Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Chelsea host West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League Getty

Chelsea host West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on 13 January (Wednesday) as the Blues look to continue their revival under interim manager Guus Hiddink. The Blues are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, winning three and drawing the rest, a stark improvement from the lows they scaled under Jose Mourinho.

Where to watch

Kick-off is set for 7:45pm GMT. Highlights of the game will be available on BBC Match of the Day at 10:45pm GMT on BBC One.

Overview

Chelsea are currently in the 14th spot, five points clear of the relegation zone and 19 adrift of league leaders Arsenal, which has all but ended their hopes of reclaiming their league title this time around. A Champions League spot also looks a distant possibility, with the Blues currently 13 points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur, who have sensed a brilliant opportunity to make their way into Europe's greatest club competition for the second time after five years.

Eden Hazard is unlikely to be available for the game, with Hiddink willing to give him some much-needed rest after the midfielder picked up an injury in the gruelling run of fixtures. Diego Costa is back to his very best, scoring goals for fun, reminiscent of his form last season when he single-handedly led the Blues to the title under Mourinho.

Their 2-0 win over Scunthorpe in the third round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge was an example of how fluid the Blues can be when on a song and Hiddink will be looking to emulate that form and take it forward in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Tony Pulis finds himself in the unlikely position of being above Chelsea in the league, with more than half of the games gone in the season. The Baggies are currently three points ahead of the Blues and have been found to bring out their best against the top teams, having already taken points off the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool thus far.

However, relegation is still a looming possibility for Pulis' men, who albeit being eight points clear of safety, cannot be too careful over their results in the second half. It is an important period for West Brom, who have a comparatively easy run of fixtures till the end of February, with their next opposition situated in the top half coming in March.

What managers say

Guus Hiddink: "If the mind is fresh and players are eager to step on to the training ground and enjoy training, it's a signal of freshness. He won all these trophies but this season it's been mostly physical problems. He [Hazard] has to enjoy it and get rid of his physical problems, automatically he will then come into his normal shape of play. It's an individual approach; one needs a lash, another needs an arm (around the shoulder), another needs to be pinched a bit. It's different but we've given him the time to come back."

Tony Pulis: "To be honest, what's been said is a load of crap in lots of respects. The fact Mourinho won the league by a country mile - to say someone's come in and changed it and they're playing better and doing everything else better. There might have been other reasons that things didn't go so well this year. But to put Jose down is completely and utterly out of order. It's disrespectful to Mourinho and also the players that won the league last year, because they played some great football."

Betting odds

  • Chelsea win: 1.4
  • Draw: 4.5
  • West Brom win: 8.5

Team News

Chelsea

Possible XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Mikel, Willian, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro; Remy

West Brom

Possible XI: Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Brunt; Fletcher, Yacob, Sessegnon, Morrison, McClean; Lambert

Chelsea FC