Disappointing outcome for Chelsea with a last minute goal ("oh putain")
Opened the scoring with Reiss Alexander Russell-Denny, couldn't quite score the second.
WBA dealt excellently with good deliveries across the box and clinical on the counter.
Chelsea played a dynamic 442.
Interesting interchange between wide players. Mheuka and McNeilly tried to find space in and outside the box. However way too open on transition.
None of the De Zerbi bait the press bullshit we saw at Boreham Wood in pre season. As always it's difficult to argue against all these coaches improvising off the cuff when the first games expose how the theory football can't work. That's fine. They should know better but oh well.
But then coach the team properly especially out of possession. I don't feel I learned much from a team or individual standpoint today.
Settled defence was okay.
Defending counters was way too open
I liked Merrick who's GK positioning on shots was good and he's confident But the gimmick to have the goalie in the centre circle... you can't blame karma when that shit goal at 1-1 89th minute occurs.
That's not what GKs want, and this is setting them up to fail. Wilson dealt well with WBA striker and the one who came on.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Max Merrick; Brodi Hughes, Kaiden Wilson, Harrison Murray-Campbell (c), Ishe Samuels-Smith; Harrison McMahon (Jimmy-Jay Morgan 84), Kiano Dyer; Harvey Vale, Shumaira Mheuka, Reiss Denny (Ato Ampah 63); Donnell McNeilly (Alex Matos 63)
Unused subs: Travis Akomeah, Richard Olise
Scorer: Denny 36
Booked: Hughes 40
West Bromwich Albion: Joe Wallis, Deago Nelson, Josh Shaw, Iddrisu Dauda (Michael Parker 63), Mo Diomande, Matt Richards, Fenton Heard (Eseosa Sule 63), Cole Deeming, Devante Cole, Harry Whitwell, Akeel Higgins
Unused Subs: Liam Wilkes, Evan Humphries, Adriel Walker
Scorer: Whitwell 77, 90+2