3 West Brom Players for Chelsea to Fear in Premier League Clash
Chelsea return to the Hawthorns this weekend to face West Bromwich Albion as they look to get their season up and running after a disappointing start.
League tables mean little at this stage, but seeing his team sitting in 16th place with just one point from two matches, Jose Mourinho will not be a happy man.
To improve his mood and gain some momentum, it's vital Chelsea take all three points.
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As well as looking for their first win since June, the Premier League champions can exact some form of revenge on West Brom after the Baggies beat them 3-0 at the end of last season.
Chelsea were champions by that stage, so the game was nothing more than a dead rubber, yet West Brom still looked convincing.
Since Tony Pulis' arrival as manager in January, they have become a harder team to beat and at home have surprised a few opponents.
That success has been based on tactical discipline, with some talented individuals adding a bit of flair to make the difference.
With that in mind, Bleacher Report looks at three players who could cause Chelsea problems on Sunday.
Chris Brunt
The Northern Irishman is perhaps one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.
Were it not for his game suffering from inconsistencies, he would probably be regarded much more highly.
Brunt has a wicked left foot, as Chelsea experienced last season when he scored in that 3-0 win at the Hawthorns.
He's also unleashed it on the rest of the Premier League's elite plenty of other times in the past.
Brunt is much more than that left foot, though. He can play out wide or through the middle in the midfield and is a particular threat from set pieces, whipping the ball into the danger zone.
That said, Pulis has preferred Brunt at left-back in West Brom's opening two matches of 2015/16.
He reads the game well, can expose defenders and brings others into play effectively.
Brunt only scored twice on the Premier League last term, although it was his assists that showed his real value to Pulis' side in an attacking sense.
He racked up 10 in total, which is an impressive stat considering the Baggies finished the season with just 38 goals.
It doesn't take a mathematical genius to work out that he was involved directly in more than a quarter of his team's goals, outlining just how valuable he is.
With Branislav Ivanovic struggling in his first two games this term, whoever does feature at right-back for Chelsea is going to be targeted for that reason.
With Brunt on the scene, West Brom have the ideal man to get forward and support his winger to test Chelsea's resolve on the flanks.
Saido Berahino
Losing 3-0 to Manchester City on the opening weekend and following that up with a goalless draw away to newly promoted Watford, West Brom haven't been exactly free flowing in attack.
They're yet to score in 2015/16 and have registered just two shots on target.
That doesn't mean Saido Berhaino should be written off as a threat against Chelsea, though. The 22-year-old is one of the most talented young strikers in the Premier League, and after scoring 20 goals last term, he's the Baggies' danger man.
Two out of that 20 came against Chelsea as Pulis' side carved up the champions late on in the season at the Hawthorns. So, with that result in mind, Berahino is going to feel confident he can cause the Blues more problems.
John Terry was off form that night, giving a penalty away that Berahino dispatched. Indeed, much of the Chelsea team was off the pace in the same way they have been in their opening games this term.
Chelsea aren't looking at their best, which is all the motivation a player such as Berahino needs.
When he sniffs blood, he has no problem in going in for the kill—something Chelsea and the rest of the Premier League have found to their detriment at times.
Where Berahino can flourish is in the same way Sergio Aguero did for Manchester City last week.
He likes to get the ball down and run at the centre-backs, pulling them out of position and making them uncomfortable.
Berahino will sit on the shoulder of the last man, his target breaking the offside trap to get in behind.
He's a wily customer who is all too aware of how his pace can expose teams.
And with the transfer window still open, he may well want to put on a show to convince the likes of Tottenham Hotspur—rumoured to be interested in signing Berahino for £20 million, according to Jack Pitt-Brooke of the Independent—that he is worth the investment.
Salomon Rondon
We're not actually sure if West Bromwich Albion's record signing will start against Chelsea on Sunday, but for any part he will play, the Venezuelan is sure to be a threat.
His move from Zenit St Petersburg has been highly anticipated, with Baggies fans desperate to see him in the flesh at their home stadium.
And when the presence of any striker is met with that much enthusiasm, his unveiling can often mean it's a difficult afternoon for the opposition defence.
Of course, we know enough about Rondon that he'll be on Chelsea's radar for much more than potentially making his home debut.
He's a talented front man, with his 26 goals in 51 appearances over 18 months for Zenit outlining just how deadly he can be in front of goal.
Indeed, last season saw him finish with 17 goals to his name before being one of the highlights of what proved a short Copa America campaign for Venezuela this summer.
La Vinotinto were knocked out of the group stages, but they still managed a 1-0 win over Colombia thanks to Rondon's 60th-minute strike.
For the eagle-eyed Chelsea fan, Rondon will be recognised for having played against the Blues in the 2012/13 Europa League. He was a Rubin Kazan player back then and played in both legs of the quarter-final.
Chelsea won the tie 5-4 on aggregate before going on to lift the trophy, but Rondon wasn't one of the Rubin players who found himself on the scoresheet.
There are doubts about Rondon's fitness ahead of Chelsea's visit to the Hawthorns, as manager Pulis told the West Brom website:
"He understands English but it’s not brilliant yet. He works hard during training and the lads have taken to him.
I still haven't decided on my team for [Sunday]. We’ve had one or two little niggles but we’re hoping everyone will be fit.
"
In Rondon's case, it would be folly for Chelsea to allow those doubts to impact their preparation.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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