West Ham 0 Chelsea 3
Premier League| West Ham | |
|---|---|
| Chelsea |
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Frank Lampard, centre, celebrates after his penalty gave Chelsea the lead at West Ham. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters
West Ham were a shambles in the first-half. The manager, Sam Allardyce, persisted with his 4-6-0 formation and he watched his team offer nothing and, seemingly, look to do nothing more than cling on. So bad were his tactics and his team that he made two substitutions in the 40th minute, with one of the new faces being the striker Modibo Maïga.
The damage was done by then. Chelsea took full advantage of West Ham's lack of ambition and, also, defensive slackness; the opening goal, lashed in from the penalty spot by Frank Lampard against his old club, followed an almost ludicrous lapse. Oscar got the goal that his man-of-the-match performance deserved shortly after the half-hour and that was pretty much that.
Mourinho's team were helped along their way but they were excellent in all areas. They have struggled at times when opposing teams have flooded the midfield but not here. Lampard emphasised their superiority with his second goal towards the end, drilled home after yet another flowing move and West Ham, despite showing more spirit in the second-half, could not escape the boos of their crowd at full-time.
Allardyce's strikerless starting formation had been designed to make the team difficult to break down
and able to punch on the counter but if it can feel equipped to thrive away from home, it has tested the patience of the Upton Park crowd. It has also demanded defensive focus – giving the opposition a goal start is not part of the plan – and so Allardyce was left to curse when West Ham ushered Chelsea in front in darkly comic fashion.
A chip from Gary Cahill into the home penalty area appeared to present little threat but Guy Demel contrived to create a big one, when his attempt to get the ball back to Jussi Jaaskelainen with his thigh went askew. Oscar, ever alive to any possibility, nipped in as Jaaskelainen charged off his line.
The Chelsea player got there first and pushed the ball away from the goalkeeper - and, crucially, away from goal - before he was sent spinning by Jaaskelainen. It was a clear penalty and the only decision appeared to concern the colour of the goalkeeper's card. To Mourinho's obvious surprise, he got away with nothing. Lampard thrashed the penalty high into the net and enjoyed doing so in front of the Bobby Moore stand, and the supporters who continued to jeer him.
The second goal had been advertised, as Lampard had twice gone close, but its manner still represented a kick in the guts for the home support. From Lampard's ball forward, Eden Hazard's smart flick invited Oscar to maraud towards West Ham's penalty area. He kept going and going and, in the absence of any challenge, threaded a low shot past Jaaskelainen from 20 yards.
Allardyce had seen enough and he made his double substitution after 40 minutes, removing Joe Cole and Jack Collison and introducing Mohamed Diamé and Maïga. There were boos from the crowd. Such a change at such a juncture is tantamount to an admission from the manager that he had got things horribly wrong at the outset.
Joe Cole was furious, sprinting off to show that he was not injured and disappearing down the tunnel, having taken off his shirt. Chelsea might have had more before the interval – Jaaskelainen made one decent save from Samuel Eto'o – and there were more boos upon the half-time whistle.
Chelsea could revel in glorious individual flickers, particularly from Oscar and Hazard, who seemed to tease West Ham at will. Eto'o also showcased his touch and skills in tight areas. West Ham struggled to catch their opponent's shadows. The travelling fans enjoyed themselves. "Frankie Lampard," they sung. "He's won more than you."
It became a question of how many Chelsea would score and whether West Ham could restore any pride. From a Lampard corner on 56 minutes Cahill's towering header was cleared off the line by Mark Noble and, after a flowing Chelsea counter and César Azpilicueta's cross, Oscar shot wastefully wide.
West Ham were more purposeful in the second-half. With Maïga up front, their midfielders at least had a focal point in front of them and they made a chance on 65 minutes that might have given them an unlikely foothold. Demel showed tenacity and tricks to escape three Chelsea players on the byline and his deflected cross implored Maïga to finish. He jabbed past the post.
The home crowd cheered when Allardyce substituted the captain, Kevin Nolan – there were also boos as he departed – and it was left to Lampard to finish off his former team. After Hazard's shot had been blocked, he blasted low past Jaaskelainen from 12 yards
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