Chelsea FC 3-2 West Brom Player Ratings

That seemed to give West Brom hope of salvaging something from the game, but Casar Azpilicueta popped up with a goal late in the first-half to give the home side a mountain to climb.

Chelsea hold an edge over West Bromwich in head-to-head record, having win-loss tally of 44-33 in 103 matches played between them so far.

“He wasn’t quite Maradona but he was close”, Mourinho told Chelsea TV after the game. Mourinho is one of the main reasons why I’m here.

The Ghana left back will now wear “his preferred number 6″, while Pedro takes the number 17 jersey. Kurt Zouma fell over in possession.

Pedro began his illustrious footballing journey at the esteemed La Masia, graduating from the class of 1987 which included the likes of his current team-mate Cesc Fabregas and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique among others.

A sloppy spell of Chelsea possession presented the hosts with a way back into the game as Rondon acrobatically turned James McClean’s deep cross into the path of Morrison to lash a shot past Courtois.

Hazard was voted player of the year when Chelsea finished eight points clear in the Premier League last season but too often the London club were overly reliant on the Belgium winger to make things tick for them in an attacking sense. Azpilicueta scored the third when the ball bounced loose from what looked like a foul by Craig Dawson on Costa on 42 minutes.

He also set up Diego Costa for Chelsea‘s second just days after arriving from Barcelona for a reported £21million as the visitors survived the second-half dismissal of John Terry. He came with minutes, with intensity, so it was not a question of intensity and condition, it was a question of understanding.

“When the best teams in the world like (Manchester) City, United or Chelsea are interested in you it is flattering”.

Substitutes not used: Rose (gk), Chester, Lescott, Anichebe, Gnabry.