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Willian Chelsea
Willian [Reuters] Reuters

Chelsea travel to the Hawthorns to take on West Bromwich Albion for the midweek Premier League fixture on Tuesday.

Where to Watch

Kick-off is set for 8:00pm GMT. Radio coverage of the game is available on BBC Radio 5 Live. Catch the highlights of the game on Match of the Day on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10:35pm GMT on Wednesday.

Overview

West Brom's troubles this season are mounting as they languish in the relegation zone sitting 18<sup>th with 23 points after playing 25 matches in the league. The Baggies have only managed to win one out of their last 15 league fixtures. In their previous league game against Crystal Palace last Saturday, Pepe Mel's side lost 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

After trailing 2-0 at half-time, debutant Thievy Bifouma scored an early goal in the second-half for the away side. But the goal wasn't enough for the West Midlands club as Marouane Chamakh restored the home side's two goal advantage from the penalty spot mid-way through the second-half.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are brimming with confidence owing to their recent run of results which has seen them go unbeaten in their last 11 matches in all competitions, conceding only two goals and maintaining nine clean sheets in the process. The Blues boast the best defensive record in the league this season having conceded only 20 goals thus far.

Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard [Reuters]

In their previous league fixture, the west London club convincingly swept aside Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge. Eden Hazard netted his first hat-trick in Chelsea colours to condemn the Magpies to a 3-0 defeat, enabling the home side to go on top of the league table due to Arsenal and Manchester City's failure to win their respective league games. Jose Mourinho's side lead the pack with 56 points from 25 games, one more than second placed Arsenal in the race for Premier League glory.

What Managers Say

Pepe Mel: "Our problem is Chelsea, who have Hazard, Willian, Oscar, [Fernando] Torres, [Samuel] Eto'o, and not Mourinho. For me Hazard is one of the top five players in the world, a very good player, and Chelsea are favourites for the title so it's going to be a very tough game for West Brom. We need to concentrate on the pitch for 90 minutes to get a good result."

Jose Mourinho: "It will be difficult [against West Brom]. The teams not in the top four will be very influential in the league. Every team is fighting for points and taking points from the big teams. He's [Pepe Mel] a coach that likes to play football, to play well, to pass the ball and keep possession of the ball."

Team Form

Amalfitano Hazard West Brom Chelsea
Morgan Amalfitano and Eden Hazard during their Premier League game last November. [Reuters]

West Bromwich Albion

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): L D L D L
  • Last Result: Crystal Palace 3-1 West Bromwich Albion

Chelsea

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): W W D W W
  • Last Result: Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle United

Team Guide

West Bromwich Albion

  • Injured: Nicolas Anelka (knee), Jonas Olsson (hamstring), Stephane Sessegnon (groin)
  • Doubtful: Billy Jones (knee)
  • Suspended: N/A

Probable Lineup: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Lugano, Ridgewell; Amalfitano, Yacob, Mulumbu; Brunt; Vydra, Bifouma
Chelsea

  • Injured: John Terry (muscle strain), Marco van Ginkel (knee)
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Probable Lineup: Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Willian, Oscar, Schurrle; Ba

Chelsea FC