Reaction from the London Stadium
Nick Ames's match report
Full time: West Ham 1-0 Chelsea
West Ham win their first Premier League game under David Moyes! They deserve it for an admirable, some might say obscene, level of effort, and a beautiful early goal from Marko Arnautovic. Chelsea had so much of the ball but created hardly anything. West Ham are still in the bottom three but this win should give them so much impetus in their relegation battle. It might also be the day David Moyes’ managerial career got going again. Thanks for your company. You can follow the 3pm games with Simon Burnton, and a freshly baked match report will appear here shortly. Bye!
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90+3 min Fabregas swishes a half-volley high over the bar from long range. i think this is over.
90+2 min West Ham have taken the wheels off the bus, which is parked right on the edge of their own area.
90 min There will be five minutes of added time.
89 min This, as Tom Jordan points out, is the kind of dirty, tough game Diego Costa would have loved. Chelsea have lacked a bit of mongrel.
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87 min Obiang, on a yellow card, fouls Moses. The referee plays to advantage and doesn’t go back to book Obiang. That could have been a second yellow. Stuart Pearce, part of the West Ham support staff, hoofs the ball away to waste time and is sent to the dugout; then Masuaku is booked for timewasting.
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86 min “Hi Rob,” says Ross Jennings. “I seem to remember Chelsea time-wasting from a throw-in against Liverpool less than 1 minute in to the worst game of my footballing life (better remembered by Steven Gerrard’s trip) in 2014. Was a masterclass in winding up from José, and ultimately led to the tactical blindness that was having Gerrard as our last man at the back in the last minute of the first half. Bad times.”
The twisted thing about that game was that both Chelsea’s goals came in time that was added on because of their timewasting.
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84 min Another Chelsea chance, this time for Hazard. He took Morata’s touch in his stride, moved into the D and blazed a left-footed shot high over the bar. It wasn’t as good a chance as Morata’s, though he should probably have worked Adrian.
83 min Morata misses a great chance! Kante, surrounded on the edge of the area, managed to force a through ball into Morata, who was played onside by Masuaku on the other side of the area. He turned smoothly but lashed a first-time shot wide of the near post.
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82 min The West Ham fans are cheering every clearance now. Quite right too: this would be an immense victory, and probably a season-changing one.
80 min Antonio Conte looks resigned to defeat. It just hasn’t happened for Chelsea today.
78 min Antonio, who has put in a monstrous shift, is so shattered that when the ball goes out of play he takes the opportunity for a lie-down. Andre Ayew replaces him.
76 min “Hi Rob,” says Steven Hughes. “I’ve seen plenty of first half time-wasting at Ashton Gate this season. It’s the groovy new thing. Teams realise that that’s the half in which to add on time is deemed churlish when there’s a whole 45+ minutes to go: it tends to be two minutes at the very most so there’s free rein to time waste and break up play. Want a law change? Make all first halves end on exactly 45.00 and add everything on at the end. Not only would it be fair but it would inject most games with a new lease of life if there was the thick end of 10 minutes added on with 90 minutes on the clock.”
What about Robbie Savage’s blood-pressure levels though?
75 min Chelsea don’t look like scoring at the moment, although fatigue is likely to be an issue for West Ham because they have worked so hard. Hazard teases his way past Obiang and whacks a cross-shot that goes behind for a corner.
72 min West Ham are emplying a variation on Two Banks of Four. They have a Bank of Five and then a Bank of Three in front, and Chelsea can’t find an eye in the needle. Neither side has had a shot on target in the second half.
71 min “West Bromwich started to time waste in their match against Spurs at Wembley in the 15th minute,” says John Tumbridge. “That’s the fifteenth minute of the first half.”
70 min Obiang clatters Kante and is booked. Meanwhile, my colleague James Dart has pointed out this sensational display of early timewasting.
69 min West Ham make their first change, with Diafra Sakho replacing the goalscorer Arnautovic. He’s had a terrific game.
68 min Fabregas’s free-kick from the right falls to Christensen, whose volley is brilliantly blocked by Reid.
68 min And now Cresswell is booked for a deliberate foul on Willian, just outside the area on the Chelsea right.
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67 min Reid is booked for a cynical foul on Morata.
64 min Chelsea make their final change: Willian replaces Davide Zappacosta.
63 min The impressive Masuaku charges forward to win a corner. West Ham’s attitude and controlled aggression have been outstanding in this game.
62 min Azpilicueta’s long-range shot deflects dangerously in the area, and Adrian reacts smartly to get there before Morata. For all Chelsea’s possession, they haven’t created much at all. West Ham’s narrow defence have given them very little space to work with.
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60 min “Hello Rob,” says Andrew Benton. “What do you think about sponsorship by betting companies - I see one sponsors West Ham. Clearly bad for your health if it gets out of hand, and not much good even if it doesn’t, is it likely to go the same way as cigarette sponsorship? Seems inappropriate to me, however much the companies promote responsible betting.”
Yes, I know what you mean. It doesn’t really bother me but I’m surprised, in the current climate, that more questions haven’t been asked about it.
59 min I wonder what’s the earliest bit of timewasting in a football match. Has anybody ever had a jaunty saunter to the corner flag in the first half?
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58 min Adrian is booked for timewasting. In the 58th minute.
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58 min Zappacosta cuts in from the left and whips a curling cross-shot that bounces just wide of the far post. I think Adrian had it covered.
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57 min Chelsea try a training-ground free kick: Fabregas slides it into the area for Moses, whose attempted cross is blocked. That was a bit of a waste.
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56 min Obiang fouls Morata 30 yards from goal, and then Cresswell boots the ball against Morata as he rolls over. Chelsea are getting more and more frustrated.
55 min Another Chelsea change: Victor Moses replaces Marcos Alonso. Zappacosta moves to left wing-back.
54 min Arnatutovic’s touch hits the outstretched hand of Christensen just inside the box, prompting huge appeals for a penalty that are turned down by Anthony Taylor. I’m not sure Christensen knew much about that, though they have been given in the past. His arm was away from his body.
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52 min Fabregas stoops to head Zappacosta’s cross towards goal, and Ogbonna makes another vital block. Chelsea are all over West Ham like a cheap cliche.
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51 min West Ham break through Arnautovic and Antonio, who delays his through pass a fraction too long. Arnautovic is flagged offside, and Courtois saves his shot anyway.
50 min Fabregas manufactures a clever cutback on the turn that is crucially cleared by Cresswell.
49 min After a long spell of Chelsea possession, Pedro volleys a dropping ball well wide from long range. This is going to be a never-ending second half for West Ham.
48 min “Hi Rob,” says Kevin Ryan. “Hope all good with you. Why on earth are Chelsea wearing that kit? Is it because the light blue sleeves of the Hammers are deemed to clash with Chelsea’s normal Royal blue? In which case don’t their white shorts clash with West Ham’s. Or is it just down to having to wear the second/third choice strips for the kit manufacturer’s filthy lucre? Strange.. However it does at least give me the chance to cackle and say ‘The whites, Dude.’”
46 min Peep peep! West Ham begin the second half.
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Chelsea have made a half-time substitution: Pedro is replacing the subdued Tiemoue Bakayoko.
A bit of half-time reading
Half time: West Ham 1-0 Chelsea
Peep peep! West Ham end a stirring half with a passing move that is accompanied by olés from the home crowd. They lead through Marko Arnautovic’s high-class early goal - and though Chelsea have had an intimidating amount of possession, Adrian has had only one really difficult save to make. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
45 min Masuaku, who has put a serious shift in at left wing-back, wins another corner for West Ham. Morata clears at the near post.
43 min West Ham have restored a bit of calm after a torrid 20-minute spell. They still won’t say no to half time, though.
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40 min The tireless Antonio harasses Courtois into a panicked clearance that goes behind for a West Ham corner. Nothing comes of it, but Masuaku wins a second corner moments later.
39 min Look, West Ham, you can’t go on like this. They are under constant pressure from Chelsea.
37 min Masuaku does well to nick a square pass towards Zappacosta. And then he goes and spoils it all by doing something stupid like dragging a low shot well wide from 20 yards.
37 min Chelsea have parked West Ham’s bus for them, pinning them back with some probing football. I don’t think West Ham planned to be quite this defensive.
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36 min Fabregas lofts a pass into the area towards Hazard, with the covering Masuaku denying him a shooting chance. Eventually Morata, on the stretch, pokes the bouncing ball over the bar. It wasn’t much of a chance.
34 min “It’s clear now this Chelsea set up struggle against the high press,” says Nate Elliott. “You’d think a simple ball over the top to Hazard or Morata would defeat this tactic. But what odds Antonio Conte endorses some punt-and-chase football? Also, you’re being generous to Winston Reid. He’s a lucky boy to get away with that fairly meaty shirt tug.”
Not for me Clive. We need a shirttugometer for these penalty appeals, like the light meter in cricket.
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33 min Morata plays the ball wide to Zappacosta and moves into the area. Zappacosta dumps a cross back towards the six-yard line, and Morata, under a lot of pressure from Ogbonna and Reid, heads wide. He couldn’t get a clear jump at the ball.
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32 min “There’s something I find stubbornly likeable about Arnautovic,” says Matt Dony. “I have zero reason to have any emotional investment in him, but there’s something about his combination of bullishness and occasionally surprising deftness of touch that cheers me, and I like seeing him do well. I always get the feeling he’s a very, very good footballer who (for a great number of reasons) often doesn’t play very, very well. I’m glad to see him get a goal. He’ll never win too many individual awards, he’ll never play for a top, top team (more cliches!) and he probably won’t be featured in too many ‘I Remember 2016’ talking head nonsense compilations. But I like him. Go on, son.”
30 min It’s all Chelsea now. The good news for West Ham is that Hazard and Morata have been very quiet. The bad news for West Ham is that Hazard and Morata have been very quiet.
29 min Chelsea take a short corner and work the ball to Zappacosta, who hits a fierce low shot from 17 yards with his left foot. Adrian gets down smartly to his left to make an excellent save.
28 min Alonso dummies Zabaleta and plays the ball back infield to Kante, who shapes a nice long-range curler towards the bottom corner that is palmed round by Adrian, diving to his left.
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27 min Arnautovic makes something out of a nothing ball forward from Cresswell, muscling Christensen aside on the right corner of the box before hitting a speculative left-footed shot that is blocked.
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25 min This is Chelsea’s best spell of the match, with West Ham having to work increasingly hard defensively.
23 min Fabregas slides a really cute pass into the area for Bakayoko, whose left-footed shot is blocked by a combination of Cresswell and Ogbonna.
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22 min “Did Morata get a card for his attempt at acting on 14 mins?” says Bruce Jackson. “The ref seems fairly keen on handing them out.”
Nope.
20 min Azpilicueta’s right-wing cross is headed up in the air by Ogbonna, and Hazard hits a left-footed volley that bobbles a few yards wide of the far post. It was a very difficult ball to hit as it dropped out of the sky. Chelsea are starting to look a bit more dangerous.
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18 min Alonso is booked for fouling the keeper Adrian. That’s a bit harsh I think.
17 min West Ham have been much the better team so far, though you can never really relax or take anything for granted against a team that includes Hazard, Morata and Fabregas.
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14 min Morata turns Reid superbly on the edge of the area, feels Reid’s hand on his shoulder and goes over. No penalty.
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11 min Chelsea have started sluggishly in quite a few games this season, and this is another. That said, I think it’s been more a case of West Ham excellence than Chelsea ennui.
9 min West Ham have started excellently, with confidence and vigour in attack. It was such a good goal - both the one-two in a really tight space, and the decisive, classy finish.
7 min Arnautovic was booked for demonstrating joy in the aftermath of scoring.
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GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Chelsea (Arnautovic 6)
West Ham take the lead with a fine goal! Arnautovic, surrounded by defenders just outside the box, plays a crisp one-two with Lanzini, shifts the ball away from Azpilicueta and places a fine left-footed shot into the far corner. That’s a brilliant goal.
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3 min It’s been a positive start from West Ham. Lanzini scoots excitingly down the left and is tripped by Zappacosta. The free-kick is headed away at the near post by Christensen.
2 min West Ham are indeed playing three at the back.
1 min Peep peep! Chelsea, in white, kick off. They are playing from right to left on the television screen, if you’re into the whole visualisation thing. West Ham are in claret and blue.
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Pre-match pluggery
1. This is thoroughly adorable: Owen Milbank, a young boy from Newmarket, is wearing shorts to school throughout the English winter to raise money for the Refugee Community Kitchen in Calais. If you want to make a donation or read more about the great work done by the RCK, you can click here.
2. Imaginary Opta studies show that 99 per cent of sports journalists would love to write fiction. But 99 per cent of us have neither the courage nor the skill. Our Manchester football correspondent Jamie Jackson is part of the remaining percentage (sports journos are crap at maths as well). Writing as Jamie Paradise, he has penned Night Time Cool, a novel that requires £4K of sales for it to be published with Unbound. He’s over 56 per cent of the way - I’ve pledged - so if you fancy a tale of pimps, porno kings , inverted wingers and bent coke deals, click this link here.
3. This week’s edition of Nessun Dorma, the 80s and 90s football podcast I sometimes appear on, includes a long chat about Everton’s 1984-85 Unstoppables, why Dennis Wise was grossly underrated and a tribute to the most deluxe journeyman ever. (Enough with the teasers already, he’s talking about Romario.) You can listen/download/subscribe/make an old man happy by clicking here.
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An email! “Rob!” says Benjamin Oates. “As I am currently working on a Saturday, hastily replying to customer complaints, your MBM coverage is currently my best, and quite honestly only (due to company website restrictions), option for all the latest on West Ham 1-3 Chelsea. Let’s hope for something similar to this. Cheers!”
There have been some cracking individual goals in this fixture: Stanic, Di Canio ... some others I can’t remember. Anyway, enough about that mate, where’s my effing whatever service your company provides?
Pre-match reading
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Team news
As expected, Joe Hart is omitted. In a World Cup year. There’s a suggestion that West Ham may match Chelsea by playing three at the back, though they could also play 4-2-3-1 with this XI.
West Ham (3-4-2-1) Adrian; Ogbonna, Reid, Cresswell; Zabaleta, Noble, Obiang; Masuaku; Lanzini, Arnautovic; Antonio.
Substitutes: Hart, Rice, Chicharito, Ayew, Sakho, Fernandes, Carroll.
Chelsea (3-5-1-1) Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Zappacosta, Fabregas, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Hazard; Morata.
Substitutes: Caballero, Rudiger, Ampadu, Willian, Moses, Batshuayi, Pedro.
Referee Anthony Taylor.
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Preamble
Hello. It’s pretty unusual for a football team to turn a corner by losing a match, but West Ham may have done so at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday. The ten-ton tome of football cliches tells me that, if they play all season as they did in losing 2-1 to Manchester City, there is precisely 0.00 per cent chance they will be relegated.
That said, the fixture list has not exactly done them a solid. It would have been nice to follow that City match with a gentle, winnable home game. Instead West Ham host the champions Chelsea, who have been in blistering form since the sporting bromance between Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata started to blossom. (That’s a bloody cliche as well, isn’t it? There’s no escape. We’re all doomed to be sick as parrots.)
Whether West Ham can turn their home ground into something resembling a fortress – a strength of West Hams past and also David Moyes’s Everton - will probably decide whether they stay up or not. That won’t be easy. But if they win today, even the biggest sceptics might think they’ve turned a corner.
Kick off is at 12.30pm.
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