Callum Robinson’s incredible Chelsea record explained as ex-West Brom star reacts to Cardiff’s Carabao Cup draw
Callum Robinson was probably more delighted than most to be drawn against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup thanks to an incredible record for West Brom.
The now-Cardiff City man faced a tough task whoever his side got in the quarter-final draw, with the League One side the only non-Premier League outfit still in the competition.
But from Robinson‘s point of view the World Club Cup champions are probably the best option after Cardiff’s 2-1 victory at Wrexham on Tuesday, followed by Chelsea’s chaotic 4-3 win at Wolves on Wednesday.
In the wake of the draw Robinson responded via X, saying: “Chelsea it is” with a series of eyes and crying laughter emojis.
Robinson left West Brom for Cardiff in 2022, having scored 17 goals in total for the club.
Callum Robinson cashed in for West Brom vs Chelsea
The 30-year-old has only actually played three times against the West Londoners so far in his career but has never been on the losing side and has scored an incredible five times in those games.
His record is boosted significantly by the excellent return he got in both fixtures West Brom played against Chelsea in the Covid-19 season of 2020/21.
The Baggies ended up being relegated that year but when the Blues were on the opposing side the fans, had there been any in the stands, truly would have been signing “can we play you every week?”
West Brom 3-3 Chelsea, 26 September 2020, The Hawthorns
Slaven Bilic‘s men looked like they were going to embarrass Frank Lampard’s visitors when they capitalised on some dreadful defending to race into a 3-0 lead inside half an hour in an empty stadium.
A sloppy header from Marcos Alonso saw the ball played wide to Robinson by Matheus Pereira in just the fourth minute, with the Irishman arrowing a low shot through the legs of a young Reece James and into the bottom corner.
The forward did all the work himself for his second 20 minutes later as he robbed Brazilian legend Thiago Silva, making his Premier League debut, and raced clear to slot past Willy Caballero.
Kyle Bartley quickly added a third to suggest West Brom‘s winless start to the season was well and truly over, but goals from Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and a 93rd-minute equaliser from Tammy Abraham clawed back a point.
Chelsea 2-5 West Brom – 3 April 2021, Stamford Bridge
Lampard may be making a name for himself again at Coventry but his reputation defensively in charge of the club where he became the all-time scorer was hardly glittering, yet the Baggies were at it again later that season after he’d been replaced by Thomas Tuchel.
The now-England boss sorted out the defence and would famously go on to win the Champions League at the end of the campaign, but he also had no answer for West Brom and Robinson.
Chelsea had gone on a 14-match unbeaten run after the German’s arrival at Stamford Bridge, but that was emphatically ended by the relegation-threatened visitors to inject some late hope of a great escape under Big Sam Allardyce.
The hosts had gone ahead when Christian Pulisic turned in the rebound after Alonso had hit the post with a free kick, but were again panicked at the back.
Silva, who can’t have had many worse seasons against an individual opponent in his illustrious career, was sent off for two bookings inside half an hour by a certain David Coote.
Albion took full advantage as Pereira scored twice in first-half stoppage-time to turn the game on its head, before Robinson had his fun after the break.
First he volleyed a beauty into the top corner on the run from a Darnell Furlong cross just after the hour, before Mbaye Diagne added a fourth and Mount pulled one back.
Robinson then combined well with Pereira before clipping a wonderful finish over Benjamin Mendy into the far corner in added time for the fifth on the day, and his fourth against Chelsea that term.
At the time he had scored five Premier League goals in his career, all against Chelsea, and asked on BT Sport after the game why that was he said: “I know, I don’t have a clue. Must just be that team where I enjoy playing against their defenders, I’m not sure.“
Robinson hadn’t been in the team for a while prior to the match but earned another start against Southampton the following week where he would score his only Premier League goal against another team.
Robinson never beaten by Chelsea for three clubs
Chelsea 2-2 Sheffield United – 31 August 2019, Stamford Bridge
Prior to his brace in the 3-3 Baggies draw Robinson’s last goal was almost a year previous, and the last time he’d faced Chelsea, as a member of Sheffield United.
Chris Wilder, in the first of his many stints in charge of the Blades, was the fashionable new disrupter at the time and saw his side came from 2-0 down for an early-season point.
Robinson sparked the fightback with his only league goal for the club immediately after the break, in a sign of things to come, finding space in the box to steer a cut-back past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
It was also his late cross which was diverted into his own net by Kurt Zouma to snatch a point.
| Fixture | Result | Robinson |
| Aston Villa vs Chelsea, 15 March 2014 | 1-0 win | Unused sub |
| Chelsea vs Sheffield United, 31 August 2019 | 2-2 draw | 1 goal |
| West Brom vs Chelsea, 26 September 2020 | 3-3 draw | 2 goals |
| Chelsea vs West Brom, 3 April 2021 | 5-2 win | 2 goals |
Aston Villa 1-0 Chelsea – 15 March 2014, Villa Park
Cardiff may not even need to get Robinson on the pitch to benefit from his hoodoo over Chelsea since, for good measure, he was also on the winning side of his only other meeting, as an Aston Villa player.
The then-teenager was an unused substitute over a decade ago as the hosts took home the points thanks to a late Fabian Delph winner.
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