Half an hour in, Pedro may have thought it was all following the script. Five days after he left Barcelona for Chelsea, the 28-year-old had scored one and created another for José Mourinho’s team, seemingly setting the Barclays Premier League champions on their way to a delayed first victory of the season. It appeared to be the perfect debut.
An hour later, it had turned into something else entirely: the perfect introduction to English football. This was 90 minutes of the Premier League boiled down to its essence. The torrential rain, the robust opponents, the nerve-shredding drama and the distinct scent of controversy all played their part in welcoming Pedro to his new home, the place where if anybody did read the script, they would think it faintly unrealistic.
So the new arrival on these shores saw John Terry given the chance to reassert his authority after the humiliation of his half-time substitution last week, only to last just a few minutes longer, sent off for hauling down Salomón Rondón, the West Bromwich Albion forward. He saw Chelsea, obduracy written into their DNA, threaten to throw away certain victory with 11 men, then ease into it with ten.
As if that was not enough, the game ended with Mourinho bellowing something in Portuguese into a pitchside microphone before insisting that — in stark contrast to his mood on Friday, when he said that he was unimpressed by his entire squad and himself — he was happy, substantially undermining the sentiment by delivering it in a tone grey and overcast, rather like the weather.
Mourinho’s words suggested party: he had been “singing” on the touchline, the Chelsea manager said, and Terry had been “dancing to the loud music” in the dressing room as his side celebrated victory. His voice, though, said something quite different. If Mourinho is happy, he has a funny way of showing it. That is something Pedro will have to get used to as well.
Advertisement
The reasons for the Portuguese’s discontent were not hard to glean. He did not, suffice to say, believe that Terry should have been sent off; there was “no blame” on the club captain. He felt that Mark Clattenburg, the referee, had been inconsistent in how he applied the laws. “So many things,” he said. “One striker pushes a defender, it’s a foul. Another pushes another, it’s not a foul. Stop the game in midfield, yellow card. Another time it’s not a yellow card. If I spoke about the red card, I would have to speak about so many things. I prefer to concentrate on us.”
It is a sound principle to follow, but in many ways that will not soothe Mourinho’s troubles. This was another curious Chelsea performance, full of brio in attack but marked by uncharacteristic vulnerability at the back and a midfield that is bordering on the dysfunctional. It was a very Premier League game — almost peak Premier League — but you sense that is not what Mourinho, a manager who has always prioritised control, wants to see.
There were, it is true, reasons for the Portuguese to smile, Pedro prime among them. He slotted seamlessly into his new side, drafted in ahead of Ramires, who along with Juan Cuadrado — expected to sign for Juventus — was not even on the bench, and looked as if he had been there all his life.
His goal showcased how direct he is, picking the ball up inside West Brom’s half, driving towards the box, exchanging passes with Eden Hazard and slotting home, via Jonas Olsson’s ankle. His assist, a cross-cum-shot that Diego Costa converted, highlighted how lethal he can be on the break, his understanding with his Spain team-mate, as well as Willian and Hazard, seemingly organic.
“He is a very good player,” Mourinho purred. “There is always a question mark, because how many top players come to England and don’t perform immediately? Then people wonder if he is the right player, if he can adapt. So it is very nice for him to come and perform straightaway.”
Advertisement
There were also causes for concern, though, above and beyond those that might be attributed to Clattenburg. Chelsea were fortunate not to fall behind first, Nemanja Matic tripping Callum McManaman and giving away a penalty that surely even Mourinho could not contest. James Morrison grabbed the ball from Chris Brunt, stepped up, steered his shot down the middle and saw it flicked away by Thibaut Courtois’s outstretched leg.
Even with a two-goal cushion, Chelsea were incapable of shutting West Brom down. Morrison brought the home team back into the game 35 minutes in, rifling home after Rondón had hooked the ball into his path, and repeated the trick in the second half.
César Azpilicueta had restored Chelsea’s breathing space before half-time, slipping home after Costa had held off the challenge of Gareth McAuley, but as soon as Terry departed — he appeared to have grabbed Rondón’s shirt as he burst through — the champions rocked. Morrison flicked a header past Courtois. There was one goal in it again.
There was no let-up, no pause for thought. Hazard, Costa and Radamel Falcao might have settled it for the visiting team; Callum McManaman and Rondon could have earned the home side a point. It was breathless, relentless stuff. The typical Premier League game, in other words, with the typical Premier League conclusion: Chelsea won. Mourinho will hope that Pedro gets used to that most of all.
Ratings
Advertisement
West Bromwich Albion (4-1-4-1): B Myhill 6 — C Dawson 6, G McAuley 6, J Olsson 6, C Brunt 7 — C Yacob 6 — C McManaman 8 (Sub: S Gnabry, 78), D Fletcher 6, J Morrison 8 (Sub: C Gardner, 88min), J McClean 6 (Sub: R Lambert, 60 7) – S Rondón 7. Substitutes not used: J Rose, J Chester, J Lescott, V Anichebe. Booked: J McClean, C McManaman.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): T Courtois 6 — B Ivanovic 6, K Zouma 7, J Terry 5, C Azpilicueta 6 — C Fàbregas 5, N Matic 6 — Pedro 8 (Sub: J-O Mikel, 84), Willian 7 (Sub: G Cahill, 56 7), E Hazard 7 — D Costa 7 (Sub: R Falcao, 77) Substitutes not used: A Begovic (G), B Traore, L Rémy, R Loftus-Cheek. Booked: N Matic. Sent off: J Terry.