Aug 12

Chelsea complete Ramires signing after successful tribunal appeal

• Brazil midfielder signs from Benfica for £18.2m
• West Ham fail in application for Miralem Sulejmani

Chelsea have been given the go-ahead to complete the £18.2m transfer of the Brazil midfielder Ramires from Benfica after the player was granted a work permit at a tribunal today.

The clearance came this afternoon after the Chelsea assistant manager, Ray Wilkins, and the club secretary, Dave Barnard, attended a hearing in London and argued their case for Ramires to receive a permit under the special circumstances clause, given that he has not played the required 75% of games for Brazil over the past two years.

The panel sanctioned the signing of the 23-year-old widely recognised as one of the most sought-after young talents in the game. The Brazilian is expected to arrive in London tomorrow to complete the paperwork, although he is unlikely to be considered for Saturday’s visit of West Bromwich Albion to Stamford Bridge.

West Ham United will have to appeal after the Serbian forward Miralem Sulejmani, signed provisionally on loan from Ajax yesterday, saw his application rejected. The 21-year-old, who was not included in his country’s squad for this summer’s World Cup finals, had agreed a 12-month deal subject to being granted a work permit after spending two years at Ajax following a £13m move from Heerenveen.

Fulham were disappointed in their pursuit of the defender Slobodan Rajkovic, who spent three years with Chelsea on loan at PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente in Holland, and is now a free agent. Mark Hughes attended his hearing today but saw the 21-year-old’s work permit application rejected, with an appeal likely to follow.

ChelseaWest Ham UnitedFulhamTransfer windowDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk

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Mar 13

Chelsea 4-1 West Ham United | Premier League match report

Three days before ‘The Man’ returns to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea put on a performance that was classic Mourinho. There was no great need to exert themselves and, against a pedestrian West Ham side, they plucked the three points necessary to regain position at the top of the Premier League table.

They were even able to tweak their goal difference without sweating too much. No need to tell Carlo Ancelotti, but you-know-who would have been proud.

With the honourable exception of Florent Malouda, whose contribution shone in terms of vigour and finesse, Chelsea were a couple of gears below the levels they require against Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Not that there will be any complaints about a comfortable win after a month that threw up domestic defeats by Everton and Manchester City.

It was a calm afternoon for Ross Turnbull; the third-choice goalkeeper will surely face a much sterner test in Europe. It wasn’t until stoppage time that he pulled off a genuine save here, parrying well from Radoslav Kovac.

Mind you, much of his under-use was down to West Ham, who scored a spectacular goal Turnbull could not get close to, but, otherwise, fluffed their lines.

They forged a brilliant opening in the 12th minute. Jonathan Spector outmanoeuvred Paulo Ferreira, Mido picked up the ball and tucked it back to Araujo Ilan, and the Brazilian blazed a rasping shot over the crossbar. The away team cursed – and rightly so.

Three minutes later, Chelsea were in front. Malouda picked out Alex with a fizzing cross and the centre-half hung high in the air to thump in a header from close range.

Chelsea had barely stopped celebrating when they were pummelling Robert Green’s goal again. Matthew Upson’s touch was panicked and he had his keeper to thank for avoiding an own goal.

It was 21 minutes before Turnbull got his first proper touch of the ball. John Terry rolled him a backpass with no West Ham player within 40 yards.

He certainly got nowhere near it the next time the ball came in his vicinity. West Ham’s response was as enthralling as you could expect from a team whose attacking focal point, Mido, strained to break into a walking pace.

So it came as a shuddering thunderbolt when the scampering Scott Parker gathered possession in midfield and belted the ball with beautiful ferocity and dip into the top corner from 25 yards out. The equaliser crowned an energetic display by the Chelsea-ex, who last scored in the Premier League more than a year ago, in February 2009, at Bolton.

Chelsea sought a quick route back into the lead. Frank Lampard’s low drive was pawed away superbly by Green and Michael Ballack headed too close to the England keeper.

Ten minutes after half-time, Chelsea profited from an incisive break sparked by a bullish run by Terry and helped on by a touch from their best player, Malouda. The Frenchman’s cross again laid it on a plate for a team-mate and Didier Drogba gratefully nodded in from close range.

Malouda scored the goal his performance deserved in the 75th minute, with a fine strike, sidestepping his marker before drilling past Green.

Drogba snaffled the fourth in the last minute, capitalising on a loose touch by the West Ham keeper.

Premier LeagueChelseaWest Ham UnitedAmy Lawrenceguardian.co.uk

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Mar 12

Squad sheets: Chelsea v West Ham United

The hosts can return to the top of the division, for 24 hours at least, with victory and will recognise this as an opportunity to exorcise last month’s stodgy form, even if Tuesday’s visit of José Mourinho and Internazionale might be something of a distraction. “We are going for three trophies,” said John Terry. “Only winning will do.” West Ham have not won at Stamford Bridge in eight years, but Gianfranco Zola’s side, just three points above the relegation zone, cannot afford to be trounced and will aspire to inflict Chelsea’s first back-to-back Premier League defeats since May 2006. To achieve that, their former Blues Carlton Cole and Scott Parker will surely be critical. Dominic Fifield

Venue Stamford Bridge, Saturday 3pm

Tickets Sold out

Last season Chelsea 1 West Ham 1

Referee M Clattenburg

This season’s matches 22 Y64, R5, 3.14 cards per game

Odds Chelsea 1-4 West Ham 14-1 Draw 5-1

Chelsea

Subs from Taylor, Zhirkov, Deco, Matic, Bruma, Belletti, J Cole, Hutchinson, Sturridge, Kakuta, Borini

Doubtful Hutchinson (match fitness), Zhirkov (calf)

Injured Carvalho (groin, 16 Mar), Cech (calf, 27 Mar), Hilário (groin, 27 Mar), Essien (knee, Apr), A Cole (ankle, May), Bosingwa (knee, Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide LWLWDW

Disciplinary record Y40 R4

Leading scorer Drogba 19

West Ham

Subs from Kurucz, Stech, Daprela, Collison, Dyer, Mido, McCarthy, Ilan, Stanislas, Nouble, Spence

Doubtful Collison, Stanislas (both match fitness)

Injured Ilunga (calf, 20 Mar), Noble (arm, 20 Mar), Faubert (hamstring, Apr), Boa Morte (knee, Aug), Hines (knee, Aug), Davenport (leg, unknown)

Suspended Da Costa (first of three)

Form guide LLWWLD

Disciplinary record Y51 R3

Leading scorer Cole 9

Match pointers

• If Chelsea concede, they will have already let in more goals than in any season since 2003-04

• On this day in 1999, West Ham won at Stamford Bridge with Paul Kitson getting the only goal of the game

• Chelsea’s games have seen the most comebacks with the Blues gaining 15 points from losing positions and dropping 14 after going ahead

• Scott Parker has had more shots without scoring (26) than any other player

• Gianfranco Zola was sold to Chelsea from Parma by Carlo Ancelotti in November 1996

Premier LeagueChelseaWest Ham Unitedguardian.co.uk

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