Preview: Chelsea vs West Brom (English Premier League)

Preview and prediction of Chelsea vs West Brom - English Premier League

 Chelsea will host West Brom today at Stamford Bridge in a English Premier League fixture.

Jose Mourinho will face Steve Clarke who was his former assistant.

Eden Hazard is expected to be back in the team after missing the mid-week Champions League game for disciplinary reasons.

Either Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba will start as Fernando Torres is still out injured.

Nicolas Anelka is also doubtful, but Victor Anichebe has fully recovered from a hamstring injury.

Chelsea are seeking a 10th successive win in league and cups against West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge.

History says his Baggies are already beaten, with 11 defeats and a draw away to Chelsea since their last win there 30 years ago to the day (in a League Cup third round tie in 1983).

Mind you, history probably didn't give them much chance away to Manchester United at the end of September either!

Predictions:

Looking at the last Chelsea game in the EPL against Newcastle, the way they reacted during the Champions league in midweek and how Jose Mourinho have publicly stated he was not happy with the performance at St. James' Park.

I am going for a Chelsea win 3-1 precisely... 

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Chelsea have won all seven Premier League games against West Brom at Stamford Bridge, scoring 16 goals and conceding just once.
• Albion's last league win at Chelsea was a 3-1 victory in a top-flight fixture on 30 September 1978.

Chelsea

• Defeat at Newcastle ended the Blues' six-match winning streak in all competitions.
• Chelsea and Manchester City are the only sides with 100% winning records in Premier League home games this season.
• The only previous occasion that Jose Mourinho lost back-to-back Premier League games was in the final two matches of the 2005-06 season (at Blackburn and Newcastle). By that point the Blues had already been crowned champions.
• Mourinho is unbeaten in 65 Premier League home games as manager of Chelsea (W51, D14).
• Chelsea have hit more shots off target than any other Premier League side this season (77).

West Bromwich Albion

• The Baggies have won just one of their last 15 league games in London, a sequence that spans three years.
• Their only victory during that time was a 2-1 win at QPR on Boxing Day last season.
• The Baggies have lost only one of their last seven league games (W3, D3, L1).
• Their three away league wins in 2013 have come at Liverpool, Southampton and Manchester United.