Chelsea v West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Stamford Bridge
Saturday 13 March 2010
3pm
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
WHUTV AUDIO COMMENTARY I LIVE LEAGUE TABLE
Introduction
* West Ham United head to Chelsea keen to end a run of two consecutive Barclays Premier League defeats, having lost at Manchester United (0-3) and at home to Bolton Wanderers (1-2).
* The match will see Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola return to the club he served as a player between 1996 and 2003. The 43-year-old has guided West Ham to draws in each of their previous two matches with his former club.
* Midweek results saw West Ham slip from 14th to 16th in the Premier League table. However, Zola's men have a game in-hand on Bolton and Burnley.
* Chelsea come into Saturday's game on the back of a 2-0 FA Cup sixth-round win over Stoke City, but with one eye on Tuesday's UEFA Champions League first knockout stage, second-leg tie with Jose Mourinho's Internazionale.
* In the Premier League, Chelsea sit second in the standings going into the weekend, two points behind leaders Manchester United and ahead of Arsenal on goal difference. However, the Blues have a game in-hand on both of their title rivals.
* West Ham secured a 1-1 draw on their last visit to Stamford Bridge on 14 December 2008. Craig Bellamy had put the visitors ahead before Nicolas Anelka levelled matters in the second half.
* In a Premier League first, a (NIKE)RED ball will be used in all top-flight games over this weekend in England, Spain and Italy. The Nike and (RED) partnership invites people to 'Lace Up. Save Lives' by purchasing a pair of (NIKE)RED laces.
* One hundred per cent of the profits from (NIKE)RED laces is split equally between The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which funds AIDS programmes that provide medicine, treatment and services for those living with HIV, and football-based community initiatives that deliver education and understanding around HIV/AIDS prevention.
Travelling fans
* West Ham United are keen to ensure that the match passes off trouble-free with no problems. Anti-social behaviour such as missile throwing and foul or abusive language is strictly forbidden and could result in arrest and/or ejection from the stadium. The club has the power to impose life bans on anyone found responsible and will not hesitate to do so.
Last time out
Saturday 6 March
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
West Ham United: Green, Faubert (Dyer 47), Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Behrami, Kovac (Stanislas 75), Parker, Diamanti, Franco (Mido 67), Cole
Subs not used: Stech, Daprela, Da Costa, Ilan
Booked: Kovac, Diamanti
Goal: Diamanti 88
Sunday 7 March
FA Cup sixth round
Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City
Chelsea: Hilario, Ivanovic, Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Lampard, Mikel, Malouda, Drogba, Kalou, Anelka
Subs not used: Turnbull, Van Aanholt, J.Cole, Deco, Matic, Sturridge, Kakuta
Booked: Terry
Goals: Lampard 35, Terry 67
Last meeting
The most recent meeting between West Ham and Chelsea took place on 20 December 2009, when Frank Lampard's thrice-taken penalty cancelled out Alessandro Diamanti's own spot-kick.
The teams that day were:
West Ham United: Green, Gabbidon (Tomkins 19), Upson, Ilunga, Parker, Kovac, Noble, Faubert, Collison, Franco, Diamanti
Subs: Stech, Spector, Da Costa, Jimenez, Stanislas, Nouble
Goal: Diamanti 45 (pen)
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho ,Terry, A.Cole, Malouda (Mikel 45), Lampard, J.Cole (Zhirkov 75), Ballack, Drogba, Kalou (Sturridge 45)
Subs: Hilario, Ferreira, Alex, Belletti
Goal: Lampard 61 (pen)
Head to head
Last six meetings: (Premier League unless stated)
20 December 2009 - West Ham United 1-1 Chelsea
25 April 2009 - West Ham United 0-1 Chelsea
14 December 2008 - Chelsea 1-1 West Ham United
1 March 2008 - West Ham United 0-4 Chelsea
1 December 2007 - Chelsea 1-0 West Ham United
18 April 2007 - West Ham United 1-4 Chelsea
Overall record v Chelsea (all competitions) W 36 D 18 L 38
Next up
West Ham face a Premier League trip to Arsenal on Saturday 20 March, with the live ESPN-televised game kicking off at 5.30pm. Chelsea host Internazionale at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round, second leg, seeking to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit.
Referee
* Saturday's referee will be Mark Clattenburg, who will be officiating on his 35th birthday.
* Clattenburg was the man in the middle for the Championship play-off semi-final first leg in May 2004 when Ipswich Town won 1-0 against the visiting West Ham United. He has been on the Premier League list since 2004.
* Clattenburg was in charge when Tottenham Hotspur visited the Boleyn Ground and won 2-1 on Sunday 23 August. He was also referee when the Hammers drew 3-3 with Hull City at the KC Stadium on 21 November and the 2-1 home FA Cup third-round defeat by Arsenal on 3 January.
West Ham United
• The Hammers have scored all seven of the penalties they have been awarded this season, a Barclays Premier League high.
• West Ham have scored 36 goals this season in the league with 14 different players on target. Carlton Cole leads the way (nine), with Alessandro Diamanti (seven) and Guille Franco and Matthew Upson (three) next in line. Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Junior Stanislas (two each), Ilan, Manuel da Costa, the departed Luis Jimenez, Zavon Hines, Radoslav Kovac, Valon Behrami and Julien Faubert have also registered. An own-goal from Everton's Tony Hibbert completes the tally.
• Scott Parker has been cautioned nine times this season and Faubert, Franco, Kovac and Noble five each. Cole and Collison are on four yellow cards, but will not be suspended if they receive a fifth as the FA disciplinary deadline has passed. Should any player reach ten cautions before the second Sunday in April, they will receive a two-mach suspension.
• Only Robert Green has played in every league game for the club this season. He is on a run of 115 successive league starts.
* West Ham's biggest league win at Stamford Bridge came on 29 March 1986, when Tony Cottee scored twice and Alan Devonshire and Frank McAvennie once each in a 4-0 victory.
* The Hammers scored a 10-3 win at Chelsea on 30 March 1940 in the War League South C Division. Sam Small scored four times, Ted Fenton netted a hat-trick, Alec George Foreman scored twice and Joseph Stanley Foxall was also on target.
Chelsea
• Chelsea have won 12 of their 14 home Premier League matches this season, losing just once - a 4-2 defeat by Manchester City last time out, courtesy of two goals apiece from former Hammers Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy.
• Chelsea have scored 55 goals in the league this season - second only to Arsenal's 58. Didier Drogba leads the way with 19, while Frank Lampard has 12, Nicolas Anelka six and Florent Malouda four. Michael Essien, Ashley Cole (three), John Terry, Deco (two), Joe Cole and Branislav Ivanovic (one) have also found the net.
• Drogba is second only to Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, who has scored 23 times, in the Premier League goalscoring charts. Sunderland's Darren Bent closed the gap between himself and Drogba to one with a hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Bolton on Tuesday.
• Only Terry has started all 28 of Chelsea's league matches this season. Lampard and Cech have started 26 each.
* Chelsea's largest home league win over West Ham came in the shape of a 6-2 victory on 9 April 1966. The visitors' consolation strikes came from Peter Bennett and a Ron Harris own-goal.
Team news
* Benni McCarthy has returned to full training in the week and is pushing for a return to the first-team squad for the first time since injuring his knee on his West Ham debut at Burnley on 6 February.
* Kieron Dyer could make his first start since doing so at Bolton Wanderers on 15 December after playing for nearly a full half in last Saturday's 2-1 defeat by the Trotters and completing more than an hour in Monday's friendly with MLS side San Jose Earthquakes. Fellow midfielders Jack Collison and Junior Stanislas have also been training.
* Danny Gabbidon played for more than an hour against the Earthquakes and could return to the matchday squad for the first time since injuring his hamstring in the reverse fixture with Chelsea on 20 December. Manuel da Costa starts a three-match ban after a red card in the reserves last month - coincidentally a 2-1 win against Chelsea.
* Herita Ilunga is facing a race to be fit after being ruled out of the last three matches with a tendon problem. Julien Faubert is also a doubt with a muscle injury.
* Frank Nouble has returned from his loan spell at Coca-Cola Championship side West Bromwich Albion. The striker made three appearances during his stay at The Hawthorns.
* Mark Noble is definitely out of Saturday's game after suffering an arm injury at Manchester United on 27 February.
* Long-term absentees Zavon Hines and Luis Boa Morte (both knee) are both unavailable.
* Two players are out on loan - Freddie Sears at Championship Coventry City and Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson at Belgian side KSV Roeselare.
* For Chelsea, defender Ricardo Carvalho (thigh) and midfielders Deco and Michael Essien (both knee) are major doubts for Saturday's game.
* Goalkeeper Petr Cech (calf), left-back Ashley Cole (ankle) and full-backs Juliano Belletti and Jose Bosingwa (both knee) are all definitely ruled out.
Old boys
* West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola made 323 appearances for Chelsea between November 1996 and May 2003, scoring 80 goals.
* First-team coach Steve Clarke made 418 appearances for Chelsea between January 1987 and February 1998, scoring ten goals. The Scot went on to become the club's Academy coach, first-team coach and assistant manager under Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari.
* Scott Parker made 28 appearances for Chelsea between January 2004 and May 2005, scoring once.
* Carlton Cole began his career at Chelsea, making 31 appearances between August 2001 and May 2006, and scoring eight times.
* Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Joe Cole could both be facing the club where they began their professional careers. The former made 187 league and cup appearances, scoring 38 goals, before heading west in June 2001. Cole got 149 games under his belt in all competitions, scoring 13 goals, before his switch in August 2003. Blues captain John Terry also spent time at West Ham as a schoolboy.
General information
* All standard tickets for Saturday's game have SOLD OUT.
* Supporters travelling to Stamford Bridge should alight at Fulham Broadway on the London Underground District line.
* Extensive engineering work is being carried out on the London Underground this Saturday. The District line will be suspended between Earl's Court and Whitechapel. The Circle line and Jubilee line are both completely suspended, with buses replacing trains. The Metropolitan line will be closed between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate, with a replacement bus service in operation. The Waterloo and City line will be closed. For further information, click here.
* Overground services on both the c2c and National Express East Anglia networks will run to a normal Saturday timetable.
* Saturday's weather forecast is for sunny intervals with a maximum daytime temperature of 9C.