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
Final score - Chelsea 4-1 West Ham United
94 mins - After precisely three added minutes, Clattenburg blows for full-time.
91 mins - Kovac forces Turnbull into a save after running on to Diamanti's reverse pass. The goalkeeper can only claw the ball out for a corner, which Ballack heads clear.
90 mins - GOAL! Lampard shoots low and Green parries. Drogba latches on to the loose ball and drives it into the roof of the net.
87 mins - Malouda gets a standing ovation - deserved, I might add - as he is replaced by Salomon Kalou for the final few minutes.
86 mins - Chelsea come within a lick of paint of a fourth goal. Lampard hits the base of the post with a shot from Malouda's cross. Drogba tries to drive in the rebound, only to be denied a second goal by Daprela's sliding block.
84 mins - Diamanti is on for Ilan.
83 mins - Chelsea are just playing out time here. Diamanti is stripped for action, but I'm not sure even the Italian can turn this game around.
80 mins - Zhirkov replaces Ivanovic. Ferreira comes across to right-back and the Russian goes to left-back.
78 mins - The Hammers win a free-kick 30 yards from goal. Stanislas shoots but the ball hits the wall. Chelsea are going to bring on Yuri Zhirkov in a short while.
77 mins - GOAL! That's unfortunately that. Malouda picks up the ball and runs at the back four. Daprela has to peel wide to go with his runner, leaving the No15 one on one with Gabbidon. He turns on to his left foot and blasts the ball into the bottom corner past Green.
76 mins - A shooting chance for Carlton Cole. Upson found Stanislas wide on the left, whose low pass was controlled by Cole, who then hit his shot on the turn, but it dribbled wide of the near post.
74 mins - Drogba tries to beat Upson with a neat flick, but goes down. Nothing is given. Parker runs clear and also goes down. Again, nothing is given. The ball breaks to Mikel, who drives it wide of the target from 30 yards.
72 mins - Daprela brings down Cole 35 yards from goal. Alex shoots low and Kovac blocks on the edge of the box. West Ham launch a counter-attack, but Ilan loses out when it looked like he could have played in Stanislas. Unfortunate.
71 mins - Daprela and Upson combine to give the ball back to Chelsea. Parker soon rejoins the action.
70 mins - Parker goes down on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area and he appears to be in some pain. The physio goes on to treat him after Joe Cole had sportingly put the ball out of play.
68 mins - Mido is the first man to be replaced, with Cole on in his place. Dyer is the second man to go off, with Stanislas jogging on.
67 mins - Cole nearly makes a dream start, but Gabbidon blocks his shot. Zola is going to make a double change in a minute or so, with Carlton Cole and Stanislas stripped and ready for action.
66 mins - Anelka is the man to make way for Cole. No sign of a West Ham change as yet...
65 mins - Academy graduate Joe Cole is going to be on for Chelsea soon.
64 mins - Dyer is brought down by a combination of Ballack and Mikel. Parker floats the ball into the penalty area and Turnbull catches.
60 mins - Dyer spreads play wide to Spector. His low cross rebounds to Ilan, who lays the ball off to Kovac, but the Czech's shot is blocked.
57 mins - Lampard finds Drogba inside the box, but the ball won't sit for him and Gabbidon knocks it out for a corner. The flag-kick clears everyone and Ivanovic retrieves possession. His cross is headed goalwards by Alex, forcing Green into a fingertip save diving to his right. That was top-class from the England goalkeeper in front of the watching Fabio Capello.
56 mins - GOAL! Drogba won't have many easier chances than that. Mido loses the ball in midfield and Lampard romps forward 40 yards before feeding it to Malouda. The Frenchman crosses and the Ivorian heads into the net from about a yard.
53 mins - West Ham have Cole, Diamanti and Stanislas warming up on the touchline. Joe Cole, Sturridge and Kalou are there too. They all just watched Daprela do superbly to turn the ball out for a corner under severe pressure. The ball is worked out to Mikel and Green rises high to claim the ball confidently.
51 mins - Mido challenges Ivanovic and the ball falls to Dyer. He runs at the full-back before shooting, but he slices the ball high and wide. Shame.
49 mins - The Hammers work hard to pin Chelsea back in their own corner. Ivanovic brings the ball away from Dyer before Mido slides in on Ballack. The Egyptian is booked. That was a trifle harsh, I'd venture.
48 mins - Malouda crosses and Mido heads clear at the near post. The floodlights have been turned on for the second half.
47 mins - Cole is out for an early jog along the touchline. Ivanovic wins the ball from Daprela before the youngster fouls the Serb as he runs towards the West Ham box.
46 mins - And we're off and running again... Chelsea go back on the offensive straight away and twice Upson has to head clear from inside his own six-yard box before Anelka is penalised for a foul on Dyer.
Chelsea are the first to emerge from the tunnel, closely followed by the visitors. It doesn't look like any changes have been made by either manager at the break. The Blues will kick-off the second 45 minutes...
Half-time score - Chelsea 1-1 West Ham United
48 mins - A few seconds after the two minutes are up, Gabbidon hacks the ball clear and Clattenburg blows for half-time. What a breathless 45 minutes that was!
46 mins - We are going to have at least two added minutes... Malouda crosses again and Drogba is caught offside. Respite for the Hammers.
44 mins - Another block, this time from Kovac, denies Mikel's volley after Lampard's cross had bounced into his path 20 yards from goal.
43 mins - Malouda AGAIN. Another cross is blocked by Gabbidon and flies behind for corner. Malouda crosses and Mido clears.
42 mins - Zola has switched Ilan and Behrami over so that the Swiss can work to nullify the twin threat of Ferreira and Malouda down the Chelsea left.
41 mins - Anelka holds the ball up before finding Malouda, who bursts into the box before smashing his shot well wide of the near post.
40 mins - Parker is felled by Terry wide on the right. The England defender gets a talking to from Clattenburg, but no booking.
39 mins - Chelsea are moving up through the gears again. Malouda has space again and crosses towards Drogba at the near post, but his header lands in Green's arms.
37 mins - Ilan loses out to Ballack inside the West Ham half. Anelka picks up possession but slips as he shoots and the ball rolls through to Green.
35 mins - Superb one-touch football from Chelsea, with Lampard to the fore. The England man swapped passes with Ballack before working Green with a powerful low shot, The ball rolls out for a corner. Malouda crosses and the ball falls to Lampard again. He tries to check on to his left foot before being challenged by Parker. The tackle is inch-perfect and West Ham clear to Ilan, only for his pass to find Dyer offside.
34 mins - Mido, who has put in a shift up front on his own so far, has the physio on for what looks like a facial injury. While Mido gets some running repairs, Drogba came to the touchline to have his boots cleaned...
33 mins - Alex rises high again, but he can only direct his header wide of the far post.
32 mins - Drogba wins a corner off Gabbidon. Malouda to take...
31 mins - I don't think Parker could quite believe that. He ran back towards the away fans with a bemused look on his face! In the technical area, manager Zola celebrated the goal by applauding his players and urging them to concentrate. He is right.
30 mins - GOAL! I have never ever seen Scott Parker do that before. Mido wins a throw down the left. Dyer throws it in to Parker, who lets the ball bounce before sending an unstoppable half-volley past Turnbull from 25 yards. That was an absolute peach.
27 mins - Chelsea work well down the left again. Malouda floats a cross over, Drogba heads down and Upson gets in just in time to deny Lampard a shooting chance from close-range. Seconds later, the Hammers give the ball away, Malouda flicks it to Lampard and Drogba heads his cross wide at the far post. The efforts on goal are totting up for the Blues, here.
24 mins - A chance for Chelsea to put another ball into the box as Kovac brings down Malouda just outside the penalty area. Drogba fancies a shot, but only succeeds in toe-punting his shot a mile wide of the target. Ironic cheers from the away fans behind the Shed End goal...
22 mins - Terry launches a long ball forward for Drogba, but the Ivorian is flagged offside.
18 mins - In fairness to Spector, there was a handball in the build-up to Chelsea's corner that was not given by referee Mark Clattenburg.
17 mins - So close to 2-0. Malouda again causes havoc down the left and floats a cross to the back post, where Anelka and Daprela challenge for the ball. It loops up and Green produces a fine save to tip the ball clear before Upson heads it away.
16 mins - GOAL! The mistake has cost West Ham. The original corner was only half-cleared to Malouda, who lofted a cross in the unmarked Alex, who headed past Green from ten yards.
15 mins - Mido makes a superb sliding challenge to win the ball from Malouda. Spector then gifts possession back to the Frenchman, before making 20 yards back to concede a corner.
13 mins - My goodness me. A great, great chance for Ilan. Kovac beats three defenders with a fine lofted pass to the right-back. Spector and Mido then bundle down the byline before the latter cuts the ball back to the Brazilian, but his shot from 12 yards clears the bar.
12 mins - Daprela gets forward well again down the left flank and finds Behrami, who tries to find Mido, but the African has strayed offside again.
11 mins - Drogba gets free of Gabbidon and latches on to Mikel's pass, but the bounce beats him and he can only shoot weakly into the side-netting.
9 mins - Another chance for Chelsea. Ballack cushions a header down and Drogba shoots first-time, but the ball hits Upson and flies out for a corner. The flag-kick falls to Malouda, whose shot is blocked by Mido before West Ham clear through Kovac.
8 mins - Malouda runs down the left and tries to knock the ball past Spector, but he pushes it too far and is penalised for pulling back the American.
6 mins - Chelsea are upping the pressure here as Gabbidon is forced to concede a corner down the left. Malouda crosses, Ballack wins the header and Parker hacks the ball clear of danger for a throw-in.
5 mins - Ferreira and Lampard work well and the latter shoots, but his effort is blocked by Gabbidon.
3 mins - To clarify, Ilan is playing wide on the right of a five-man midfield, with Dyer on the left and Mido up front on his own. Daprela has started well, and he nips past two Chelsea players before finding Mido, who is offside.
2 mins - Chelsea have the first chance. The ball skips off Drogba into the path of Malouda, who screws his shot miles wide from the corner of the penalty area.
1 min - A couple of early touches for Daprela on his debut and West Ham have started well, keeping the ball for the whole first minute of the game and carrying the game to their hosts.
3pm - And off we go...
2.59pm - It is a big afternoon for Ross Turnbull in the Chelsea goal. This is his first start for the club since moving from Middlesbrough last summer. He actually lined up for Boro against the Hammers last season in a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium. A repeat of that result this afternoon would be most welcome. The two captains, John Terry and Matthew Upson, meet in the centre circle for the pleasantries, and it's West Ham who are going to kick-off...
2.57pm - Here come the two teams... Mido gives the away end a clap as he emerges from the tunnel. If the Egyptian can net his first goal for the club today, it could be a properly memorable afternoon for everyone in claret and blue.
2.55pm - The two teams are - silently - being announced on the big screen. It is all a bit surreal, to be honest. As I said, though, it is quite nice to just hear the sound of the fans, rather than music and announcements. It's all a bit old-fashioned, if you like.
2.52pm - The PA system here at Stamford Bridge is not working, so instead all we can hear is the sound of the West Ham fans giving it their all to my left.
2.50pm - The sprinklers are on, adding an extra bit of zip to the surface ahead of the kick-off. The stands are filling up nicely. Co-chairman David Gold has just visited the away dressing room and is heading back around the side of the pitch. He receives a loud reception from the away fans, shaking hands with them and giving them a round of applause in reply.
2.47pm - Chelsea's players head for the home dressing room, receiving a 'warm welcome from the visiting fans as they approach the tunnel. They are closely followed by the West Ham squad, who are greeted with a chorus of 'East, East, East London' from the travelling faithful.
2.45pm - The starting XI have just completed a game of keep-ball and are now doing a few sprints to get their muscles warmed up ahead of the kick-off. We are going to use a special Nike (RED) football this afternoon as part of the 'Lace Up. Save Lives' anti-AIDS campaign. Some of the players will be wearing red laces in their boots, too.
2.30pm - Hello and welcome to Stamford Bridge for this afternoon's important Barclays Premier League clash with Chelsea. The Blues lost their last home league match against Manchester City, conceding four goals in the process. West Ham, meanwhile, will be seeking to replicate the strong performance that gained them a point on their last visit to this part of west London in December 2008.
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has made four changes to his team on his return to former club Chelsea this afternoon - handing full Barclays Premier League debuts to Fabio Daprela and Ilan.
Mido and Ilan - who is handed his full debut for the club - are drafted in to replace Carlton Cole and Alessandro Diamanti, who both drop to the bench. Julien Faubert is missing with a hamstring injury, with Jonathan Spector moving to right-back and Switzerland Under-19 international Daprela coming in for his Premier League bow at left-back.
At centre-back, Danny Gabbidon replaces James Tomkins to make his first start since the 1-1 home draw with the Blues on 20 December as Zola switches to a more defensive 4-5-1 formation at Stamford Bridge.
Tomkins is named among the substitutes alongside the fit-again Benni McCarthy, who is back in Zola's matchday squad for the first time since being injured on his debut at Burnley on 6 February.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has a minor goalkeeping crisis on his hands, with former Middlesbrough stopper Ross Turnbull making his league debut in the absence of the injured Petr Cech and Hilario. Nineteen-year-old Rhys Taylor, who has never appeared in senior football, is named as substitute goalkeeper.
Ancelotti welcomes back Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti to his matchday squad after both completed one-match bans, while former Hammer Frank Lampard lines up against his former club.
Chelsea: Turnbull, Ivanovic (Zhirkov 80), Alex, Terry, Ferreira, Mikel, Lampard, Ballack, Malouda (Kalou 87), Anelka (J.Cole 66), Drogba
Subs: Taylor, Bruma, Deco, Sturridge
West Ham United: Green, Spector, Gabbidon, Upson, Daprela, Ilan (Diamanti 84), Behrami, Kovac, Parker, Dyer (Stanislas 68), Mido (Cole 68)
Subs: Stech, Tomkins, Collison, McCarthy