Dec
26
The best of the action from the Boxing Day fixtures in the Premier League
Dec
20
West Ham, given their relegation fears, would normally have given thanks for a point against Chelsea, but they felt wronged here when Matthew Upson was deemed by the referee, Mike Dean, on the advice of his assistant, to have fouled the substitute Daniel Sturridge. Frank Lampard converted the penalty at the third attempt, after the official ruled out the first two kicks for encroachment.
Chelsea had met with stiff resistance from West Ham, who know they need to stop games from being quite so eventful if they are to survive in the Premier League. The side had been conceding at a rate of two goals to every match before this fixture. No one accused them of a reckless romanticism here and they threatened to hold on to the lead they had gained with a penalty of their own.
There were breaks on the flanks now and again, but for the most part Chelsea found 10 men barring their way. The visitors are accustomed to that sort of approach, but would not have anticipated the implacable manner in which West Ham applied themselves.
Any reputation for brittleness had receded. Not even the muscle injury that ended Danny Gabbidon’s involvement had immediate consequences as James Tomkins rejoined a line-up in which he had started the previous three games.
It had looked unlikely that West Ham would score, but a covering Ashley Cole fouled Jack Collison from behind as he collected a pass and Alessandro Diamanti sent Petr Cech the wrong way to convert the penalty in the 45th minute. Chelsea’s true difficulty, all the same, lay in a lack of invention.
They might well have had a penalty early in the game, when Gabbidon’s hand made contact with the ball, but it did look for a time as if they would be dependent on Didier Drogba for a goal, and at the start of the second half he nearly scored with an angled volley from Cech’s kick-out that flew narrowly wide. Nonetheless, West Ham took credit for thwarting Chelsea so often.
Premier LeagueWest Ham UnitedChelseaKevin McCarraguardian.co.uk
Dec
18
In theory West Ham ought to lose this match and conserve energy for fixtures to come. After all, the club have not beaten Chelsea since May 2003 and their hopes of getting out of the relegation zone should lie with other games. Nonetheless, Gianfranco Zolas’s team can still be dangerous and have been oustcored in the league only by Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City. If the visitors go on showing erratic form in defence this may well turn out to be an awkward day for them. Kevin McCarra
Venue Upton Park
Tickets £48-63 (0871 222 2700)
Last season West Ham 0 Chelsea 1
Referee M Dean
This season’s matches 12 Y55, R2, 4.75 cards per game
sportingbet odds West Ham 13-2 Chelsea 4-11 Draw 16-5
West Ham
Subs from Kurucz, Gabbidon, Daprela, Nouble, Dyer, Faubert, Da Costa, Noble, Payne, Jiménez, Ngala
Doubtful Dyer (hamstring), Jiménez (groin), Upson (hamstring)
Injured Behrami (knee, 28 Dec), Cole (knee, Jan), Hines (knee, Jan), Boa Morte (knee, Feb), Davenport (legs, unknown)
Suspended None
Form guide LLLWDL
Disciplinary record Y34 R3
Leading scorer Cole 7
Chelsea
Subs from Hilário, Turnbull, Alex, Mikel, Malouda, Zhirkov, Kalou, Kakuta, Borini, Bruma, Sturridge, Matic, Deco, Ferreira
Doubtful Alex (groin), Ballack (thigh), Drogba (back), Sturridge (hip/thigh)
Injured Essien (hamstring, Jan), Bosingwa (knee, Feb)
Suspended None
Form guide WDLWWW
Disciplinary record Y22 R1
Leading scorer Drogba 13
Match pointers
• Chelsea have failed to score only once in their last 17 meetings with West Ham in all competitions
• West Ham are on a run of 11 home league games without a clean sheet dating back to their 1-0 defeat by Chelsea in April
• 12 of the 14 goals Chelsea have conceded have come from set pieces, the highest proportion in the division
• West Ham have lost six of the seven league games in which they have been on level terms at the interval
• If selected, Ashley Cole will be making his 100th Premier League appearance for Chelsea on his 29th birthday
West Ham UnitedChelseaPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk
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