West Brom v Chelsea: Inside track on Frank Lampard's side

We spoke with Matt Debono, from Absolute Chelsea, to get a proper look at Frank Lampard's side.

See what he had to say here.

How has the start of the Premier League season treated Chelsea, have they got off to a good start?

It’s been a rusty start, but one which has been expected.

A lack of pre-season has hurt Chelsea with all of the new signings needing time to gel. But a win on the opening day was all that was needed, regardless of the level of performance.

The Liverpool defeat was a tough one to take as we were still in the game before Andreas Christensen’s sending off, but there were plenty of positives to take.

Scoring six against Barnsley would’ve boosted morale and improved fitness, so the assessment so far is that it’s been a decent start to the season.

It appears to have been a very busy transfer window for Frank Lampard, who's joined the club and what have you made of the business?

As of writing this, we’ve had seven new faces through the door. Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Malang Sarr, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy.

The business has been targeted. The club have only gone for targets which will improve the squad for quality, not for the sake of adding to the numbers of the squad which has been seen in previous years. We’ve already seen glimpses of what several of them can do.

The club have taken advantage of the Covid period with other clubs not being able to be as active in the transfer window. It’s been a real success this window and now all we can do is just sit back and wait for all the cogs to work in tandem on the pitch.

Lampard has had a fair bit of time now in charge of the club, what kind of football can we expect to see from the Blues against West Brom?

You should expect to see Chelsea dominate the ball for large parts on Saturday and we’ll be looking to play it in behind with Werner either on the flank or down the centre.

West Brom will be pressed down and errors will be forced high up, which has been seen against both Brighton and Barnsley.

We’ve had two penalties in the first two league games so the Baggies will need to watch out for the Blues’ speed in and around the box.

Are there any injury issues at Stamford Bridge, who's likely to miss out on the clash? What's your predicted XI for the game?

Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are pushing for a return from injury and as Frank Lampard stated, they are ‘getting closer’. Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva both made their debuts against Barnsley on Wednesday night, but are unlikely to start at The Hawthorns.

Andreas Christensen is suspended after his red card against Liverpool too, though Lampard has a large squad to select from.

Despite Edouard Mendy’s signing, it’s unlikely he will make his debut. Caballero will feel he deserves to keep his place after a bright performance in midweek.

After netting and providing two assists, Tammy Abraham will have given Lampard a selection dilemma. Timo Werner’s versatility to be able to play out on the left could see Abraham lead the line for the Blues.

Predicted Chelsea XI to face West Brom: Caballero; James, Tomori, Zouma, Alonso; Kovacic, Kante, Havertz; Werner, Abraham, Mount.

What are the expectations at Chelsea this season in terms of the fanbase?

Last season was about building the foundations. Working out who has a future at the club under Lampard and who doesn’t and qualifying for the Champions League along with a run to the FA Cup final, albeit losing to Arsenal, was a great start.

This season with the money spent – currently at seven signings which have cost in excess of £200 million – expectations have risen. The gap has to be closed to the top.

Winning the Premier League isn’t expected but pushing Liverpool and Manchester City all the way is.

A run in the Champions League beyond the last-16 is desired and bringing home a domestic cup would make the season a success.

The 2021/22 season is where big things will be expected of this crop of players.

Your match prediction?

It’s been a mixed start for Chelsea, one win and one defeat in the league but the loss to Liverpool wasn’t a huge reflection on the side.

Prior to the red card, Chelsea looked solid and limited Liverpool to few chances. The defence looks stronger already this season with the addition of coach Anthony Barry.

The attack speaks for itself and with the Baggies already conceding eight goals in their opening two league games, Chelsea could have a field day at the Hawthorns on Saturday.

West Brom 0-3 Chelsea.

You can keep up to date with Matt's work by following Absolute Chelsea on Twitter here.