Jacob Steinberg was at the London Stadium to witness all that. His report has landed, so off you click. Thanks for reading this MBM!
BT talk to a much cheerier David Moyes. “Truthfully, we didn’t play that well today, but we got the goals. Against a team that doesn’t concede many, that’s a great credit to the lads. I just said to Arthur, it was a great cross! It was very fortunate, let’s not kid ourselves on, but you need a bit of fortune sometimes and we had some brilliant individual performances. But overall I want the team to play much better, and I think they can. To beat Chelsea and say we’re not playing well enough, hopefully that helps us. We want to compete with whoever is in the top four, and I think we’re giving them a game. We’ll hang in, and see what we can do.”
Thomas Tuchel talks to BT in a low, measured seethe that suggests his players will soon be told what’s what. “I don’t think we did a bad match. An OK match. But it’s tough to play here, and we did too many individual mistakes, and we got punished for it. We talked about it before, but it obviously did not help, and that’s the story. [Jorginho’s backpass that led to the penalty] is not the best decision to pass the ball back, the decision making from Edouard is not the best in that moment. We had a lot of touches in the box but sometimes you need a bit of luck, and this we did not have. The third goal is a strange one. We could not finish with clear chances and struggled to be ruthless. We made way too many mistakes, you cannot do it at this level. We need to play more accurately, more stable, and reduce big mistakes.”
Jarrod Bowen speaks to BT. “That’s what we’re about as a team. The belief. We never know when we’re beaten. We’re big on putting balls in the box and sometimes you get a bit of luck. I’m sure Arthur will tell you he shot! We spoke a lot about their set pieces, so Silva’s goal was disappointing. But our grit and determination got us the three points. We wanted to press them aggressively, they’re a top team, we tried to limit their game plan. We haven’t won in a few games and have been disappointed, so to come back and beat Chelsea: what a performance!”
That’s one hell of a performance by West Ham. Chelsea hadn’t lost from a winning position at half-time in their last 48 matches. Number 49 was a step too far in that sequence. Hats off to David Moyes for his half-time tactical tweak, which moved Jarrod Bowen closer to Michail Antonio, the pair going on to cause all manner of havoc. Spawny winner, mind, not that Arthur Masuaku or West Ham will care. A huge three points in their chase for a Champions League spot; a big blow to Chelsea in the title race, though they still lead the table ... for now.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 15 | 26 | 33 |
| 2 | Man City | 14 | 21 | 32 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 14 | 31 | 31 |
| 4 | West Ham | 15 | 9 | 27 |
| 5 | Arsenal | 14 | -3 | 23 |
FULL TIME: West Ham United 3-2 Chelsea
The leaders lose for only the second time this season. A sensational second-half performance by West Ham.
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90 min +4: Antonio breaks down the left, eating up plenty of turf, and plenty of time. He’s barged over by Christensen, who is booked. That’s almost it, surely. A cacophony of whistling.
90 min +3: Hudson-Odoi and Rudiger have half-chances to shoot, but can’t work enough space. Rice batters clear, to the delight of the denizens of the London Stadium.
90 min +2: James is booked for arguing the toss over the non-award of a corner.
90 min +1: Coufal is booked for getting over-eager in the challenge. The crowd are going ballistic. What an atmosphere!
90 min: There will be four added minutes.
89 min: Bowen should have wrapped it up for West Ham, as he’s sent into the Chelsea box down the right by Antonio. He opens his body and hoicks over the bar, with only Mendy to beat. Actually, he might have been flagged offside had that gone in, with VAR sticking its neb in.
GOAL! West Ham United 3-2 Chelsea (Masuaku 87)
A very odd goal may have just won this for West Ham! Masuaku throws in from the left. Antonio heads the ball back to the full back, tight on the touchline. He crosses. The ball should curl to the right, but somehow swerves left, a freakish inswinging arc sending it past the startled Mendy and into the top left! A massive slice.
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85 min: Benrahma comes on for Lanzini, with a piece of paper for Rice. Moyes can’t have great handwriting, because Rice is squinting at the tactical advice in confusion. He then receives some instruction in the time-honoured vocal style.
84 min: Bowen bustles down the left and looks to win a corner off Silva. The ball breaks back off his shin and it’s a goal kick. West Ham come again, Coufal twisting Hudson-Odoi down the right, but not quite getting a cross or shot away. The hosts fancy a winner, too.
82 min: Rudiger slides in on Bowen, winning the ball. Just as well, because he was off the ground, both sets of studs showing. Had he made any contact with the player, the referee would have had a big decision to make.
80 min: Lukaku meets a cross from the left, only to head over harmlessly from six yards. Chelsea have scored eight goals in the final 15 minutes of their games this season. How they could do with a ninth with the title race in mind.
78 min: There’s bedlam at the corner, the ball nearly dropping to Silva in the six-yard box. Soucek miscontrols before finally poking away from danger, just in time. Chelsea are probing hard for a winner.
77 min: Hudson-Odoi dribbles down the left and cuts back for Jorginho, who tries to sidefoot into the bottom right from the left-hand edge of the D. The ball’s deflected out for a corner, having looked for a second like dribbling into the net.
76 min: Bowen crosses from a deep position on the right. Mendy gets up well to claim under extreme pressure from Dawson, who had come up for an earlier free kick. West Ham are giving this a good go.
75 min: West Ham are so close to taking the lead! Antonio barges Hudson-Odoi out of the way and bursts down the inside-right channel. He whips a low cross through the six-yard box. Mendy is out of position, and the goal is gaping. Bowen stretches for the ball, which has been crossed at pace, but can’t quite get there. He connects, but can’t get his foot around it, the ball sailing inches wide left.
73 min: Pulisic comes on for Alonso.
72 min: Bowen slides into Hudson-Odoi near the left-hand corner flag. Free kick. West Ham clear it easily enough, and launch a counter. Lanzini barrels down the left and looks up for Antonio, but in doing so takes his eye off the ball, allowing Mount to whip it off his toe. Attack over.
71 min: Yep, he’s not going to be allowed back on, manager and doctor getting their way. Fornals comes on in his place.
70 min: Zouma limps around the perimeter as the game restarts. He wants to continue, despite limping severely. He’s surely done, though.
69 min: The trainer comes on to take a look. Zouma is surely kaput, though, having obviously pulled up before falling to the floor. “These West Ham players are giving everything for Moyes, unlike some he has managed,” writes Gary Naylor, who as an Evertonian will know a fair bit about the man. “Does that suggest that the blame for ‘losing the dressing room’ should be allocated as much to the players (specifically the senior pros) as it is to the manager? Though it’s always the manager who walks.”
68 min: Zouma ushers the ball out for a goal kick under pressure from Lukaku. He pulls up clutching his hamstring and goes down. Looks like his race is run today.
66 min: Hudson-Odoi busies himself down the left and slips in Mount, who strides down the channel and whistles a low shot straight at Fabianski. Chelsea are beginning to reassert themselves.
64 min: Ziyech is replaced by Hudson-Odoi.
63 min: A free kick out on the Chelsea right. James to take, with everyone lined up on the edge of the box. His delivery is awful, the ball sailing harmlessly out of play for a goal kick, miles from anyone in Chelsea yellow.
62 min: Mount forces a corner down the right, and takes it himself. The West Ham defence clears easily, and the ball’s soon back at the feet of Mendy, up the other end. The crowd, sensing his unease, raise the volume, but the keeper isn’t to be ruffled despite incoming pressure from Antonio.
60 min: Mendy makes a meal of a high ball he really should snaffle with ease, allowing it to bounce in the six-yard box. He eventually gathers, but that could have caused problems. The Chelsea keeper is looking uncharacteristically uneasy today.
59 min: Lukaku tries to power his way into space in the Chelsea box, but he can’t control and the ball squirts through to Fabianski. “Bowen earned the hell out of that goal,” opines Joseph Harvey. “Been their best player today.”
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58 min: Chelsea try to hit back immediately for the second time this afternoon, Mount worming his way down the right and firing a low ball across the face of goal. Coufal’s feathered touch ensures the ball evades Ziyech at the far post.
57 min: That was a hell of a strike, and this is the first time Chelsea have conceded two goals in the Premier League this season.
GOAL! West Ham United 2-2 Chelsea (Bowen 56)
What a belter this is! Antonio wins a long ball down the inside-right channel. He cushions to Lanzini, who shuttles infield for Bowen. He takes a touch inside, and from the edge of the box, curls a low shot around Mendy and into the bottom left!
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55 min: Rudiger beckenbauers his way down the middle, all the way to the edge of the box, then slips the ball wide left to Ziyech. The pass is poor, and Ziyech is forced to stretch and hoick over the bar.
54 min: Loftus-Cheek threatens to break through. He’s blocked, and West Ham counter, Antonio nearly closing down Mendy, who leaves his box and blooters clear.
52 min: West Ham have been pinging it around with a little more urgency since the restart. To little overall effect so far, but they have been doing that nonetheless.
50 min: One corner leads to another, despite the ball having come off the head of Jorginho. Fans of manufactured controversy will be disappointed that nothing comes of the second one.
49 min: Alonso makes his presence felt down the left and wins the first corner of the second half.
47 min: A fairly quiet start to the half as both teams scope each other out.
West Ham get the second half underway. The injured Havertz has been replaced by Lukaku.
Half-time entertainment.
HALF TIME: West Ham United 1-2 Chelsea
Havertz is helped up, and walks off gingerly as the whistle goes. Neither keeper has covered himself in glory here. But the leaders lead, and David Moyes has a little thinking to do.
45 min +2: Johnson has limped off, incidentally, to be replaced by Masuaku. And now Havertz is down, having taken an accidental whack while stretching to poke a shot goalwards from a tight spot on the right.
45 min +1: The restart, and Antonio tries to beat Mendy, strolling around on the edge of his box, direct from the kick-off! He pulls it wide left. Had that been on target, it would have been the most sensational of equalisers.
45 min: There will be two added minutes.
GOAL! West Ham United 1-2 Chelsea (Mount 44)
They don’t enjoy this, though, and wow, this is some response. Ziyech crosses from a deep position on the left. Mount, coming in from the right, meets the dropping ball and sends a peach of a sidefoot volley into the bottom right! What a sensational shot ... though Fabianski won’t be happy with that, either, having been beaten at his near post.
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43 min: Mendy, a little shaken by events, shanks a simple pass to James straight out for a throw. The crowd enjoyed that as well.
42 min: Havertz tries to regain the lead for Chelsea in short order, but his low shot is blocked easily enough. The home fans are right up for this now, having fallen a little quiet before the equaliser, as Chelsea threatened to take a two-goal lead. But now look.
41 min: Lanzini gave James a wee barge in the back there. A suggestion James might have been playing a few mind games before the penalty was taken, and that was the inevitable payback.
GOAL! West Ham United 1-1 Chelsea (Lanzini 40 pen)
Lanzini thrashes the spot kick into the top left. Unsaveable! Mendy went the wrong way, in any case. He then has a brief exchange of views with James before celebrating.
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Penalty for West Ham
38 min: Mendy takes too much time over a poor Jorginho backpass. Bowen buzzes around him. Mendy tries to hold him off, but Bowen fights his way onto the ball. Mendy barges him from behind, and that’s a no-brainer of a decision for the referee.
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36 min: Rudiger opens his body and tries a curler towards the top right. It’s blocked and cleared. Chelsea come again through Mount, whose daisycutter is met by Fabianski. The league leaders are in the mood for more.
34 min: The corner’s half cleared, then Christensen sends an overly ambitious effort miles over the bar.
33 min: Alonso bursts down the left and crosses low for Havertz at the near post. Diop slides in to toe out for a corner.
32 min: Loftus-Cheek has a dig from 20 yards. Straight down the throat of Fabianski.
30 min: ... and now Silva earns his corn up the other end! Coufal creams a shot towards the bottom left. It’s beaten Mendy, and heading in. But Silva reads the danger and clears off the line! What a signing Thiago Silva has proved to be. A proper Indian summer.
GOAL! West Ham United 0-1 Chelsea (Silva 28)
This is too easy. Silva rises, ten yards out in a central position. He heads down, towards the bottom right but not tight in the corner. Fabianski, reacting late, can only tip onto the post and in. Antonio lost his man, too. Poor from West Ham’s point of view.
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28 min: The presence of Havertz wins a corner for Chelsea down the right. A brief game of head tennis leads to a second corner. From which ...
27 min: Coufal and Bowen combine crisply down the right but can’t quite open Chelsea up. The league leaders giving very little away.
25 min: Alonso crosses from the left but Diop clears easily. Then James flings one in from the right. Havertz wins the header and looks for the bottom right, but it’s a soft one and easy for Fabianski.
23 min: Jorginho is challenged by Rice and flops on the ball, hoping for a free kick. It goes the other way, and he’s booked for arguing the toss. The home fans say their piece.
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22 min: Alonso probes down the left and wins a corner off Coufal. Ziyech takes it. He fails to beat the first man. West Ham clear.
20 min: The corner’s flung into the mixer and the ball pinballs around the six-yard area. Dawson sends a weak shot straight at Mendy, though the box was so crowded, that could have ended up anywhere. West Ham must wait for their seventh goal of the season from a corner kick.
19 min: Rice curls it in deep, and Loftus-Cheek is forced to head clear at the far post. Corner coming up.
18 min: Rudiger tugs Lanzini as he dribbles down the right. Free kick, and a chance to fling one into the Chelsea box. Everyone lines up on the edge of the area.
17 min: West Ham seem happy enough to sit deep and ask Chelsea what they’re going to do about it. There’s no way through at the moment.
15 min: Mount drops a shoulder and works his way down the left, but just as things look like opening up for him, Coufal closes him down.
13 min: Chelsea pass it around in the dominant style, but can’t find any way into West Ham’s final third.
11 min: Chelsea should be leading. Mount is found down the inside-right channel and cuts back for Havertz, who slams into the side netting from six yards. Ah, Mount would have been flagged offside for certain, but that’s a poor miss nonetheless.
10 min: Up the other end, James has a go from 20 yards. It’s heading into the bottom left, but Fabianski smothers the ball.
9 min: ... and now Antonio sails down the left and curls infield for Soucek, who heads harmlessly wide right from 12 yards. A decent chance, that, and he should have done better.
8 min: Bowen has a shot from distance. It’s high and wide, but that’ll give West Ham, who have started slowly, succour.
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6 min: Warm and heartfelt applause rings out in memory of the tragic Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. Rest in peace, little man.
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6 min: A bit of space for James out on the right. His low cross finds Ziyech, who from six yards can only toe-poke lamely towards Fabianski.
5 min: Rice wins a couple of big challenges, first against Mount, then Ziyech. The crowd very much enjoyed those.
3 min: Rice, released by Chelsea as a youngster, heads clear.
2 min: Chelsea hog the ball in the early exchanges. Then Diop pointlessly shoves Mount to the floor, out on the right. Free kick and a chance for Chelsea to load the box.
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Chelsea kick off ... but only after everyone takes the knee. There’s no room for racism.
The teams are out! West Ham are in their claret and blue, while Chelsea wear their Dixon-Speedie-Nevin-era second-choice pinstripe yellow. We’ll be off soon, after that rendition of Bubbles with the twangy bassline.
BT turn to David Moyes. “After the international break, we didn’t come back as good as we’d like. We’d more international players away in that period than we’d had before, and we always used that time to prep the players. That’s one of the reasons behind [our form since the break] but we’ve also missed a few chances, which hasn’t helped. We’ve got to work really hard to get goals. We’ve been making chances. It’s getting the right finish away to see if we can get the goals.”
Thomas Tuchel talks to BT. “Watford played a brave and aggressive game and we had trouble to adapt. You still have to find a way to win and we did that. So here we are on Saturday at 12.30 to do the same thing. We had all three midfielders out against Watford. Normally we put all the responsibility on their shoulders and if the core is not there things get more difficult. I am happy with Ruben who steps in, but things are easier for him with Jorginho by his side. The schedule is relentless. We need to build Romelu up ... there is a difference between match-ready and training-ready and Premier League ready. He needs to be patient and that is not his nature.”
A pre-match chat with Sir Geoff Hurst. The West Ham legend and former Chelsea manager - who also played a game or two for England, we hear - talks to Donald McRae.
West Ham make two changes to the XI named for the 1-1 draw with Brighton. Issa Diop and Manuel Lanzini both start, the former for the first time in the Premier League this season; Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma are benched.
Chelsea make four changes to the XI selected to start the 21 win at Watford. Reece James, Thiago Silva, Jorginho and Hakim Ziyech are back; Christian Pulisic, Saul and Cesar Azpilicueta drop to the bench, while Trevoh Chalobah is hamstrung.
The teams
West Ham United: Fabianski, Zouma, Dawson, Diop, Coufal, Soucek, Rice, Johnson, Bowen, Lanzini, Antonio.
Subs: Yarmolenko, Fornals, Vlasic, Areola, Noble, Benrahma, Masuaku, Kral, Ashby.
Chelsea: Mendy, Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, James, Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Alonso, Ziyech, Mount, Havertz.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Lukaku, Pulisic, Werner, Saul, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi, Azpilicueta, Sarr.
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands).
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Preamble
Given Chelsea have won six titles to West Ham’s zero, the all-time league record between these two grand London institutions is closer than you might think. Chelsea lead the way with 44 wins, but West Ham aren’t too far behind on 39. The results from the last two seasons further illustrate how difficult it can be to predict what these clubs will serve up: Chelsea did the double over the Hammers last time round, but West Ham beat Chelsea both times in 2019-20, including a memorable rollercoaster 3-2 win last July, Andriy Yarmolenko scoring a last-minute winner on the counter, a game well worth revisiting.
Chelsea are coming off the back of a disappointing performance at Watford. The fact that victory can be painted as such, by Thomas Tuchel’s admission, shows the high bar the European champions and current league leaders set for themselves. But West Ham have high expectations these days too, and their meagre haul of one point from the last nine has been a serious disappointment, especially in the wake of that evisceration of Liverpool. Both teams will be looking to make a bounce-back statement, with the title and a top-four spot on their respective agendas. Throw in derby bragging rights, and this could be a cracker. Kick off at the London Stadium is at 12.30pm GMT. It’s on!
