Premier League team news and prediction: West Brom vs Chelsea

 

West Brom's start to the Premier League season doesn't get any easier as they welcome Chelsea to the Hawthorns on Saturday evening. It will mark the first time the pair have met in a league clash since 2018, where Chelsea earned a 3-0 win courtesy of goals from Eden Hazard and Victor Moses, with the former bagging a brace. 

 

In the build up to this clash, we have all your need-to-know matchday information, including where to watch the match, team news, probable XIs and predicted scoreline.  

 

When is kick off? 

Saturday 25th September, 17:30 GMT 

Where is the match? 

The Hawthorns, West Bromwich 

Where can I watch it? 

Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League 

 

2020/21 so far 

 

West Brom currently foot the Premier League having fallen to a 3-0 loss to Leicester on the opening weekend of the campaign before following that up with a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Everton last time out. In the Carabao Cup, meanwhile, they secured a 3-0 win over Harrogate, only to be knocked out of the competition by Brentford on penalties in midweek. 

 

For Chelsea, it has been a season of mixed fortunes. They booked their fourth round Carabao Cup spot with a 6-0 win over Barnsley in the week, setting up a London Derby meeting with rivals Tottenham. However, after opening the campaign with a 3-1 win at Brighton, they then fell to a 2-0 home loss at the hands of defending champions Liverpool. 

 

Team News 

 

After a man of the match performance for West Brom in midweek, on-loan Conor Gallagher misses the welcome of parent club Chelsea as he is ineligible to feature. Kieran Gibbs misses out as he is suspended, while Kenneth Zohore is sidelined due to injury. Slaven Bilic is sweating on the fitness of trio Hal Robson-Kanu, Ahmed Hegazi and Kamil Grosicki, but former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic misses out against one of his former employers. 

 

In the Chelsea camp, Edouard Mendy joined from Rennes on Thursday, but Frank Lampard has confirmed the Senegalese shotstopper won't feature in the Midlands, which may see Willy Caballero start between the sticks after Kepa committed another error against Liverpool last week. New arrival Hakim Ziyech remains sidelined, so too do Billy Gilmour and Christian Pulisic, but signings Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell featured in midweek and may both make their full Premier League debuts here. 

 

Probable XIs 

 

Premier League team news and prediction: West Brom vs Chelsea

 

West Brom (541) - Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, O'Shea, Townsend; Pereira, Sawyers, Livermore, Diangana; Robinson

 

Chelsea (4222) - Caballero; James, Zouma, Silva, Chilwell; Kante, Kovacic; Mount, Havertz; Abraham, Werner

 

Key Battle - Matheus Pereira vs Kai Havertz 

 

 

Of the two league goals West Brom have scored this season, Matheus Pereira has had a direct hand in both, scoring one and providing the assist for Grady Diangana's strike at Goodison Park last week. The Brazilian joined West Brom permanently over the summer following a stunning loan spell with the Baggies and if West Brom are to pry apart this Chelsea backline, Pereira is the man to do so.

 

Like Pereira, Kai Havertz made the permanent switch to England over the summer and the German arrives with a huge reputation. He started the Premier League season poorly, but bagged a hat-trick in their 6-0 Carabao Cup win over Barnsley to yield a perfect 10. Havertz will now be looking to net his first league goal of the campaign at Hawthorns and at a West Brom side that has conceded eight times in the opening two matches, you'd back him to do just that.

 

Prediction: West Brom 0-3 Chelsea

Premier League team news and prediction: West Brom vs Chelsea