other end, there were a couple of good moments involving Premier League Player of the Month winner Diego Costa, and he, Hazard and Pedro linked at pace to almost cut a path to goal, but in truth there were no Chelsea chances created inside the first 20 minutes, and there was a scare at the other the end when Chris Brunt shrugged off challenges from Marcos Alonso and Nemanja Matic and shot wide.
Soon after Brunt became the first of four Baggies’ bookings after hanging out a leg and tripping Diego Costa.
On 25 minutes, David Luiz allowed Rondon to get onto a long ball which the striker flashed just wide of our far post. There was no doubt the Blues were in for a proper test today against tall opposition who were defending well, with organisation and plenty behind the ball when required.
Two minutes later however, good fortune nearly smiled on the Blues when Kante’s misdirected drive took a heavy deflection off Pedro and went only just wide with Ben Foster beaten.
Gareth McAuley was the second player cautioned for taking down Hazard in a challenge which brought the physios on and with the game barely back underway, Pedro was floored by Nyom for another free-kick. The time the visitors were taking over their throw-ins and goal-kicks was also irritating the home support.
We were inside the final 10 minutes of the first half when Hazard worked space inside for a shot, albeit far too high, and Pedro sent over the best Chelsea cross yet. Signs of improvement from the home side.
David Luiz had earlier on fired a free-kick into the Matthew Harding Stand but with five minutes to the break he got a second such attempt on-target, but Foster saved.
There was no doubt Conte would have been working hard during half-time to coax a better performance from his team and there was more crispness to our play after the restart, although Kante picked up a booking, as did West Brom’s Craig Dawson, and is often the case in these games, Claudio Yacob.
A third David Luiz free-kick went closest to scoring yet, when it took a touch off Hazard and forced a save low down from Foster, unseen by the ref so no corner was given.
Cahill made an important interception inside our area midway through the half when West Brom, were enjoying a few good minutes and from it Chelsea broke through Moses. Hazard worked his magic to get the ball into the danger area but no one could apply the finishing touch.
The introduction of Willian for Pedro was accompanied by a formation change with Moses playing in front of Alonso who was now left-back in a back four. Then Fabregas came on for Moses with just over 15 minutes remaining.
The Spaniard was immediately on corner duty and caused a scramble but Foster was able to grab the loose ball. The Baggies were continuing to look a very tough nut to crack.
But then it was time for Diego to make the difference. Fabregas sent a ball down the wing to him and at that point there was little hint of a threat to Foster’s goal. But then the Spain international surged past McAuley leaving the defender falling in his wake. There was still much to do from a tight angle but in a flash the ball was smashing into the far top corner of the net and the Blues were ahead.
As the manager’s celebrations go, the one that greeted this goal was one of his most exuberant yet. Is there currently a better centre-forward anywhere in world football?
Ivanovic came on at right wing-back to restore the 3-4-3 shape and the West Brom reaction never came. It was the Blues who looked more likely to score again in the closing moments, with Alonso the closest with a drive over the bar.
Once again the Blues found a way to win. Next up Sunderland away, in what is a rare midweek game for Chelsea this season.
- Match stats:
Chelsea (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill (c), Moses (Fabregas 74), Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro (Willian 63) Diego Costa, Hazard (Ivanovic 79)
Unused subs Begovic, Aina, Chalobah, Batshuayi.
Booked Kante 48, Matic 88
Scorer Diego Costa 76
West Brom (4-2-3-1): Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Fletcher (c), Yacob; Brunt (Robson-Kanu 84), Morrison (Chadli 79) Phillips (McClean 79) Rondon.
Unused subs Palmer, Olsson, Galloway, Gardner.
Booked Brunt 20, McAuley 29, Dawson 51, Yacob 56.
Referee Mike Dean
Crowd 41,622
- Match report by Chelseafc.com
2 - 1 
