West Brom 2-3 Chelsea
by Simon Williams
at The Hawthorns

JOHN TERRY saw red as a Pedro-inspired Chelsea held on to secure all three points against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns yesterday.

James Morrison had an early penalty saved before Pedro opened his Chelsea account and set up Diego Costa for his side’s second of the game.

Morrison struck to half the deficit but Cesar Azpilicueta made it 3-1 just before the break.

Terry was dismissed for a second-half foul on Salomon Rondon but Morrison’s second of the game was not enough as Chelsea held on for the win in Jose Mourinho’s 300th game in charge.

After the game Mourinho praised new signing Pedro. He said: (He’s) a good player. There is always a question mark because how many top players come to England and they don’t perform immediately.

“Then people ask if he is the right player? Can he adapt? Was he a good or bad buy? We have examples of these in our club and there are examples in other clubs.

“It was very nice for him to come and straight away perform the way he did.”

The Baggies had won three of their last four home matches against Chelsea and should have been ahead inside 15 minutes after Nemanja Matic tripped Callum McManaman in the area.

Morrison stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick that was brilliantly saved by the legs of Thibaut Courtois.

Pedro’s low drive took a slight deflection off Jonas Olsson to give the visitors the lead before the Spaniard fizzed the ball across the wet Hawthorns surface for Costa to slide in and poke the ball home for their second goal of the game.

Albion were given a lifeline when Morrison made amends for his earlier penalty miss, slamming the ball into the back of the net after Rondon had done well to keep a James McClean cross alive in the area.

But Chelsea once again turned the screw minutes before the break when Azpilicueta picked up a loose ball and slotted it past a wrong-footed Myhill.

The Blues were reduced to 10 men shortly after the restart when Terry was dismissed for bringing down Rondon having been adjudged to have been the last man.

Morrison headed home his second of the game, flicking a McManaman cross past Courtois but it wasn’t enough as Chelsea saw the game out to secure their first league win of the season.