West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea meet at The Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon with both clubs having recorded just the one point from their opening two league games.

Manchester City have overpowered both teams with minimal fuss, and this contest will be about providing a response, as well as trying to record their first victory of the season.

West Bromwich Albion

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When West Brom were thoroughly outplayed by Man City in their opening game, boss Tony Pulis was quick to take the blame for the defeat, admitting that his strategy had been too adventurous for a game against a team with the attacking talent that the Citizens possess.

Less than two weeks on from that setback and Pulis will have the opportunity to make amends against a similar level of opponent. While Chelsea will fancy their chances of a result in the West Midlands, they won't benefit from Pulis and his squad still hurting from their previous home defeat.

Pulis will place extra emphasis on defence and flooding his midfield, but his tactics will still look to get the best out of Saido Berahino and Salomon Rondon. It remains to be seen whether Berahino will remain at the club, but while he is there, he can form part of a forward line that has bags of potential.

West Brom went some way to getting back on track with a goalless draw at Watford last weekend, but given the amount of money that has been shelled out in attacking areas, the home faithful will demand a quick return on the funds that have been invested to try to secure the club a place in the top 10 of the standings.

The club ended last season with a win over the Blues, who had just won the Premier League title, but if West Brom can execute the same gameplan, they could have some joy against opposition who have found themselves under scrutiny since last Sunday.

Recent form: LD

Chelsea

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It is hardly a crisis when failing to win either of your first two games of the season, but as far as defending champions Chelsea are concerned, losing so emphatically to Manchester City meant that Jose Mourinho had to make his move in the transfer market or risk falling further behind the club's title rivals.

Behind the scenes, the deal to bring Baba Rahman to the club had already been completed, but the acquisition of Pedro has made the statement that Mourinho was looking for. The Spaniard will bring pace, trickery and class to an attacking line that sometimes relies too heavily on Eden Hazard, and his arrival should take some of the pressure off the Belgian maestro.

However, from a defensive standpoint, a couple of questions need to be answered this weekend. John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, two certain starters over the past five years, have received negative press since the loss at the Etihad Stadium, and Mourinho's team selection may go some way to suggesting how he sees the experienced duo.

However, what Chelsea cannot afford is another lacklustre display on a weekend that could potentially see them fall eight points behind City and Manchester United in the title race. Even at this early stage, and with a fixture list that is only going to become more crammed, that would be a considerable deficit to have to make up over the rest of the campaign.

For all their attacking talent, Chelsea have struggled for goals on the road, with just four coming from their last five away games, while Diego Costa only has one strike to his name in his last six outings on opposition territory.

Recent form: DL
Recent form (all competitions): LDL

Team News

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Mourinho has insisted that he does not know whether new signings Baba Rahman and Pedro will be ready in time to feature this weekend.

The Portuguese was equally coy on the selection of Terry, but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will start in place of Asmir Begovic.

However, attacking-midfield duo Oscar and Victor Moses have been ruled out through injury.

As for West Brom, on-loan midfielder Serge Gnabry has been declared fit to take his place in the squad after his move from Arsenal.

Rondon could also be introduced after making his debut off the bench at Watford, with Rickie Lambert in danger of being dropped.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Myhill, Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Brunt, Gardner, Fletcher, Yacob, Morrison, Berahino, Rondon

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Matic, Willian, Pedro, Hazard, Costa

Head To Head

Sunday will represent the 103rd time that West Brom and Chelsea have faced each other, with the Blues holding a 44-33 advantage where wins are concerned.

However, in recent years, the Baggies have held their own against the West Londoners on their home turf, with their current unbeaten run at The Hawthorns stretching to four games.

Their last meeting came as recently as May when two goals from Berahino and a Chris Brunt effort gave West Brom a resounding 3-0 triumph.

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We say: West Bromwich 1-2 Chelsea

After succumbing so timidly to Man City, West Brom will be eager to atone for that performance and will most likely produce a high-octane start in front of their own supporters. However, Chelsea are aware that they need to be at their most resilient, and with three points imperative, we expect them to grind out a narrow victory.

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