WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2-3 CHELSEA
Pedro,
£21million from Barcelona just four days ago, was the difference here.
The difference between victory and, most likely, defeat. The difference
between space to breathe and another week of recrimination and
inquest. There will be enough of that already, as a result of John
Terry’s sending-off, and another unconvincing defensive display from a
team who as good as put a padlock on the Premier League trophy in the
final months of last season.
Yet if Chelsea have now turned a corner with their first win of the season, Pedro was the catalyst for it.There are some new signings who require
time to adjust, others who hit the ground running. It is fair to say
Pedro falls into the second category.
If Van
Gaal’s version of events is genuine, and Chelsea only got the player
after United lost interest, one has to wonder why. Pedro is exactly the
type of player United need. Hell, he is the type of player any team
needs – particularly one stumbling into the season like Chelsea.
Pedro,
West Bromwich Albion – this was a perfect storm for champions looking
for their first win of the season, so it was perhaps appropriate that
rain teemed down throughout. Not that the quirks of an English summer
bothered Pedro. He skated across the slippery surface, lightning quick
for the first goal, crucial to a quite stunning counter-attacking move
for the second. At times, this was Chelsea as remembered from last
season. Hard to contain and Cobra-like in their attacking swiftness.
At
others, they looked mystifyingly vulnerable. Terry saw red, while West
Brom scored twice and missed a penalty. Chelsea saw the game out with
ten men, and credit for that, but there was never a time when they
looked truly comfortable – and this was a team that has previously
looked better equipped for a 1-0 win than just about any in Europe.
No
wonder Pedro felt at home, though. There were three different Chelsea
scorers in the first-half, and all were Spanish internationals. Pedro,
Diego Costa and Cesar Azpilicueta made sure Chelsea got their win,
although Jose Mourinho will equally know his players got lucky at times.
At the end of the game, he appeared to shout something into the
touchline microphone, whether defiance, elation or that well-honed sense
of justice only the Sky sound engineers know.
Still,
in many ways, it was a fitting introduction to the strangely unhinged
world of English football for Pedro. The lousy weather, the ferocious
pace, the rash tackling and the openness of the play were a perfect
miniature of what to expect in the coming months. He also now knows he
will get chances with his new club – but he’ll have to run doubly hard
to take them.
See more pics of the thrilling encounter...
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