West Brom 0-3

Independent:

West Bromwich Albion 3 Chelsea 0

Saido Berahino catches the eye as Chelsea lose their cool

Simon Hart

Even Jose Mourinho’s teams take their foot off the gas sometimes and last night, at the Hawthorns, Chelsea paid the price as they fell to their first Premier League defeat since New Year’s Day.

Chelsea have already proven their championship credentials but here they barely stepped out of second gear and duly succumbed to two goals from Saido Berahino – offering a reminder of his rich potential – and a third from Chris Brunt.

For Chelsea it was a third league defeat of the campaign and their heaviest in the Premier League under Mourinho since a 3-0 loss at Middlesbrough in 2006. It means his 2015 vintage cannot reach the 90-point mark they managed in his two previous championship seasons.

From the Londoners’ perspective, though, it was a night which will be best remembered for the bizarre sending-off of Cesc Fabregas, who responded to a melée sparked by Diego Costa by kicking the ball at Brunt to earn a straight red card – a sanction that should mean he will miss the first two games of next season.

One notable statistic before this match was that John Terry was looking to become the first outfield player in a title-winning team to play every minute of every game since Gary Pallister for Manchester United in 1992/93. The old warhorse completed another 90 minutes here, although his uncharacteristic failure to deal with an early cross into the box led to a chance for Callum McManaman, who skipped away from Filipe Luis and flashed in a shot that Thibaut Courtois turned behind.

If that suggested a lack of intensity in the champions’ play, the feeling was confirmed by Berahino’s ninth-minute strike. Given space to turn on to a Joleon Lescot pass just outside the ‘D’ of the penalty box, the Albion forward curled a wonderful first-time strike to the left of Courtois and into the corner.

After the improbable sight of Craig Dawson nutmegging two Chelsea players in succession, Costa did his best to stir the visitors into life, holding off Darren Fletcher and pulling the ball back for Eden Hazard, whose close-range strike was deflected over. However, rather than simply add some spark to proceedings, the Spanish international then decided to chuck in a  flamethrower, starting the flare-up that led to Fabregas’s red card.

John Terry brings down Berahino for a penalty early in the second half John Terry brings down Berahino for a penalty early in the second half (Reuters)

Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous line about former Stamford Bridge favourite Dennis Wise – “He could start a fight in an empty house” – came to mind as Costa shoved Gareth McAuley to the ground off the ball. When the pair squared up again, referee Mike Jones intervened, booking Costa, and it was at that moment that Fabregas kicked the ball into the crowd of players, striking Brunt’s head.

It gave the home fans a pantomime villain to jeer and they almost had another goal to cheer as James Morrison fed Brunt on the left of the area but Courtois made the save. Instead it was Berahino who doubled the lead with his 20th goal of an impressive season from the penalty spot moments after the restart. Terry was the culprit, swiping at Berahino’s right leg as he shaped to shoot, and although Courtois got a hand to Berahino’s strike he could not keep it out.

Terry could easily have been sent off but escaped even a booking and Chelsea’s 10 men nearly found a foothold in the game when Loïc Rémy beat Boaz Myhill with a shot from 20 yards that cannoned off the foot of the post. As it was, the game was up on the hour when Brunt exchanged passes with Craig Gardner from a short corner and carried the ball into the box before arrowing in a shot off the hands of  Courtois at the near post.

Albion have now taken the scalps of both Manchester United and Chelsea in the past fortnight and the celebratory mood was quite a contrast with last season’s final game when the Hawthorns was virtually empty by the time of the team’s misleadingly titled lap of honour – a transformation that speaks volumes for the impact made by Tony Pulis since he replaced Alan Irvine on New Year’s Day.

Saido Berahino celebrates after giving West Bromwich Albion the lead Saido Berahino celebrates after giving West Bromwich Albion the lead (EPA)

An intriguing summer lies in store with chairman Jeremy Peace confirming that “interested parties” – both overseas investors – are conducting due diligence with a view to a takeover. Peace promised a “smooth transition” with Pulis going nowhere, however.

The game offered further evidence of Pulis’s wisdom in recruiting Fletcher and Albion’s performance made it a difficult evening for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who lasted 73 minutes before making way for another youngster, Nathan Aké. Mourinho’s final substitute was debutant Isaiah Brown. A product of the Albion academy who made his league debut at 16 in May 2013, he incensed Albion by departing for Stamford Bridge three months later. Even in defeat, Mourinho had managed a last laugh of sorts.



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Guardian:


West Bromwich’s Chris Brunt has last laugh after Cesc Fàbregas’s sending off

West Brom 3 - 0 Chelsea


Stuart James at The Hawthorns


This was not the way José Mourinho envisaged the Premier League champions playing out the rest of the season and it is a measure of the damage that was done that the repercussions of a chastening night will be felt at the beginning of the next campaign.

Two goals from the impressive Saido Berahino – his 19th and 20th of the season – and another from Chris Brunt secured a memorable victory for West Bromwich Albion and inflicted Chelsea’s heaviest league defeat under Mourinho since 2006. Yet it was the bizarre red card that Cesc Fàbregas received in the 30th minute that riled the Portuguese more than anything.

Mike Jones, the referee, was dealing with a melee on the other side of the penalty area after Diego Costa had been booked following an off-the-ball altercation with Gareth McAuley, when Fàbregas, stood about 20 yards away, kicked the ball in the direction of a crowd of Albion players and caught Brunt on the side of the head.

Darren Fletcher, the Albion captain, reacted furiously and was straying close to the line – arguably overstepping it – when he confronted the Spaniard, almost running into him. Jones, on the scene moments later, reached for his back pocket and brandished the red card.

The offence will go down as violent conduct and means that Fàbregas, in what was essentially a meaningless game, has picked up a three-match suspension that rules him out of the final fixture of this term, at home against Sunderland, and, much more significantly, the first two matches of next season. The debate about whether the decision was harsh was guaranteed to go on long into the night but whatever the rights and wrongs of the sending off, there is no escaping the fact that it was a stupid thing for Fàbregas to do, especially when the referee was stood so close to Brunt.

Mourinho, not surprisingly, took a dim view of the referee’s decision-making and implied that a more experienced official than Jones would have handled it differently and taken a more lenient view.

“I would like to see it again because what is this sending off for?” the Chelsea manager said. “Where is the danger of the situation? Where is the aggressivity in the situation to get a red card in a friendly game almost? I really don’t understand.

“I think Fletcher was aggressive, yes. He pushes in the chest because he is experienced and he knows where he can push for a yellow card but it’s much more aggressive. What Fàbregas did, for me, a top referee, a stable big personality in control of the game goes there, two or three words, and he’s done. It’s a bizarre red card.” Mourinho suggested that Chelsea have no intention of appealing – “We lose all the time, we have a fantastic record on appealing,” he said sarcastically – but the Portuguese reacted with disbelief when told of the length of the suspension. “Three-game ban for this? Jesus Christ. Three-game ban for this? Harsh? Of course it’s harsh, if you get three games with this.”

It was that sort of night for Chelsea as Albion followed up their 1-0 win over Manchester United earlier in the month with another highly impressive result. While Mourinho had a point when he suggested that Chelsea would have played better if the title was not already in the bag – “I think this is a consequence of being champions so early,” he said in defence of their performance – Albion deserve credit for the way in which they punished the visitors.

Berahino was in the mood from the start and with the transfer window soon to open, chose a good evening to showcase his talent. His first goal, beautifully curled into the far corner from about 22 yards, set Albion on their way after nine minutes and the 21-year-old also won and converted the penalty, after John Terry scythed him down, that doubled their lead two minutes after the restart.

Chelsea, for whom the 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek made a second successive Premier League start, came close to pulling a goal back when Loïc Rémy’s low shot struck the base of an upright in the 56th minute but four minutes later Albion had a third and the game was effectively over. Brunt played a short corner with Craig Gardner and from just inside the penalty area, unleashed a powerful shot that seemed to beat Thibaut Courtois for pace as it flew inside his near post.

Mourinho gave Isaiah Brown, a former Albion schoolboy, his first senior appearance for Chelsea when he brought him on as a late substitute, but even the sight of ‘the one that got away’ was not going to ruin the home supporters’ evening. “Izzy, Izzy, what’s the score?” chanted the jubilant Albion fans.



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Telegraph:


West Brom 3 Chelsea 0

Saido Berahino bags double as Cesc Fabregas dismissal sparks collapse

By  Henry Winter, Football Correspondent, at the Hawthorns


Jose Mourinho strode across the pitch at the final whistle, heading towards the Chelsea supporters, the Special One holding up one finger to signal they were No 1 over the season. Chelsea had the title won, their season’s work done, but were simply second best from the first whistle here, despite the exhortations of their travelling support.

Saido Berahino scored twice and was an all-round, high-class irritant to Chelsea while Chris Brunt thundered in a marvellous third for Tony Pulis’s free-flowing West Brom. Chelsea’s hopes dropped and their embarrassment rose at 1-0 down when Cesc Fabregas had a moment of madness, kicking the ball at Brunt’s head and being dismissed for violent conduct. Mourinho complained about the imminent three-game ban but really he should have saved his breath and ire for his errant player.

The Chelsea flaw show really erupted on the half-hour. Diego Costa began the handbags convention, pushing his marker who was being constantly hailed by the Albion fans with the chant of “Gareth McAuley is better than JT”. As Mike Jones was cautioning Costa, the usual arguments broke out, particularly Joleon Lescott and Branislav Ivanovic.

The ball had fallen away to the right and Fabregas decided to contribute to the discourse from afar. Nobody expected the Spanish intervention. With one touch Fabregas knocked the ball five yards forward, and with his next, Fabregas thumped it towards the debating society that had gathered around Jones.

Chelsea rather coyly explained via Twitter that “Fabregas was sent off for kicking the ball in the direction of a group of players, and it hit an Albion player”.

Everyone turned to see who had delivered this mad missile. Fabregas’s mask was never going to hide the identity of the offender. Darren Fletcher got there first, risking censure himself by aggressively pushing Fabregas. John Terry was furious about Fletcher’s response. Jones was focused solely on Fabregas, and brandished the inevitable red card.

This was Fabregas’s first dismissal since Jan 21, 2006, during Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Everton. He knocked Tim Cahill over and missed Arsenal’s next game – against Mourinho’s Chelsea. As Fabregas made his way past the technical area towards the tunnel at the Hawthorns, Mourinho ignored him. Fabregas was fortunate that the ball hit Brunt. Its next stop would have been Jones, which would have brought a far longer ban.

Long-running records occupied Chelsea’s thoughts. Their fans’ second-half “We’ve won the league” chant lasted more than half-an-hour, challenging some of their choral endurance efforts, notably the “Chelsea” sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace” at Elland Road in April 1998.

If Terry completes 90 minutes against Sunderland next Sunday, he will become the first outfield player since Gary Pallister in 1992-93 to finish as a champion having played every minute of the season. Frank Lampard was eight minutes short in 2004-05, having been withdrawn early by Mourinho at the Hawthorns. Back during their first title, won by Ted Drake’s side in 1954-55, Derek Saunders and Eric Parsons played all 42 games.

Terry led Chelsea out here as Brunt, Berahino, Fletcher and company formed a guard of honour before setting about the champions of England. Berahino struck after eight minutes. Lescott delivered the ball in from the left for the unmarked Berahino, who was lurking on the edge of the area. As Gary Cahill vainfully tried to close him down, Berahino unleashed his shot, the ball flying between Thibaut Courtois and the keeper’s left-hand upright.

Ending a 10-game drought, Berahino’s 13th Premier League goal of the season meant he has now scored more in the Premier League than the England captain, Wayne Rooney, and there was another to come. Of the contenders for Roy Hodgson’s squad to be announced on Thursday, only Charlie Austin (17) and Harry Kane (20) have scored more. Berahino, though, looks destined for the under-21s party announced by Gareth Southgate at 10.30am on Wednesday.

Fabregas then departed. Chelsea tried to rally. Costa was booed, and soon fouled by Jonas Olsson, presenting Filipe Luis with a free-kick opportunity but Boaz Myhill saved. Although Costa was now in full feisty mood, Albion were in charge, and playing with freedom and invention.

Lescott turned into Franz Beckenbauer briefly, embarking on a run upfield. Claudio Yacob put in an elegant flick. Brunt brought a good low save from Courtois.

Albion struck again two minutes into the second half. When Brunt played the ball through, Berahino turned sharply and was through on goal. Showing a rare lack of composure and timing this season, Terry dived in and brought Berahino down. He could have followed Fabregas but for Cahill covering. Berahino drove his penalty past Courtois.

There is constant talk about the 21-year-old’s future and this was another reminder of Berahino’s quality, and why he will be coveted by others. From Albion’s perspective, it is vital to keep Berahino as he suits Pulis’s tactics so well, playing the front-runner role tirelessly.

Albion fans were loving it, chanting towards the Chelsea faithful: “Champions of England? You’re having a laugh!” The visiting supporters immediately hit back with: “Champions of England – you’ll never sing that!” (Apart from 1920).

Watching their team disintegrate, Chelsea fans contented themselves with chanting “We’ve won the league”. Loïc Rémy hit a post but it was West Brom scoring next on the hour. When Brunt cut in from the right, Chelsea’s defence was again sluggish, allowing him to drill his left-footed shot past Courtois.

Berahino was substituted to great acclaim with 11 minutes remaining, being replaced by Brown Ideye, and passing the incoming Chelsea substitute Izzy Brown. There is still some anger at the Hawthorns over how the home-grown Brown left them for only £1 million.

“Izzy played against Wigan when he was 16 for us, and we lost him the following year,’’ said the chairman Jeremy Peace earlier this season. “He just didn’t come back for pre-season. It’s the carrot dangled in front of the parents. It will be interesting to see who ends up furthest [Berahino or Brown].”

Brown was greeted with chants of “One greedy b------” and “Izzy – what’s the score?” Albion do receive additional cash for each block of five appearances that Brown makes for Chelsea. He led the line briefly but it was soon all over, bar the Mourinho pointing.



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Mail:

West Brom 3-0 Chelsea: Saido Berahino scores deadly double and Cesc Fabregas sees red for moment of madness as Blues lose

By Neil Ashton for the Daily Mail


Jose Mourinho has watched the champions hit most of their targets this season. Most goals, most wins, pretty much most of everything.

Here at The Hawthorns, on a barmy night for the game, Cesc Fabregas hit the bullseye when he inexplicably let fly with a ball that smacked Chris Brunt on the side of the head from the best part of 20 yards. Two questions remain unanswered: how, and why?

It was struck with such piercing accuracy that it belonged to a coaching academy, a masterclass in target practice as the West Brom midfielder’s bonce shuddered with the shock.

‘Three game ban for this?’ Mourinho inquired. ‘Jesus Christ.’ The tremors could be felt all over the world after the Barclays Premier League champions were so soundly beaten. Fabregas brought back memories of the day when a youth team player at West Ham’s Chadwell Heath training ground was caught on camera hitting Harry Redknapp on the head as part of a dare.

The almighty thwack here, along with the inevitable red card from referee Mike Jones, did nothing to take the gloss off this extraordinary win for Tony Pulis and his rampant West Bromwich team.

By the end West Brom’s players were patting the champions on the head, ruffling their hair as they took the clippers to Mourinho’s team. They were razor sharp here. This victory is one to cherish for Pulis, looking on from his technical area with quiet satisfaction as two goals from Saido Berahino and a beauty from Brunt humbled the champions.

By then West Brom were already ahead, sitting on the eighth minute lead given to them by Berahinho when he received the ball on the edge of the area from Joleon Lescott.

With a twist of his shoulder he took Chelsea defender Gary Cahill out of the game and with barely any backlift he beat the outstretched left arm of Thibaut Courtois.

Berahino ran for the TV cameras, kissing the lens after planting a smacker beyond the Belgian No 1.

His game was full of passion, with the raucous West Brom supporters in the Smethwick End showering him with love as he celebrated in front of them.

The place went bonkers, with West Brom’s brilliant support serenading their heroes with cries of ‘Ole’ every time they touched the ball towards the end of the first half. It was compelling.

So too was the incident leading up to the dismissal of Fabregas because this had been building from the moment West Brom captain Darren Fletcher left a bit on Diego Costa.

The Chelsea forward had begged Mourinho to play, pulling on his No19 shirt for the first time since April 4. Self-discipline is not his strong point.

He was spoiling for a fight as usual, giving it large to Gareth McAuley, among others, when he threatened to invade the centre forward’s personal space. Here he was a waste of space, replaced by the former West Brom academy graduate Izzy Brown in the second half. Chill out, man.

After that it was all about West Brom, with their potent, vibrant football lifting them into 13th place in the Premier League after this stirring win. McAuley, Lescott, Fletcher and Berahino were magnificent here.

There was a sense that the second goal was coming, with that feeling lingering in the air as West Brom launched wave upon wave of attack towards the end of the first.

They were made to wait, but not for long, because Chelsea captain John Terry gave away a penalty a minute into the second half when he brought down Berahinho.

The West Brom striker scored from spot, beating Courtois with a low drive to the keeper’s right. Pulis’ team had snapped and snarled, denying Fabregas, Hazard and Loic Remy room to operate with their usual freedom. West Brom did a number on those three little tricksters.

‘Darren Fletcher, he’s won more than you’ rang out around this stadium, a tribute to a player who has captained this team with distinction since his move from Manchester United.

Hazard toiled out on the left, lacking his customary zest after a season that he will remember for winning the PFA player of the year award and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

He had a decent chance when he exchanged passes with Costa in the first half, but somehow he managed to lift his effort over Boaz Myhill’s crossbar.

This was all about West Brom, though, and they added a third in the 60th minute with a clever set-piece move out on the right that was finished with a low drive from the boot of Brunt.

It finished the night off handsomely for Pulis, turning to Mourinho on the side of pitch to tell him that the champions have been head and shoulders above anyone else.

For the champions, this was nothing more than a slap round the face.



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Mirror:

West Brom 3-0 Chelsea: Cesc Fabregas sees red as champions slump to defeat at the Hawthorns

By John Cross


Cesc Fabregas was sent off as Chelsea’s end-of-season tour went horribly wrong at The Hawthorns.

West Brom’s two goal hero Saido Berahino piled on the embarrassment for ten-man Chelsea as the champions looked as if they have packed up for the summer already.

And Fabregas will also get an extended summer break because his red card means he will get a three match ban which means he misses the start of next season.

Fabregas got his marching orders in the 29th minute after bizarrely kicking the ball and hitting West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt on the side of the head.

But Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho refused to blame Fabregas or his players - and instead claimed their title rivals were to blame for their defeat.

Mourinho said: “A three game ban for this? Jesus Christ. Of course it’s harsh. I would like to see it again. What is it a sending off for? Was it aggressive? Darren Fletcher pushed Fabregas and was more aggressive.

“The ideal scenario was to be champions, go on holiday and not play again. Look at Bayern Munich they have lost their games since winning the title. We have taken one point from our last two games.

“Let’s blame the players a little bit, myself a little bit, but also the other contenders for not being good enough to challenge us until the end. If we had still needed to win that game, would we have got the result? We won’t know.”

It doesn’t help when Chelsea striker Diego Costa - back after a six week injury absence - looks as if he could start a fight in an empty room.

Typically it was Costa who started the melee which led to Fabregas’s red card. Costa was booked after a ding-dong with Albion defenders Gareth McAuley and Craig Dawson.

But as the players swarmed around the referee in the penalty box, Fabregas kicked the ball towards the group, hit Brunt on the side of the face and got himself sent off.

It was a moment of madness in a bizarre game which saw Berahino fire West Brom ahead with a glorious ninth minute opener as Chelsea suffered only their third defeat of the season.

Chelsea were already down to ten men when they conceded a second from a penalty a minute after the restart. John Terry upended Berahino in the box and the West Brom striker fired in the spot kick. Few strikers have given Terry such a hard game this season.

Brunt then completed the victory with a stunning 20 yard pile driver on the hour mark which beat Courtois.


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Express:


West Brom 3 Chelsea 0: Baggies stun champions with Berahino at the double

CESC FABREGAS was sent off in bizarre circumstances as champions Chelsea were brought crashing down to earth by West Brom.

By Brendan McLoughlin

Saido Berahino netted twice to take his tally to 20 for the campaign with Chris Brunt adding a third, as Jose Mourinho’s team slumped to a first Premier League defeat since New Year’s Day.

Yet it was the extraordinary 29th-minute red card of Fabregas for which the contest will be ultimately remembered.

With play stopped, the Spain international, some 20 yards away, mindlessly kicked the ball into a crowd of players – still tussling after Diego Costa and Gareth McAuley had clashed – and struck Brunt on the head.

Altogether it was very much a night to forget for the Blues, with the second half played out to a chorus of “We’ve won the league” from their supporters.

Callum McManaman fired an early warning to Chelsea within five minutes, getting the better of Filipe Luis before flashing a shot goalwards from an acute angle, which Thibaut Courtois did well to divert away for a corner with his knees.

The Belgium international had no answer to Berahino’s brilliance four minutes later, however, as the Baggies forward ended a nine-match goal drought.

He controlled Joleon Lescott’s sideways pass 20 yards out and whipped a wonderful, arcing shot inside the right upright.

But after Chelsea’s Eden Hazard had a shot diverted for a corner came the controversy.

Costa was cautioned after he clashied with McAuley off the ball. Fabregas then booted the ball and hit Brunt and, after receiving a furious shove from Albion skipper Darren Fletcher, he received his marching orders from referee Mike Jones.

Chelsea, though, almost levelled when Luis forced a fine save from Boaz Myhill with a well-executed free-kick.

Within two minutes of the restart, Albion were celebrating again. Once again, Berahino was the thorn in Chelsea’s side, turning sharply to outfox Gary Cahill before being sent tumbling inside the penalty area after being clearly caught by John Terry.

Chelsea’s captain, having been the last man, could count himself somewhat fortunate to escape without sanction. Berahino dusted himself down before lashing his penalty into the right corner. Courtois guessed correctly but the shot just had too much venom.

The 57th minute provided further evidence it was not Chelsea’s night as Loic Remy, having side-stepped Claudio Yacob, cracked a shot against the inside of the left post before the ball was scrambled to safety.

It went from bad to worse for Chelsea on the hour mark.

A quickly taken short corner between Brunt and substitute Craig Gardner handed the Northern Ireland international a sight of goal and his driven shot squirmed underneath Courtois to beat the keeper at his near post.

West Brom (4-5-1): Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Lescott; Brunt, Fletcher, Yacob, Morrison (Baird 89), McManaman (Gardner 54); Berahino (Ideye 79). Booked: Fletcher, Olsson, Gardner.  Goals: Berahino 9, 47 pen, Brunt 60. NEXT UP: Arsenal (a), Sun PL.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Filipe Luis; Loftus-Cheek (Ake 73), Matic; Remy (Brown 79), Fabregas, Hazard; Costa (Cuadrado 64). Booked: Costa, Cuadrado. Sent off: Fabregas 29. NEXT UP: Sunderland (h), PL.

Referee: M Jones (Cheshire).


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Star:


West Brom 3 Chelsea 0: Berahino double helps Baggies embarrass Blues as Fabregas sees red

SAIDO BERAHINO scored twice as champions Chelsea slumped to only their third league defeat of the season.


By Dave Armitage


But Chelsea were also hit by Cesc Fabregas bizarre sending off as their 16-match unbeaten run, stretching back to New Year's Day came to an abrupt halt at The Hawthorns.

Berahino double strike and one from Chris Brunt capped off a miserable last away day for Jose Mourinho's table-toppers.

Mourinho pointed one finger aloft in front of the travelling fans at the end so this was only a minor irritation.

His side had come out to be saluted with a West Brom guard of honour but that was about as respectful as Albion got as they ripped into the visitors right from the off.

Fabregas' hopes of setting a new Premier League assists record were blown out of the water when he was sent off after 30 minutes for launching a ball at a melee of players and hitting Brunt smack on the head.

His act of stupidity means he misses the chance to take his total of 18 past Thierry Henry's best-ever mark on 20 into the bargain.

Berahino set the ball rolling with a stunning first half goal and a penalty just a minute into the second half.

Brunt blasted home a third on the hour as the ten-man champions struggled to cope.

Anyone who thought it would be a rather tame end of season affair was in for a shock. It was action from the word go and not all of it to suit the purists.

Mourinho resisted the temptation to field a few of his kids and it's probably just as well, as tempers flared in an incident-packed first half hour.

Both teams were at it from the word go and in the ninth minute Berahino rocked the champs with a goal of stunning quality.

The young striker latched onto a short ball from Joleon Lescott, got it into his stride and unleashed an unstoppable 20-yarder into the far corner of the net.

Courtois launched every last inch of his giant frame through the air but couldn't get near the ball as it flew into the far corner of his net.

Then the fun and games really started, finishing with Fabregas' mindless red card.

It started with a dust-up which left everyone wondering where to look next, even referee Mike Jones, who briefly looked like he was losing control.

Diego Costa had already barged Gareth McAuley to the floor before trying to manhandle him again which led to the two squaring up

The referee had to intervene, but as he was sorting it out with a yellow card to the Chelsea man, Fabregas bizarrely kicked the ball into the group from a good 20 yards away.

His ability to pick out a man is legendary but this time he struck Brunt on the head and Mr Jones decided enough was enough and Fabregas was off..

The second half carried on just where the first had finished, Berahino grabbing a second from the spot within a minute of the re-start.

John Terry had sent the fleet-footed striker tumbling with a challenge that was a split-second too late and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Remy so nearly got one back for the visitors but his shot bounced out off the post just before Brunt capped it off with a third minutes later.

WEST BROMWICH (4-5-1): Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Lescott; Yacob, Morrison (Baird 89), Fletcher, McManaman(Gardner 54), Brunt; Berahino (Ideye 79). Subs not used: Rose, Wisdom, Anichebe, Mulumbu.

CHELSEA(4-4-2): Courtois; Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Luis; Matic, Loftus-Cheek (Ake 73), Fabregas, Hazard; Costa(Cuadrado 64), Remy (Brown 79). Subs not used: Blackman, Mikel, Azpilicueta, Chistensen.

REFEREE: Mike Jones.