The last time West Brom met Chelsea in the English Premier League, they were arguably robbed of all three points, with the Blues awarded a debatable late penalty which helped Jose Mourinho keep his unbeaten home record intact. Come Tuesday, West Brom will look to win back some of those lost points when they host rampant and table-topping Chelsea at the Hawthorns.
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for an 8 pm GMT (1.30 am IST Wednesday morning) start with live coverage on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD2 in India. The match can also be live streamed online in India HERE. Catch the action live online in the US HERE, while UK viewers can listen to the action HERE. Viewers in Australia can catch the action online via live streaming HERE. The game can be live streamed in the Middle East and North Africa HERE, while the rest of Africa viewer can watch the match HERE.
Chelsea have been in brilliant form of late, and are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games. A comfortable 3-0 victory over Newcastle, courtesy a hat-trick from the in-form Eden Hazard - the man that scored from the spot late on to salvage a point against the Baggies in the reversed fixture -- helped the Blues to the top of the table at the weekend, after Arsenal and Manchester City dropped points.
A victory at the Hawthorns against West Brom on Tuesday night will take Chelsea's lead at the top to four points, with Arsenal and Manchester City only playing on Wednesday, and if those three points become a reality then even Mourinho will not be able to convince anyone that his side are not serious title-contenders, if not the actual favourites.
"It will be difficult," Mourinho said. "The teams not in the top four will be very influential in the league. Everybody has an influence in the race. Every team is fighting for points and taking points from the big teams. Normally people are pushed to say games like Chelsea against Arsenal and Arsenal against City will decide things, but maybe they don't.
"We know that Barcelona v Real Madrid decides the title, but this is not the same situation. The title is decided match after match. This is the reality of this league. Every match is very difficult. Do I like to be top of the league? Yes, I like. Are we going to fight to stay there? Of course we are going to try to do that.
"We are in the race, and we have been in the race since the beginning of the season. To say something about the end of the season is very difficult because between the first and the fourth we are speaking about six points. Six points is nothing when you have 13 matches to play and 39 points to play for, I think all the top four can win the title."
West Brom will know they face an entirely different side from the one they nearly beat in early November, but then the Baggies also have changed considerably since then with a new manager in Pepe Mel looking to inculcate his style into the team.
Under Mel, West Brom have played a high-pressing game, with that tactic bearing fruit in the mould of a 1-1 draw with Liverpool last weekend, although it did not help too much at the weekend with Crystal Palace, as well drilled a unit as they come under Tony Pulis, taking all three points thanks to a 3-1 victory.
That loss has seen West Brom move down to the bottom three, and Mel will be desperate to pick up at least a point against Mourinho's Chelsea.
"Jose Mourinho is a big coach," Mel said on Monday. "But it is possible to win. Last season when he was coach of Real Madrid and I was coach of Real Betis, Betis won 1-0.
"Yesterday Fulham played a good match to get a 2-2 draw at Manchester United. It is important to take note of this because tomorrow why can't West Brom win?"
Team news: West Brom: Stephane Sessegnon is ruled out with a groin injury, while former Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka could also miss out on the chance to play against his old team along with defender Jonas Olsson.
Chelsea: Fernando Torres returns to the side from a knee injury, but Mourinho will not risk John Terry after the skipper missed the Newcastle victory with a knock. "John is still out but I expect him to play next weekend," Mourinho said. "We are better than in the last match because Fernando is back and it is one more option for us."
Key men: West Brom: If Olsson is ruled out, the onus will be on Gareth McAuley to marshal the back four and keep the likes of Hazard, Willian and Oscar quiet - easier said than done, though.
Chelsea: Hazard is arguably the best player in the Premier League at the moment, and if the Belgian is in the mood again, Albion could be in for a hammering.
Expected lineups: West Brom: Foster; Jones, McAuley, Dawson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Mulumbu; Gera, Morrison, Brunt; Anichebe.
Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Eto'o.
Prediction: 2-0 to Chelsea
