Saturday, March 2, 2013

Demba Ba sees Chelsea to victory over West Bromwich Albion

Premier League
Chelsea                                1               Ba 28
West Bromwich Albion         0
Demba Ba scores for Chelsea

Chelsea striker Demba Ba, left, scores the opening goal against West Bromwich Albion
Chelsea striker Demba Ba, left, scores the opening goal against West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.


There was a smattering of homemade cardboard placards, and even one banner that looked as if it had been professionally produced, to accompany the usual choruses of disdain directed at the dugout. And yet, at the final whistle, Rafael Benítez could reflect with relative satisfaction upon an afternoon that had initially felt destined to be fraught.

Chelsea had eased beyond West Bromwich Albion, who have made a habit of guillotining the west London club's managers in recent times, and the interim's team are restored to third place, if potentially only for 24 hours. As at Middlesbrough in midweek the most vociferous chants – the bellowed command to "stand up if you hate Rafa", or the reminders that "we know what you are, interim manager, we know what you are" – were reserved for the latter stages. But, while he will still be simmering at the indignity, the Spaniard might grudgingly put up with such abuse if it does not disrupt his side's progress.

They had benefited from West Brom's lack of ambition, any nervousness that might have gripped the home side early on eased by opponents sitting deep and rarely encroaching themselves into enemy territory. It was only during the last 10 minutes that the visitors really threatened to wound the European champions, Petr Cech turning over a Peter Odemwingie free-kick and then reacting smartly to push away César Azpilicueta's inadvertent flick from the resultant corner. Yet those felt like isolated ripostes amid Chelsea possession. The scoreline hardly reflected their superiority.

The hosts' attacking trio of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and, in particular, Oscar dazzled in spells, the young Brazilian's touch a delight as he maintained his impressive recent form. He might have scored in the opening attack of the contest, Ben Foster pushing away a shot from point-blank range with the goalkeeper, now available again for England and watched here by Roy Hodgson, later well positioned to gather Oscar's close-range header. Foster's shot-stopping would catch the eye all afternoon.

Yet he was partly at fault for the goal that confirmed Chelsea's dominance. Frank Lampard and Oscar exchanged passes at a corner played short just before the half-hour mark, the Brazilian swinging over a centre to the far post which Foster misjudged for David Luiz to nod back across goal. Demba Ba side-footed into the unguarded net to register a first goal since mid-January and Chelsea had their lead.

The goal should have provoked further rewards, but Jonas Olsson and Liam Ridgewell blocked from Oscar and Azpilicueta, and Mata's radar was slightly skew-whiff when he glimpsed a sight of goal. Foster's denial of Oscar's volley 12 minutes from time was outstanding as Chelsea so craved their breathing space. That would not come, and there were those flurries of anxiety as the end approached but, from the sentiment of the crowd to the hosts' victory, this actually all ended up feeling rather routine.



Chelsea

    01 Cech
    02 Ivanovic
    03 Cole
    04 David Luiz
    28 Azpilicueta
    07 Ramires
    08 Lampard
    10 Mata (Mikel - 90' )
    11 Oscar
    17 Hazard Booked (Moses - 80' )
    29 Ba (Torres - 87' )

Substitutes

    22 Turnbull
    24 Cahill
    26 Terry
    34 Bertrand
    12 Mikel
    13 Moses
    09 Torres


West Bromwich Albion

    01 Foster
    02 Reid
    03 Olsson
    06 Ridgewell
    23 McAuley Booked
    05 Yacob (Rosenberg - 82' )
    07 Morrison
    17 Dorrans (Thomas - 71' )
    21 Mulumbu
    09 Long
    32 Fortune (Odemwingie - 62' Booked )

Substitutes

    13 Myhill
    28 Jones
    30 Tamas
    14 Thomas
    43 Brown
    08 Rosenberg
    24 Odemwingie

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