Fabregas sees red as Berahino shocks champions
CESC FABREGAS’S bizarre red card capped a wretched night for Chelsea as the champions were shocked 3-0 by West Brom.
Saido Berahino’s double ended his own nine-game drought as he made it 20 goals for the season for the Baggies.
Chris Brunt added a third to compound Chelsea’s miserable night in the West Midlands as their 16-game unbeaten league run ended.
And Fabregas’s first-half dismissal will go down as one of the most mindless in the history of the Premier League.
The midfielder saw red after kicking the ball against the side of Brunt’s head as referee Mike Jones took control of a clash between Gareth McAuley and Diego Costa.
The champions were afforded a guard of honour as they came onto the pitch but the well-drilled Baggies refused to stand on ceremony to claim a deserved win.
Chelsea rarely threatened, even before Fabregas walked, although Loic Remy hit the post in the second half.
Baggies boss Tony Pulis said: “It’s an extra three points and we’ll finish 13th, nobody can catch us now – I’m delighted with that.
“If you look at the games we were going to finish on, the last five games, they were so difficult, and we were so on edge after we got beaten at home by QPR and Leicester, but the lads have bounced back and the perform- ances they’ve put in against the bigger clubs have been wonderful.
“We had the breaks again tonight, we played really well at times, defended well, kept a really good shape... the discipline was really good when we didn’t have the ball and we made it difficult for Chelsea.”
On opposite number Jose Mourinho, Pulis praised the way his Chelsea team have won the title, added: “He’s been very good. I’ve managed against him twice now and have managed to beat him twice now – once at Palace and now once at West Brom.
“He’s been very, very gracious in defeat.
“For all what we’ve done tonight, they’ve been worthy champions, a fantastic football club and they have some wonderful players.
“I’ve seen some people criticise them and it’s just unbelievable, but they’ve been by a country mile, the best team in England this year.”