IT’S ABOUT FLIPPING TIME
COURTOIS
Startled by West Brom’s fast start but no need to hide behind sofa AZPILICUETA
The beating heart of Chelsea, 250 appearances and counting CHRISTENSEN
Elegant and assured except when outmuscled by Rondon
Hits all the right notes, not necessarily in the right order
Got away with awful early mistake but goal settled Chelsea’s nerves
By no means the all-action hero who won title two years running
Get your hair cut and dictate the tempo of the game
Too often a square peg in round hole at left wing-back
Worked hard enough and did his fair share of tracking back HAZARD MOTM
Best things to come from Belgium: beer, chocolate, this bloke
Intelligent assist for Hazard’s opener but missed four chances SUBS: Morata (Giroud 61)
Cahill (Christensen 74)
Willian (Pedro 80) Move along, at ease, carry on, nothing to see here
Steadier than a motorway contraflow speed limit
Intriguing battle with Giroud but Frenchman took the honours Booked
Robust return from injury, with one poor challenge on Giroud GIBBS Booked
Former England full-back has a great future behind him
Becoming a ‘daisy’ – some days a treat, some days off the pace
From Paris St Germain’s unlimited cash to wooden spoon at Baggies
Not many appearances left in the Prem’s longest-running show
Left foot is sweeter than a dessert trolley from set-piece delivery
Blink and you missed it. Injured yet again after two minutes
Not prolific enough, and missed great chance to equalise
SUBS: Rodriguez (Sturridge 4) Burke (Brunt 45)
Yacob (Barry 80) AS a tribute to Pancake Day, it was not a load of crepes – although Chelsea did their best to toss it away at first.
But Antonio Conte will live to fight another day in the Stamford Bridge cockpit, and Alan Pardew will need snookers to escape the Premier League quicksands.
If West Bromwich Albion had taken their chances at the start of each half, pied piper Conte would have been enjoying the view from nearer the end of the plank today.
And for Baggies manager Pardew, whose side are now seven points adrift of safety, there might still be a chink of light.
But class usually wins the tightest arguments, and when the pressure on Conte was almost suffocating, man-of-the-match Eden Hazard’s two goals rescued him from the frying pan and out of the firing line.
Back in the top four, still in the FA Cup and with Barcelona coming to town next week, life suddenly looks a lot rosier for Chelsea.
They have gone from boo is the colour to renewed optimism.
One man’s pancake is another man’s waffle, and there has been little sympathy in the Black Country for Chelsea’s lukewarm defence of the title.
Conte’s admission that he has been “a bit of a disaster” when it comes to persuading his club to buy players cuts little ice when your team has won only four of the last 48 Premier League games.
And Albion’s luck was out again when Daniel Sturridge, whose loan move from Liverpool always came with an asterisk against his fitness record, pulled up lame in front of watching England coach Gareth Southgate after just two minutes.
Sicknotes are part and parcel of a footballer’s lot, but for all his enviable gifts, Sturridge’s medical history has long read like a threatening letter.
The same could be said of Chelsea’s recent form, however, and the fading champions were