Daily WHUFC News - 9th April 2018

Super sub Chicharito earns Hammers London derby point
WHUFC.com

Chicharito's instant impact from the substitutes' bench helped West Ham
United hold Chelsea to a 1-1 London derby draw in the Premier League on
Sunday.
The Mexican was introduced with 20 minutes remaining at Stamford Bridge and
had the ball in the net three minutes later, coolly side-footing home Marko
Arnautovic's clever cut-back to level the score. The hosts had taken a first
half lead when Cesar Azpilicueta flicked in following a Chelsea corner, but
David Moyes' Hammers fought back with character in the second half to earn
themselves an important point. The hosts applied the pressure for the
majority of the first half and almost took the lead early on. Just three
minutes in, Eden Hazard charged into some space on the right-hand-side of
the box before firing across Joe Hart in goal but just wide of the far post.
A quarter-of-an-hour in, the Hammers created their best opening. Arthur
Masuaku picked out Marko Arnautovic in the penalty area - as he did so well
against Southampton last weekend - but the Austrian could not get the ball
out of his feet and his effort was eventually blocked. Ten minutes later,
Antonio Conte's men thought they had taken the lead - Alvaro Morata was
slipped in cleverly by the impressive Hazard, and though he slipped the ball
under Hart to find the back of the net, up went the assistant referee's flag
on the far side.

West Ham earn a point at Stamford BridgeJust before the half hour mark, the
same pair combined once again but Morata this time could not get his effort
on target. Hazard, jinking his way past Angelo Ogbonna, picked out the
Spaniard in the six-yard-box but the forward's flick dribbled wide. Next,
Willian curled an attempt wide shortly before Hart prevented him bagging
with a wonderful save, but from the resulting corner it was 1-0 Chelsea. The
short set-piece was eventually clipped into the box by Victor Moses, and
after Morata's knock-down, Azpilicueta was there to take one touch before
flicking in. The second half began in a similar fashion, with Chelsea going
close. Willian was again the man to have the shot, but he dragged the
12-yard attempt wide of the far post. The Hammers soon after charged up the
other end, and Joao Mario was able to lay-off for Arnautovic in the D on the
edge of the box, but Courtois held the No7's effort.

For the second time of the afternoon, a Blues goal was then ruled out for
offside. Willian was allowed space to cross low from the left, and there to
meet his centre was Morata again, but up went the flag once again as the
summer signing tapped in. Willian - most certainly in the mood at Stamford
Bridge - cut inside Masuaku with 25 minutes remaining, but lashed his
left-footed strike wide again. A pivotal moment in the London derby then
occurred - manager David Moyes replaced Edimilson Fernandes with Chicharito,
and his impact was immediate. A long ball was not dealt with at all well by
Gary Cahill, and Arnautovic was able to pick up in the box, spin, and cut
back for the sub. With plenty of blue bodies in front of him, the Mexican
kept his cool and finished expertly to get the Hammers back on level terms.
Looking for a goal to put them back in front, Chelsea charged forward soon
after and Hart was called into action. Flying to his right, the England
goalkeeper superbly tipped over Alonso's fierce drive. The stopper was again
the man gaining the plaudits minutes later as he this time dived the
opposite way to tip sub Giroud's goalbound header round the post. Despite
the late pressure though, the Hammers held on with steel and determination,
and collected what could be a very important point to put themselves six
points ahead of Southampton in 18thplace.

Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Rudiger, Moses (Pedro 78), Fabregas,
Kante, Alonso, Hazard, Willian, Morata (Giroud 78).
Subs not used: Caballero, Drinkwater, Bakayoko, Christensen, Emerson.

West Ham United: Hart, Zabaleta, Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell (Evra 64),
Masuaku, Noble, Kouyate, Fernandes (Chicharito 70), Joao Mario (Cullen 85),
Arnautovic.
Subs not used: Adrian, Pask, Diangana, Hugill.

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Moyes: We hung in, stuck at it and got the point
WHUFC.com

David Moyes said his West Ham United team 'hung in, stuck at it and got the
point' at Chelsea on Sunday. The Hammers fell behind to Cesar Azpilicueta's
first-half opener and were indebted to a series of superb Joe Hart saves
before substitute Chicharito grabbed a deserved 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge
with a typically accurate first-time finish 17 minutes from time.

Manager Moyes was rightly proud if his team's resilience. Having seen them
concede eleven in their previous three away matches, the Scot could have
been forgiven for being concerned about how his team would react after
falling behind, but in the end he need not have worried. "We were playing
against a really good team," he observed. "They are quick, they have some
terrific attacking players and we had to deal with them well. We didn't
always deal with the well, but I think we did a really good job today. "Just
stay in the game, that was the key. The first goal was diabolical for us.
Chelsea can score goals in other ways, but to do it like that was really bad
from us. Then there was a five or ten-minute period before half time and we
couldn't afford to lose another goal then. They were very good at times, but
we hung in, stuck at it and got the point."

While Hart and his defenders stood firm at one end, Chicharito added
noticeable energy at the other as soon as he entered the fray with 20
minutes to go. After holding up play superbly, he made his way into the
penalty area and converted when Marko Arnautovic pulled the ball back into
his path. "Chicharito won't thank me for bringing him on as a sub, but look
at him over the years - he always gets goals and he's a great penalty box
striker," Moyes purred, before adding that West Ham could even have had a
late penalty when N'Golo Kante challenged him late on. "He finds space to
get goals and chances and he did it today. He gave us something else up
front but any time you open up against Chelsea, you're always liable and we
had to make sure we were concentrating too. "Marko had a great chance, and
we seem to think it was a penalty for us. It could have been better but I'm
delighted to get a point."

That is four points from six since West Ham had an enforced three-week break
from Premier League action in March, and with 34 now on the board, two more
wins from the final six matches should see the east Londoners safe. "We've
tried to pick things up in the last few weeks to get us ready [for the
run-in], but look, in the Premier League, you never know and you have to be
on it every game. "Small things; it could have gone away from us today but
Joe Hart made a couple of outstanding saves in the second half when we
needed it, and they're the small bits you need to make sure you pick up the
points."

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Chicharito and Hart: We were clever and focused in Chelsea draw
WHUFC.com

West Ham United goalscorer Chicharito and goalkeeper Joe Hart described the
Hammers' performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge as clever and
focused after they picked up a point with Sunday's 1-1 draw. It took Mexican
forward Chicharito just three minutes after coming on as a second half
substitute to level the score in the London derby after Cesar Azpilicueta
had given the hosts a first period lead. And keeper Hart's influence on the
game was huge, with the No25 making a string of vital, flying saves to
frustrate the Blues who piled on the pressure after West Ham had equalised.
But the England international praised the way the Hammers stuck with the
match despite falling behind, and was delighted with the final outcome. He
said: 'It's nice to stay in the game. Chicha has come on - after being on
the other side of the world and being poorly - and we're so glad he was fit
and got that vital second goal. "We looked dangerous in the second half.
First half, I thought we were poor given the standards we are trying to set
at this Club, but it is important we were able to stay strong and fight back
in a really difficult venue. "They're the champions and they had a poor
result last week so we knew they would be at it today. They created a lot
and caused a lot of havoc but we stood strong, we believed in the process
and we got the result."

Chicharito continued an incredible scoring record against Chelsea with
Sunday's goal - he now has nine strikes in 14 matches against the side
throughout his career. When asked if he could explain his success against
the Hammers' London rivals, the forward laughed:"I'm just sorry to Chelsea
fans! Sometimes these things happen. It's difficult to explain. "The most
important thing is that we got the point, though. We have added another
point to try and stay away from [the threat of] relegation. "I think in
these games, you have to be clever and focused to stop a side like Chelsea.
We're glad we could do that today to get this point. Now we have our final
against Stoke next week."

With that crucial clash against the Potters now next on the horizon for
David Moyes' team, Hart also insisted the focus shifts instantly to the
London Stadium fixture. "We're moving in the right direction, but you've
seen this league; one day you've got a big smile on your face and the next
you don't," he continued.
"Next Monday against Stoke is our game of the season now, so maybe if we get
a result there our smile will be stronger. But that's the future - we are on
the present now and we have 34 points, six ahead of the relegation zone and
that's great for us. "I'm [personally] very focused on West Ham at the
moment - that's my job and that's what I'm here to do, to fight for this
team. "We are creating a really good spirit in the team, right the way
through, from the injured boys, the boys on the bench, we stick together on
and off the pitch and today was a good example of that."

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Ladies score ten in win over QPR
WHUFC.com

An astonishing ten goals from West Ham United Ladies secured the team's
biggest league win of the campaign against QPR Ladies. Three goals in the
opening 20 minutes - from Amber Stobbs, Chantelle Mackie, and Kelly
Wealthall - put the Hammers well on their way to an impressive victory, with
Ellie Zoepfl adding a fourth with a header on 34 minutes. The American made
it five just ten minutes after the restart before Wealthall nabbed her
second, with Rosie Kmita making it seven less than a minute after her
teammate's goal. And Wealthall completed her hat-trick, and the rout, as
she showed off her striker's instinct, tapping in after Andria Georgiou
struck the cross-bar. There was still time for Stobbs to get her second,
before Georgiou netted another finish from distance to make it ten. An
impressive first period for the Hammers got started after just ten minutes.
Stobbs collected the ball around 25 yards from goal, turned her defender and
unleashed a wicked shot towards the net. Although QPR goalkeeper Dolbear got
a hand to the effort, the strike was too powerful, and found the top corner.


Four minutes later and West Ham had their second. Some good pressure earned
Karen Ray's side a corner, which Kmita whipped in. Mackie was the quickest
to react, deftly heading in at the near post to register her first goal of
the season for the side. Striker Wealthall got in on the act before a
quarter of the match had been played. Some excellent work from Kmita inside
the penalty area saw the ball end up with Stobbs. The No10 whipped in a
delicious cross which found Wealthall, who had made a well-timed run,
allowing the 17-year-old to coolly steer the ball into the net. West Ham
weren't done there though. The Irons had looked menacing from corners
throughout the first period, and Kmita once again made QPR pay with a
set-piece. This time, it was Zoepfl who rose highest, powerfully scoring
with a headed effort.

The second period followed a similar vein for the Irons, with Stobbs testing
the QPR shot-stopper with a low effort just after the restart. On 56
minutes West Ham added to their goal tally. Zoepfl found the net with her
second goal of the game, firing a low effort into the bottom corner from the
edge of the penalty area after a good spell of pressure. Mackie, motivated
by her earlier finish, also continued to push forward with the right-back
the closest to a Stobbs free-kick, before also seeing a high shot saved at
the near post by Dolbear. On 69 minutes the Hammers got their sixth goal.
Stobbs, out on the right, played in a lofted cross, which was met by Kmita.
The ball looked close to going over the line, with Wealthall in the right
place to make sure the Irons got the goal. If there was any debate about
the sixth, there was none about the seventh just a minute later. Another
Stobbs cross was again met by Kmita, but this time the No7's deft header was
definitely in the net, as it nestled into the bottom corner. With less than
ten minutes to play, Wealthall secured her hat-trick. Andria Georgiou
unleashed a powerful strike that ricocheted off the cross-bar, and the
striker was in the right place to tuck home the rebound.

West Ham United Ladies: Connatser; Mackie, Wheeler, Austin (Sampson 57'),
Auguste; Georgiou, Clark, Stobbs; Zoepfl (Chong 57'), Wealthall, Kmita
Substitutes: Chong, Sampson, Mabey
Goals: Stobbs 10' 90', Mackie 14', Wealthall 20' 69' 81', Zoepfl 34' 56',
Kmita 70', Georgiou 90+1'

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Wheeler: Ladies upped the intensity to put ten past QPR
WHUFC.com

Hannah Wheeler reckons West Ham United Ladies showed they could play at a
much higher level of intensity after the side completed an incredible 10-0
win over QPR Ladies. A hat-trick from Kelly Wealthall, Two goals apiece for
Amber Stobbs and Ellie Zoepfl, and finishes for Chantelle Mackie, Rosie
Kmita and Andria Georgiou saw the Ladies earn their biggest league win of
the season so far in Uxbridge. The Hammers impressed with their tenacity
and relentless attack in the huge win, and Wheeler feels the victory was
deserved given the level the Ladies hit during the match. The centre-back
told whufc.com: "Ten goals, three points, another clean-sheet. It's such a
good feeling to keep this winning menality going. Everyone is on a high and
we're playing really well. We've been working hard in training - we knew QPR
wouldn't make it easy for us - but I think we just upped our intensity and
absolutely got the result we deserved.

"Obviously there's parts that could have been better, and we'll look at
those this week, but we're really happy with how we've played." Sunday's
league fixture with Rangers came in the middle of two Cup finals for West
Ham United Ladies. Karen Ray's side beat Charlton Athletic Women 2-1 in the
Goodmove.co.uk Women's Cup final on Wednesday, and will contest the FA WPL
Plate final against Luton next Sunday. Although the match with QPR was
played in the centre of the 11 day period between the two finals, Wheeler is
adamant that the focus was fully on defeating the Hoops, something that has
been proven with the result. "Wednesday, winning the Cup, beating Charlton -
I don't think anything could have been better about that night," Wheeler
continued: "And we know we've got another final next week, but we also knew
that we had to put all that aside and fully concenrate on this match. "In
order to play at our best and win next week, we first had to do the same
today, and we deserved to win today. Everyone played really well."

The clean-sheet was West Ham's ninth in 11 matches since the start of 2018,
a run that Wheeler has been a vital aspect of. The defender is thrilled with
her own performances, but knows the competition is there if she doesn't
continue her form. She added: "I'm really happy with how I've been playing.
Obviously there's a lot of pressure and I think there's a lot of competition
as well. There are players on the bench who are working just as hard and
deserve to be out on the pitch playing, so it's on me as an individual to
keep lifting my game, bossing my performances. I'm happy with how I played
today."
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Chelsea 1-1 West Ham United
By Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport

Javier Hernandez's second-half equaliser boosted West Ham's Premier League
survival prospects and damaged Chelsea's slim hopes of finishing in the top
four on an emotional day at Stamford Bridge. Cesar Azpilicueta had prodded
the hosts ahead following Alvaro Morata's knock down, and the Spaniard
dedicated his goal to the club's former England midfielder Ray Wilkins, who
died on Wednesday aged 61. There was also a minute's applause prior to
kick-off, with the Chelsea players wearing black armbands in memory of
Wilkins. However, Hernandez, on as a substitute, struck his ninth career
goal against the Blues to earn a point for the Hammers. The Mexican's
effort, driven into the corner after Marko Arnautovic's fine cut-back, moves
David Moyes' team six points clear of the relegation places.
It was only West Ham's third touch inside the Chelsea's penalty area. In
contrast, Antonio Conte's men - who are in fifth but 10 points behind
Tottenham and Liverpool above them - had 23 shots on goal and were good
value for their lead for long periods. And but for a combination of
profligate finishing and excellent goalkeeping from West Ham keeper Joe Hart
- on loan from league leaders Manchester City - the Blues would have
realised that aim.

Moyes' horrendous record at Stamford Bridge looked well on course to stretch
to a ninth defeat in a 15-game winless run. The Scot has still not managed a
victory from 30 outings against a 'big six' side since a 2-1 win for Everton
over Manchester City in December 2010 - but Hernandez's strike altered the
complexion of the game while delivering a precious point. The 29-year-old,
whose future and relationship with his manager has been questioned, once
again showed his predatory instincts to turn the ball beyond Thibaut
Courtois three minutes after coming on. Hernandez has now appeared four
times as a substitute at Stamford Bridge in the league - and scored on all
four occasions. This was the former Manchester United forward's ninth in 14
appearances against Chelsea, more than he has managed against any other
Premier League opponent.

Stamford Bridge pays tribute to Wilkins
After an earlier a pre-match tribute, the stadium rose in the eighth minute
to acclaim their former number eight Wilkins. A midfielder of grace and
vision, Wilkins, who also worked as assistant manager at Chelsea, was
revered at Stamford Bridge and would have enjoyed the performance of Eden
Hazard, a player exemplifies those qualities in Conte's modern-day team.
With West Ham in stifling mode, the Belgium forward cut loose after 20
minutes. Exploiting the space behind Cheikhou Kouyate, Hazard fashioned a
series of chances for the Blues to wrap things up before the break. As his
influence grew, Morata also came alive. The Spaniard had two goals
disallowed for offside and Hazard was unfortunate to be denied a late winner
by Hart's excellent positioning.

Man of the match - Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Eden Hazard was at his elusive best for Chelsea, creating several chances
for the hosts to score before half-time.

'We can see our season in this game' - what they said Chelsea manager
Antonio Conte: "I think with this game we can see our season. We can create
a lot of chances but we cannot take them. "We are not clinical and then we
concede two shots and concede a goal. "When you don't score but create the
chances it's very difficult to win. This game explains our season." On
forwards potentially lacking confidence: "Morata scored two offside goals.
He does not lack confidence and we created enough chances for Hazard,
Willian and Morata to score. But I repeat, this game explains our season."

West Ham manager David Moyes: "It certainly is a prized point for us. We
were playing against a team who are quality and have some terrific attacking
players who played well. "The key was that we were never out of it, because
the way they got the first goal was diabolical. Chelsea can get a goal in
other ways but from a corner was really bad from our point of view." On
substitute Javier Hernandez scoring the equaliser: "Chicharito won't thank
me for bringing him on as a substitute, but he's a great penalty box striker
and he always gets goals. "Every time you open up against Chelsea it's a bit
dangerous, but we defended well on the whole."

Chelsea failed to win a league game at home under Conte in which they led at
half-time for the first time - ending an 18-match run.
West Ham avoided defeat in an away Premier League game against the reigning
champions for only the third time. They beat Manchester United in 2001-02
and drew 2-2 at Chelsea in 2015-16.
All five of Azpilicueta's league goals in 191 Chelsea appearances have come
against teams beginning with W (two against Watford, two against West Brom
and now one against West Ham).
Morata's assist for Azpilicueta was the seventh time the two have combined
in the Premier League this season - no two players have combined for more
goals this campaign.
Moyes has not won any of his 20 away matches at Stamford Bridge as a manager
with five clubs (Preston, Everton, Manchester United, Sunderland and West
Ham), losing 13.

What's next?
Chelsea travel to the south coast to face struggling Southampton on Saturday
(12:30 BST kick-off). West Ham welcome relegation-threatened Stoke to London
Stadium on Monday, 16 April (20:00).

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#REFWATCH: KEVIN FRIEND - CHELSEA VS WEST HAM
AUTHOR: SAMTWHWREF. PUBLISHED: 8 APRIL 2018 AT 10:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Written by @SamRoyden

For the first time in a while, the football gods were looking down in West
Ham's favour as teams around the Hammers dropped points leaving West Ham
five points above Southampton in 18th. After a convincing win against
Southampton last week, a point at Chelsea would have sufficed and the team
didn't let us down. A hard fought 95 minutes, which saw West Ham keep Hazard
and Willian at bay and Joe Hart pulling off some great saves, putting West
Ham on 34 points with six games to go.

Kevin Friend was the man in charge for the last derby of the season in an up
and down Premier League for both sides. Thus far this season, Friend has
officiated only 16 Premier League games, which may have been a concern going
into a London Derby but Friend and his officiating team performed well and
were in control throughout.

During the first half, Friend wasn't called into action much but it was his
assistant referee who was in a great position to see a disallowed Álvaro
Morata goal after the Spanish forward was a foot or so beyond Declan Rice -
who has been brilliant in the last two games. Friend played advantage very
well during the first half and with the introduction of The Advantage Rule
of Law 5 into the game, it's been great for referees to review whether there
is an advantage to be played and keep the game flowing.

Both teams dialled up their intensity in the second half with West Ham
chasing an equaliser and Chelsea piling on the pressure to see the game out.
Kevin Friend was a busier man in the second half with a couple of big
decisions. Again, it was his assistant referee who was in the right place to
see Álvaro Morata beyond the last West Ham defender, only to see assistant
referee's flag raised in the air ruling out another goal,

Apart from an undisputed caution for Mark Noble for pulling Eden Hazard's
shirt, there was also a shout for a penalty after Kolo Kante challenged
Marko Arnautović inside the Chelsea penalty area. During the live incident,
my gut instinct said it was a penalty, potentially could have been my West
Ham bias thoughts, but after video replay did confirm it but the decision
was very, very difficult in my opinion, we're talking split second decisions
and the slightest of movement.

When I reviewed the first video replay I couldn't tell you whether it was a
penalty straight away, I couldn't make up my mind in that split second. Did
Kante's toes catch the ball ever so slightly? Did Arnautović touch the ball
to make it change direction? After the 4th or 5th replay and 45 seconds
later, I finally came to the decision that there was contact by Kante on
Arnautović right foot and not the ball, Kevin Friend has a less than a
second to make his mind up taking into consideration the only angle that he
had. The last touch did come from Arnautović with his right foot, it changed
the direction of the ball and should have been a penalty - but, I understand
why Kevin Friend didn't award the penalty.

It's clear from the replays that the change in direction of the ball was the
deciding factor in Kevin Friend's decision. What Friend didn't and couldn't
see with the naked eye was that Kolo Kante strikes the West Ham man's right
foot and not clean contact with the ball.

I thought Kevin Friend wasn't in the best position to make the decision, he
could have been a little closer to the incident but I do think that Gary
Cahill blocked his view when Kante tackled Arnautović. This may have
compromised his view and as a referee you have to be 100% confident that
it's a foul to award the penalty.

I do sympathise with Kevin Friend because taking all of the above into
consideration, it was an extremely difficult decision and as a referee, you
can only make a decision on what you can see - I would suggest that the
assistant referee would have had a better view but being side on, it would
have been as difficult as where Friend was positioned. The change direction
of direction of the ball came within the split second of Kolo Kante making
contact with Arnautović, and the illusion was that Kante clearly made
contact with the ball. Was this a clear and obvious error? That is
subjective and if VAR was enabled during the game I think it may have been
under review, as the only angle that would have given you a definitive
answer was a front view, which neither Assistant or Referee have the luxury
of having without VAR.

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Chelsea 1-1 West Ham: Javier Hernandez earns David Moyes' side valuable
point
By Oliver Yew
Last Updated: 08/04/18 7:20pm
SSN

Javier Hernandez's second-half strike cancelled out Cesar Azpilicueta's
opener as West Ham secure a valuable point with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea
at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea, who paid heartfelt tribute to their late
captain Ray Wilkins before and during the game, dominated the opening 45
minutes and were deservedly ahead when Azpilicueta tapped home from close
range in the 36th minute. Antonio Conte's side's dominance continued after
the break but the second goal never came as West Ham stayed in the game, and
they were rewarded when substitute Hernandez (73) snatched a point for the
visitors. The draw sees David Moyes' side move six points clear of the
relegation zone, while Chelsea are 10 points behind Tottenham in the race
for fourth with six games remaining. On what was an emotional afternoon at
Stamford Bridge, Wilkins was remembered ahead of kick-off with a minute of
applause as a seat in the dugout was draped in his No 8 shirt. Wilkins' name
rang around the ground once again in the eighth minute with both sets of
fans singing the Chelsea legend's name.
After a quiet opening, Chelsea had the ball in the back of the net in the
25th minute but Alvaro Morata was correctly flagged for offside after being
played in by Eden Hazard.

Morata's flick then drifted wide of the far post after yet more good work
from Hazard before Willian fired inches wide from the edge of the penalty
area, and the Brazil international was in again in the 35th minute after yet
more sensational passing from Chelsea but Joe Hart raced off his line to
make a brilliant block.
Chelsea' dominance eventually told from the resultant corner and West Ham
switched off as Morata headed Victor Moses' cross back into the danger area
where Azpilicueta was there tap home from inside the six-yard box. Chelsea
went in search for a second after the break and Willian had an immediate
chance to double the hosts' advantage but his shot fizzed past the far post.
Conte's side thought they had their second when Morata swept home Willian's
cross, but again the offside flag was up to deny the Spain striker before
Moses curled wide of the upright.

They were punished midway through the second-half as Gary Cahill's poor
defensive header fell to Marko Arnautovic and his cut back picked out
Hernandez, who produced a sweet strike from just inside the area to beat
Thibaut Courtois. In a frantic final 10 minutes, Hart had to be at his best
to produce two saves to deny Marcos Alonso and Olivier Giroud, while West
Ham thought they should have had a penalty as N'Golo Kante's last-ditch
tackle sent Arnautovic to the floor, but referee Kevin Friend remained
unmoved.

Opta stats
Chelsea failed to win a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge under Conte
in which they led at half-time for the first time, having won all 18 of
their previous games under the Italian when ahead at the interval.
West Ham avoided defeat in an away Premier League game against the reigning
champions for only the third time, beating Man Utd in 2001-02 and drawing
2-2 with Chelsea in 2015-16.
Azpilicueta scored his fifth Premier League goal for Chelsea in his 191st
appearance - all five of his goals have been against sides beginning with W
(two against Watford, two against West Brom and one against West Ham).
Morata assisted Azpilicueta's goal, the seventh time the two have combined
in the Premier League this season - no two players have combined for more
goals this campaign.

Hernandez has scored four of his 16 Premier League goals as a substitute
against Chelsea - only one player in Premier League history has scored more
sub goals against an opponent, with Julian Joachim scoring five against
Derby County. This was the fourth time Hernandez has appeared as a
substitute at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League and the Mexican has
found the net in all four of those games (four goals).

Man of the Match - Joe Hart
Hart put in a reminder to England manager Gareth Southgate's with a fine
performance at Stamford Bridge, which included some world-class saves. In
the first-half, the 30-year-old was quickly off his line to make a smart
block to deny Willian before two saves in the final minutes helped the
Hammers to what could be a crucial point in their bid to stay in the Premier
League. The first saw him show excellent reactions in tipping Alonso's
powerful drive over the crossbar before quick feet allowed him to tip
Giroud's goal-bound header around the post.

England Watch
Gareth Southgate's assistant Steve Holland was in the stands to see Joe Hart
produce a man-of-the-match display. It was a timely return to form for the
30-year-old as the battle to become England's No. 1 heats up. It wasn't such
good news for Gary Cahill, who played the full 90 minutes at the heart of
Chelsea's back three. It was his poor defensive header which led to Javier
Hernandez's equaliser. Meanwhile, there was an injury blow for Aaron
Cresswell. The left-back had to leave the field in the 63rd minute after
landing awkwardly challenging for a high ball with Willian.

Slaven Bilic, who was watching the game for Sky Sports, said: "It was his
best game I think. He kept West Ham in the game because in the second half,
it looked more like Chelsea were going to score the second goal rather than
West Ham would equalise.

Jamie Redknapp agreed, saying: "He's probably given Gareth Southgate a
problem he didn't want to a certain extent becaue he is maybe looking at
Jack Butland or Jordan Pickford and all of a sudden, Joe Hart has come into
the equation. A nice problem, but one he might not have wanted."

What's next?
Chelsea are back in Premier League action next Saturday when they travel to
St Mary's to face Southampton, live on Sky Sports Premier League from
11.30am.

West Ham are also live on Sky Sports Premier League next weekend when they
host Stoke City at the London Stadium on Monday Night Football (April 16 -
from 7pm).

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West Ham striker Javier Hernandez one of the best finishers in the game,
says Jamie Redknapp
Last Updated: 08/04/18 8:20pm
SSN

Javier Hernandez is "one of the best finishers in the game" according to
Jamie Redknapp, after the West Ham striker sealed a point against Chelsea.
The Mexican scored three minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 1-1
draw, scoring with a great sweeping strike from just inside the area. It was
the fourth time Hernandez has appeared as a substitute at Stamford Bridge in
the Premier League, and having found the net in all four of those games,
Redknapp was full of praise for his ability to finish. "He does a great job
holding the ball up for his team, being aggressive and holding off Gary
Cahill. It's a good piece of play. He's one of the best finishers in the
game," he said. "He is up there with the best and it's a brilliant finish,
it's unstoppable. Great forwards seem to have that extra bit of time. "He's
almost stumbled across it but playing Marko Arnautovic as the striker has
really helped West Ham. He's more mobile, he gets hold of the ball, he can
do something with it and even the penalty appeal, that's him at his best.
"But when you have 70 minutes and you need someone to come on - an assassin,
a goalscorer - that's what Hernandez brings. He's one of the best in the
business."
Former West Ham manager Slaven Bilic joined Redknapp in the Super Sunday
studio and after signing Hernandez for the club before his departure, he
agreed with the Sky Sports pundit about the striker. "He's a natural
goalscorer and he's there where he has to be. He's not dangerous outside the
box or around the box, but in the box, he's the best finisher. Everything he
thinks about is being in the box to come for a second ball," Bilic said. "He
had some difficult times in the beginning. I don't think he did all of
pre-season because of the Confederations Cup but he is a brilliant
goalscorer. "He's a brilliant guy, a good person to have in the dressing
room. He doesn't cause problems, he can be angry but for five or ten
minutes, no more than that. He is a good guy."

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Joe Hart needed big game to boost England chances, says David Moyes
By Oliver Yew
Last Updated: 08/04/18 8:26pm
SSN

West Ham boss David Moyes was full of praise for goalkeeper Joe Hart after
his man-of-the-match performance helped earn a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on
Sunday.
Hart, whose England World Cup spot is in jeopardy following his struggles
this season, kept Chelsea at bay with a string of fine saves as the Hammers
held on for another point to put towards their survival bid. Moyes insists
Hart's showing was a timely reminder to Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate,
who has until May 14 to give England's 35-man provisional squad to FIFA
before whittling it down to 23 by June 4.
When asked about Hart's England chances, Moyes told Sky Sports: "I think Joe
probably needed a game like that. "Joe showed today why he has so many caps
and so many medals, so that will be good for him. "When you do play the big
teams you need your goalkeeper to play well and our goalkeeper played very
well."

Substitute Javier Hernandez had only been on the field for three minutes
when he swept home the equaliser to cancel out Cesar Azpilicueta's
first-half opener, and Moyes was not surprised by the Mexican striker's
impact off the bench. "Everybody knows what Chicharito is capable of," the
Scot said. "He's a great penalty box striker, he's someone that finds
himself in space or gets in space in the box and he's had a great career
scoring goals in the box. "I think a lot of credit has to go to Mark Noble,
who plays a great ball in behind and Marko keeps the ball alive and pulls it
back, but it's a great finish by Chicho."

The point sees West Ham reach 34 points, six above Southampton who occupy
the final place in the relegation zone with six games to play. However,
Moyes insists he will not be happy until his side reach the 40-point mark.
He added: "With the teams we've got to play between now and the end of the
season, taking a point from any of the big teams is a good result. "I've
always said 40 (points) so until we get that then we won't be happy. It may
not end up needing as much as that but until you get that you can't feel as
though you are completely safe. "Our position is not comfortable enough yet.
From where we are I want to try and push us on."

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