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65 min: Benrahma takes the free kick. A whack from the best part of 30 yards. Ambitious, but it’s deflected and earns a corner on the right.
64 min: Antonio spins Badiashile in the centre circle and tears off. Badiashile gives chase, clips his in-flight opponent, and takes a yellow for the team.
63 min: Felix wedges in elegantly from the right. Havertz winds his neck back, preparing to slam a header home, but Fabianski reads the danger well to claim.
62 min: Coufal skitters down the right touchline and digs out a cross, but there’s nobody in position to compete in the centre and Chelsea deal with the problem easily enough. Movement on the West Ham bench. They’re preparing some changes. They certainly need to shake things up all right.
61 min: James makes his way down the right and wins another Chelsea corner. Felix swings it in. Aguerd heads it out.
60 min: Benrahma drops deep and tries to release Bowen with a raking ball down the middle. Badiashile reads the danger and intercepts, to widespread groaning. The home fans are getting a little testy, with their team struggling to get out of their final third.
58 min: Chelsea are slowly turning up the heat, though. They immediately come back at West Ham down the left, Mudryk one-twoing with Felix only to miscontrol the return out for a goal kick. A silkier touch and he’d have been shooting from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box.
57 min: After the usual faffing, James whips the free kick into the mixer. Antonio rises, but his attempt at a defensive header nearly leads to a spectacular own goal, the ball whistling millimetres wide of the base of the right-hand post. Fabianski was rooted to the spot. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
55 min: Mudryk dances his way down the left and is brought down by Coufal’s hanging leg. A free kick just outside the box, and a yellow card for Coufal. Repeated transgressions, most likely, because in and of itself, that foul was of the garden variety.
54 min: Cucurella works his way down the left and earns a corner off Bowen. Chelsea load the box but Fabianski claims the corner easily. West Ham break through Bowen up the right. Bowen tries to release Antonio with a pass down the channel, only for Mudryk to intercept. A poor pass. But West Ham come again, Rice fizzing a low drive inches wide of the left-hand post. Kepa had it covered, but it was a decent enough effort.
52 min: James curls in low and hard from the right. Nobody in butterscotch attacks the ball, which clanks off Ogbonna and is claimed by Fabianski. A typically fine delivery from James, though.
51 min: More noise now. Everyone done with their repast, refreshments and ablutions.
49 min: A slight not-everyone-back-yet-from-the-lavvies-and-bars atmosphere to the start of this second period. It nearly picks up when Antonio and Coufal combine neatly down the right, but the latter dallies and is dispossessed with Benrahma in space in the middle, screaming to be noticed.
47 min: Coufal throws long from the West Ham right. The bounce of the ball somehow evades both Bowen and Antonio in the Chelsea box and Kepa can claim. Not entirely sure Chelsea defended that particularly well, mind; had the flight of the ball not foxed the West Ham duo, they’d have been able to take an unchallenged pop at goal.
West Ham get the second half underway. No changes.
Half-time entertainment. West Ham and Chelsea aren’t the only big southern rivals locking horns today. Here’s Ed Aarons for your edification.
HALF TIME: West Ham 1-1 Chelsea
Dominant Chelsea have had the ball in the net three times, but were correctly flagged offside twice. West Ham plundered an equaliser and this is set up deliciously for the second half!
45 min +3: … as do the second and third.
45 min +1: The first of four added minutes ticks by without incident.
45 min: Chelsea set about playing their way out from the back. Coufal puts a stop to their fancy notions by agriculturally clipping Cucurella to the floor. Not sure how he’s avoided a booking there, but that’s what he’s done.
43 min: The first lull of the game, 43 minutes in. The punters getting good bang for their buck today. “For a great many reasons, I have never liked Chelsea,” begins Matt Dony, pitching for the Fulham dollar. “But, this third kit is beautiful. I hate it when teams I dislike come out with brilliant kits. Worst offenders were Arsenal in their commemorative 05/06 shirt. The cognitive dissonance of seeing one of my all-time favourite kits, on one of my least favourite teams. Shouldn’t be allowed.”
41 min: Felix curls towards the bottom right. Another strong Fabianski arm denies him. The ball goes out for a corner, from which Badiashile heads harmlessly over from a very decent central position. Chelsea could quite easily have four or five goals already, but here we are.
39 min: Fernandez, Mudryk, Havertz and Felix race upfield in elegant formation. Felix heads for the box only to be bowled over by Soucek. It’s a slightly soft free kick but one that’s always going to be given when an in-flight forward is nudged. Or at least given more often than not. Felix to take.
37 min: Felix dribbles dangerously down the inside right and shoots. Soucek throws himself in the road to block. Then the flag goes up for offside as Chelsea embark on the next phase of the attack. This is breathless, and good fun too.
35 min: Benrahma makes good down the left and takes a shot from a tight angle. Silva’s presence limits the damage to a corner. From the set piece, Chelsea break, four on three! Mudryk romps down the middle with Fernandez free to his right. Mudryk makes the pass and tees Fernandez up on the edge of the box … but Fernandez takes an unnecessary extra touch and then can’t get his shot away. Big chance spurned.
34 min: Madueke cuts in from the right and aims for the bottom left. Fabianski sticks out a strong arm to parry the curler. Mudryk and Felix attempt to make something from the loose ball on the left wing, but eventually flay it out for a goal kick.
32 min: It’s great entertainment, this. Loftus-Cheek spins into space down the right and makes powerful progress down the channel before drifting infield and considering a shot. He eventually attempts a clever dinked pass that’s intercepted, allowing Bowen to stride on the counter. Bowen bashes long in the hope of releasing Antonio but gives it too much welly. This surely won’t end 1-1.
30 min: That’s got the London Stadium bouncing, and Chelsea suddenly look unsure of themselves. West Ham earn a corner down the right. They take it short and play back up the wing. Kehrer swings it in from deep. Aguerd sends a weak header wide left. But the equaliser has flicked a switch and suddenly West Ham are up for this after such a sluggish start.
GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Chelsea (Emerson 28)
It’s a funny old game all right! Coufal crosses from the right. Bowen eyebrows it on. Emerson races in at the far post and scuffs a shot across Kepa and into the bottom right! All square, despite Chelsea’s utter dominance!
26 min: … and yet after it all, West Ham could easily be level. Bowen works his way down the right and finds Antonio at the near post. Antonio tries to flick past Kepa, but the keeper saves with his chest. Funny old game, football, as a striker who played for both these clubs once said.
24 min: Chelsea spring the West Ham trap again! Cucurella rolls a pass down the left channel for Havertz, who barrels into the box only for his shot to be blocked. The flag goes up for offside again, though had Havertz scored, I suspect VAR would have ruled the goal good. It’s the linesman who went too early this time.
22 min: Chelsea put the ball in the net for the third time. For the second, the flag goes up for offside. Mudryk is the playmaker this time. He rolls a pass down the middle from deep. Havertz latches onto it, clear of all defenders, rounds Fabianksi on the left and slots. However he’d gone a little bit too early. The correct decision, albeit by a matter of inches. But for the combined length of a ruler, Chelsea could be 3-0 up.
21 min: Madueke drops a shoulder to cut infield from the right. He pulls the trigger once he reaches the edge of the D but his shot is blocked. Chelsea are coming at the Hammers from all angles, and in a very smooth style to boot.
19 min: A little bit of space for Coufal down the right. He digs out a cross but it’s easy pickings for Kepa. “Who are all these people in butterscotch?” wonders Joe Pearson. “Nearly half of Chelsea’s starting eleven arrived in January! How is it possible to play a fluid, instinctive style with teammates you’ve only just met?” That’s the power of Potterball, I guess.
18 min: West Ham have only won one match in which they’ve conceded first this season. They’ve lost nine.
GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Chelsea (Felix 16)
Mudryk challenges Bowen, who goes down. No foul, though. Fernandez takes up possession 30 yards out on the left. He loops a cross over the West Ham back line. Felix springs it, and sidefoots the dropping ball past the helpless Fabianski. Easy as that, and it had been coming.
15 min: Chelsea have enjoyed 86 percent of possession so far.
14 min: Nope, Paqueta can’t make it. He trudges off down the tunnel, holding his right arm carefully. Soucek comes on in his place.
13 min: Fernandez picks up possession 30 yards from goal, takes a couple of strides forward, and curls an effort wide right of goal. Then Paqueta goes down again. Not sure he’ll be able to continue.
11 min: Chelsea are dominating these early exchanges. Rice tries to break things up with an interception and burst through the middle but he’s soon crowded out.
9 min: Chelsea immediately have the ball in the net. James whistles a long pass down the inside-right channel. Felix is free! Simple as that! Felix draws Fabianski and wedges over the keeper. The ball pings off the left-hand post, but bounces back to Felix’s feet, and he taps into the unguarded net. But he was offside – just – and the flag goes up.
9 min: The game restarts and Paqueta is able to come back on.
8 min: Paqueta certainly felt that, landing heavily on his shoulder. It takes the physio a while to give the West Ham midfielder the once over. Paqueta certainly doesn’t look comfortable.
6 min: Paqueta dribbles down the inside-left channel only to be shoved to the ground by Madueke. A free kick coming up for West Ham, but in the meantime Paqueta requires some treatment, having hurt his left shoulder.
4 min: Felix drops deep, playing another clever pass, this time down the right channel. Loftus-Cheek drives into the box but is never quite in control of the ball. He can’t roll across for Havertz, who would have an easy tap-in. When he sorts himself out and eventually delivers the ball, it’s an easy claim for Fabianski.
2 min: James whips a half-hearted free kick towards the bottom right. Easy for Fabianski. West Ham counter from the free kick, Antonio nearly getting away down the right. But he runs down a cul-de-sac and Chelsea regain possession.
1 min: Mudryk immediately creates havoc down the inside-left channel, chasing after a cute Felix chip. He drifts inside and draws a foul from Kehrer. A free kick just to the left of centre, 25 yards out.
All the players take the knee … there’s no room for racism … and then Chelsea get the ball rolling. Anticipation crackles around the London Stadium.
The teams are out. West Ham in claret, Chelsea in third-choice butterscotch. A lovely moment in the tunnel beforehand as Thiago Silva good-naturedly teases the little West Ham mascots by offering to shake their hands, withdrawing at the last second, that old playground trick, then thumbing the nose. And then a huge smile and some proper hand clasps. All great pals, a moment to remember for ever. Not long now!
David Moyes talks to BT Sport. “Some players are settling in a bit better … we’ve changed the shape a little bit … we’ve had some good results … we’re in a better run of form and we hope to keep it going … it’s a boost that Kehrer is able to play … he’d felt he’d got a nick in his hamstring but he’s started to feel a bit better so we’ve taken a chance and got him out there today … you never know with Chelsea because they’ve got so many good players and we’re not quite sure exactly what they do … there’s probably a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 in there somewhere.”
Graham Potter also speaks to BT Sport. “We’ve had a positive week … a benefit from time together … some young players who need to connect on the Premier League stage … Ruben Loftus-Cheek provides a little bit of balance for the attacking players … you have to be strong in the boxes … I’m looking forward to seeing him play … we have to bring the best of ourselves to the game.”
West Ham are unchanged. No great surprise given they’re unbeaten in three.
Chelsea make three changes. In come Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Joao Felix and, making his full debut, Noni Madueke. Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech all drop to the bench.
The teams
West Ham United: Fabianski, Coufal, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Emerson, Rice, Paqueta, Benrahma, Bowen, Antonio.
Subs: Hegyi, Anang, Johnson, Fornals, Lanzini, Downes, Ings, Soucek.
Chelsea: Kepa, James, Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella, Fernandez, Madueke, Felix, Loftus-Cheek, Mudryk, Havertz.
Subs: Bettinelli, Azpilicueta, Chilwell, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Gallagher, Mount, Ziyech, D Fofana.
Preamble
West Ham are coming off the back of a useful point at Newcastle United; Chelsea are following up a disappointing home draw with Fulham. West Ham are flirting with relegation; Chelsea are marooned in mid-table. West Ham won this fixture 3-2 last season; Chelsea have won four of the last five against the Hammers. West Ham have lost five of their ten previous home matches this season; Chelsea are seven games without a win on the road. Good luck calling this one. Kick off is at 12.30pm GMT. It’s on!
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