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Scott speaks on award
WHUFC.com
The 2010/11 Footballer of the Year was humbled to follow in the footsteps of
Bobby Moore
23.04.2011
Scott Parker has spoken for the first time about being named the Football
Writers' Association Footballer of the Year - the most prestigious player
prize in the game.
The Hammers inspiration is only the second West Ham United player to claim
the award, following in the illustrious footsteps of Bobby Moore, the
1963/64 winner.
"To follow someone like that, it means a lot to me," said a humbled Parker
as he faced a press pack eager to speak to the nation's outstanding
performer this season.
"Obviously it is a huge honour for me. I just try and get on with what I do,
play the best. It is a team effort, but awards like this are something I
feel very honoured to be chosen for. I have stated a few times that I have
been, and am, playing probably the best football of my career. "I cannot
explain to you the way it has gone for me - on a personal level and the
accolades and the awards are massive. Certainly I am over the moon that I
have won and I am absolutely over the moon at playing well. "On a personal
level I think things are going pretty well for me here. I just need to keep
going and keep working hard and keep everything on the right track."
Now 30, Parker said lessons learned on and off the pitch had helped him to
become a complete performer for club and country. "I am playing in a team
regularly. It is like anything, you get a bit older you get a bit more
experienced. You learn a lot more and I think some things become a bit
easier for you."
Parker will put aside his personal achievement - at least until the FWA
awards dinner on 12 May - to focus on helping the Hammers get the points
they need from the final five matches of the campaign. He is working around
the clock at Chadwell Heath to possibly be back for selection at Manchester
City on Sunday week. "It has been a tough season for all of us, We have
still got five games to play this season. It's still very, very tough but we
will keep battling away and see what happens.
"Our main aim is to stay in the Premier League. Like I said, we have five
games left and they are all big, big games for us - and hopefully we can get
the points that we need and stay in this league."
Parker added that he was "really buzzing" to hear the various plaudits that
have come his way since the award was announced but admitted there was only
thing that he truly wanted come the season end. "My one main focus is
staying in the Premier League with West Ham. If I can do that then that is
the achievement I want. If it didn't happen, all the personal awards and
accolades would not make up. Not when you would be driving home gutted and
disappointed that had happened. "As I said, we have five games to go and a
chance still to get ourselves out of this and we will focus on that. We are
still in it, we still have a chance."
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Chelsea 3 - 0 West Ham
BBC.co.uk
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Stamford Bridge
Fernando Torres finally broke his scoring duck for the reigning champions in
a victory that maintained Chelsea's flickering challenge for the Premier
League title - and left West Ham rooted to the bottom of the table. The £50m
British record capture from Liverpool emerged as a late substitute to end a
barren scoring sequence stretching over 903 minutes to help keep Carlo
Ancelotti's side in second place, six points behind Manchester United with
four games left to play. The Spanish striker - making his 14th Chelsea
appearance since his January move - was mobbed by elated team-mates as he
turned in a rain-soaked penalty area with six minutes remaining to send a
left-foot finish past keeper Robert Green. Torres' goal was sandwiched in
between a close-range finish from Frank Lampard seconds before the interval
and a spectacular strike from Florent Malouda, with an unwitting assist from
Torres, in stoppage time.
The storm clouds gathered over Stamford Bridge as well as West Ham's Premier
League survival hopes, with a torrential downpour making the surface
treacherous and thunder and lightning providing a spectacular backdrop,
forcing the floodlights to go out for a short spell. Chelsea deserved their
win, with David Luiz hitting the bar and substitute Nicolas Anelka having a
shot scrambled off the line after he was played in by Torres at the start of
his impressive 14-minute cameo. West Ham, however, will rue a succession of
missed opportunities to claim a precious point, especially a simple chance
turned wide by substitute Robbie Keane after 73 minutes with Chelsea
protecting a one-goal advantage. The day belonged to Torres, though. Relief
and joy were clear on his face, and on those of his team-mates and coach
Ancelotti, when that elusive goal finally arrived in front of the Matthew
Harding Stand. Chelsea are still rank outsiders to chase down United, with a
visit to Old Trafford to come, but this win will keep hope flickering while
West Ham now face an increasingly desperate battle to survive, especially as
they were robbed of newly-crowned Football of the Year Scott Parker because
of an Achilles tendon injury.
While Torres' early performances were not bad enough to have him written off
as comprehensively as he was in some quarters, this brief return to former
glories is insufficient to announce normal service has resumed Torres was
once more confined to the bench as Didier Drogba led Chelsea's attack, and
almost set up the opening goal inside two minutes when he played in Malouda,
who should have done better than give Green the chance to make the block.
Chelsea enjoyed almost total supremacy in possession and territory in the
opening exchanges, but West Ham survived to flourish and fashion
opportunities of their own as the half progressed, with Freddie Sears
prominent. He did well to hold off Ashley Cole in a straight race down
Chelsea's right flank, crossing for Jonathan Spector to test keeper Petr
Cech with a header low down at his near post. Sears then almost broke the
deadlock himself, only for Cole to clear his close-range effort off the
line. West Ham looked to have survived to see out a satisfying opening
period - a satisfaction snatched away as Lampard gave Chelsea the lead
seconds before the interval. It was a goal perfectly simple in its creation,
Drogba playing in Cole, whose cross was an open invitation for Lampard to
fire high past Green from 12 yards. As the storm rattled around Stamford
Bridge, some of the floodlights were affected and the pitch was close to
unplayable in part. Ancelotti and Avram Grant - his counterpart and
predecessor - were both forced to make changes to compensate for what looked
like serious injuries early in the second half. Michael Essien collapsed
holding his knee and was replaced by Yossi Benayoun, while West Ham's Mark
Noble was stretchered off, Keane coming on.
Chelsea continued to be in the ascendancy, with Lampard forcing a fine save
from Green and Luiz - who had received treatment after being flattened by
Cech in an accidental collision - striking the bar from 25 yards with West
Ham's keeper well beaten. West Ham, however, were still posing a real threat
as Demba Ba and Keane both forced saves from Cech in the space of seconds,
pursuing what could have been a priceless point. Their best chance of the
game came and went with 17 minutes left when Spector looked to have
presented Keane with the simplest of finishes, only for the Spurs loanee to
sweep a careless effort wastefully wide. It prompted Ancelotti to send on
Torres for Drogba, the striker setting up Anelka only for his effort to be
cleared off the line by the scrambling Danny Gabbidon. Torres was in
electrifying form, even defying the weather conditions that forced the ball
to be held up in the penalty area to score his first goal in 732 minutes as
a Chelsea player.
Played in by Anelka, Torres hit the ball - which appeared to be stuck in a
puddle - on the turn with his left foot and it curled beyond Green. And
Malouda's thunderous finish, which came about when Anelka misread Torres'
pass and the ball fell to the French international, proved the final
flourish in a satisfying Chelsea win.
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Curbs: shut up shop and stay up
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 23rd April 2011
By: Staff Writer
The man who masterminded West Ham's last 'Great Escape' says that clean
sheets are a necessity if United are to avoid relegation. Having gone down
3-0 at Chelsea today Avram Grant has just four games to prevent a return to
the Championship after just seven seasons back in the top flight. And
former Hammers boss Alan Curbishley insists that United have no chance of
staying up should they continue to leak goals. Today's defeat was the 13th
time West Ham have conceded three or more in a game this season (44 games in
total). "They've been letting in goals galore and they cannot carry on like
that," Curbs, working as a panellist, told ESPN. "They need a couple of
clean sheets. "When we got out of it last time it was because we kept a
couple of clean sheets. Everyone talks about the Tevez goal but we won seven
of the last nine and had five clean sheets in there. There's got to be a
time when they can keep some clean sheets. "They were unlucky today, they
had a couple of decent chances. But what's gone for them is that no-one down
the bottom has won today - they're still two points off it, that's one win.
By the time they go into those last three games it may still only be two
points. "So when they play against the likes of Blackburn and WIgan, and the
last home game against Sunderland it could go right down to the last game
for three or four teams here."
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Ancelotti on... West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 23rd April 2011
By: Staff Writer
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes that his side were pushed all the way
at Stamford Bridge today...
Carlo: Didier Drogba said that two things were important today. 1) A Chelsea
win and 2) a Fernando Torres goal. A perfect day?
It was a perfect day. Everyone waited for Fernando [Torres] to score and
finally he scored. I think for him from today will be a new life - he really
needed to score this goal. He's worked hard and maintained confidence and
composure and now I think, from today, he will have a fantastic future in
this club.
How has he dealt with the difficulties of the last few months?
I think the big problem was that he came into a new club and it wasn't easy
to immediately find a good relationship with the other team mates that play.
So he had these kind of difficulties but now the bad moment is gone for him
and I think that we will take advantage with his performances.
A 3-0 scoreline in the end but a difficult afternoon. West Ham made it quite
difficult for you - and the weather was difficult too?
West Ham played a very good game because until the last five minutes they
were in the game. They worked hard and they had the opportunities to come
back and draw. They played really well, we didn't play so well but we were
efficient in attacking play - we scored three goals and this was important.
Do you feel that the pressure is all on Manchester United and that Chelsea
can be free to express themselves during the next few games?
I don't think they have more pressure, they are six points ahead! This is
not a good gap but we have to keep trying to do our best and believe that
something can happen. If it doesn't happen then I think we have to celebrate
Manchester United because they are having a fantastic Premier League.
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Grant on... Chelsea
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 23rd April 2011
By: Staff Writer
Avram Grant lays off the match officials for a week to (partially) blame the
Stamford Bridge playing surface instead...
Avram: Do you feel the result reflected the way your team played today?
I think when you hear someone say 3-0 you'd think we didn't play well. But
it was 1-0 until the 85th minute and we had better chances than Chelsea;
Petr Cech had a good day and made two great saves.
We had good chances with Robbie Keane, with Carlton Cole; Demba Ba before -
and I saw that we were close to 1-1. Then the pitch helped Torres to score
the second goal and it's over.
Their first goal came before half time - it's always a very difficult time
to concede, isn't it?
Yes it's a very difficult time, especially because we had big chances
before. Petr [Cech] saved one from Freddie Sears and one from [Jonathan]
Spector from two metres. So we didn't feel good but you saw the team second
half - we came good second half and we created chances.
Robbie Keane in front of the goal, I thought he could make something from
this because he knows how to score. But this is football; we didn't score
and then conceded a goal.
Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan both feel you have enough to stay up; do
you agree?
Yes. We played today without the Player of the Year, we played without Gary
O'Neil who did well for us, without Mark Noble who got injured and we played
well.
We have a good team; since January we've had a good team and played good but
we are fighting because of our results in the first half of the season. I
think we are doing it well and of course we believe that we can stay in the
league, even after this game from which we can take a lot of positives.
If we continue to create chances like we did today, we can stay in the
league.
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Grant keeps the faith
West Ham boss believes side can avoid drop after good display
Last Updated: April 23, 2011 9:52pm
SSN
Avram Grant believes West Ham can stay up after a battling 3-0 loss to
Chelsea. The Hammers gave the champions a real game in wet conditions at
Stamford Bridge but failed to convert their numerous chances. The Blues were
more proficient in front of goal and won thanks to a Frank Lampard effort
just before half time and late goals from Fernando Torres and Florent
Malouda. West Ham dropped to bottom earlier in the day after Wolves drew but
Grant is convinced they can escape the drop.
"If we continue to play like this, we will stay in the league," Grant said
at his post match press conference. "I think everybody in this room knows
that we deserved better. "Petr Cech was excellent with two or three great
saves. If someone didn't see the game, they think 3-0, Chelsea is much
better than us. "I can be very proud of the players. Without the player of
the year (Scott Parker), without Matthew Upson, without Gary O'Neil, and
Mark Noble second half, they showed a lot of belief, a lot of spirit."
Noble was carried off on a stretcher after injuring his knee, with Grant
adding: "It's not looking so good."
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Torres nets as Blues keep pace
Torres finally breaks duck in 3-0 win over Hammers
Last updated: 23rd April 2011
SSN
Man of the match: Didier Drogba. Did not get on the scoresheet but was a
contant threat before being substituted late on.
Goal of the match: Florent Malouda's. He hit a screamer into from the edge
of the area in injury time which gave Robert Green no chance.
Attempt of the match: David Luiz hit a superb long range effort which hit
the bar.
Save of the match: Petr Cech produced a great save to his left to deny a
Jonathan Spector header midway in the first period.
Moment of match: Has to be Fernando Torres' goal. The Spaniard was literally
swamped by his team-mates after scoring his first goal for the Blues and
Stamford Bridge erupted.
Talking point: Can Torres now push on and get a flurry of goals to aid
Chelsea's title run in. Can the Blues peg back Manchester United at the top?
Can West Ham avoid the drop?
Fernando Torres finally broke his Chelsea goal duck as the Blues beat West
Ham 3-0 to keep their title hopes alive. Frank Lampard gave the hosts the
lead just before the interval when slotting home an Ashley Cole cross.
Torres came off the bench to double the advantage with six minutes remaining
before Florent Malouda netted in injury time to wrap up the victory. The win
sees second-placed Chelsea sit six points behind leaders Manchester
United,while West Ham remain rock bottom after Wolves drew earlier in the
day. Torres finally scored to end his 15-hour goal drought after the
£50million man had not found the net for 901 minutes for club and country.
He had not scored in 732 minutes for the champions since joining them almost
three months ago, but it took him just eight minutes to do so after coming
off the bench. The jubilant Spaniard was mobbed by his team-mates as
Stamford Bridge erupted in joy. The margin of defeat was harsh on West Ham,
who wasted several chances of their own as they ended the day back on the
bottom of the table, two points from safety. Amid all the talk of Chelsea's
resurgence and West Ham's survival battle, the latest reunion between John
Terry and Wayne Bridge had slipped under the radar. Relations between the
pair had not thawed in the year after allegations emerged about their
private lives and Bridge duly snubbed Terry during the pre-match handshake,
as he did last season. The non-pleasantries were accompanied by a huge drop
in temperature as the heavens opened after one of the hottest days of the
year.
Teacherous conditions
In what were admittedly treacherous conditions, Chelsea flattered to deceive
in the first half, dominating the opening 20 minutes without finding the
net. Malouda looked certain to do so inside three minutes - just as he had
done against Birmingham on Wednesday - but he shot straight at the onrushing
Robert Green. Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Malouda all went close but West
Ham's blanket defence stood firm. Their attacking threat had been virtually
nil but that changed in the 24th minute when Petr Cech was forced into
fingertip saves twice in a minute from Demba Ba's 30-yarder and Jonathan
Spector's close-range header. Drogba blazed over as the rain relented, only
to be replaced by the sound of thunder, before the lively Freddie Sears was
desperately unlucky not to put West Ham ahead on the half-hour, his
outrageous volleyed backheel from a corner cleared off the line by Cole.
Chelsea were becoming increasingly sloppy, with a suicidal Salomon Kalou
pass going unpunished and a lack of communication seeing Cech take out
team-mate David Luiz. But with just a minute of the half remaining, Chelsea
produced their best move of the match to take the lead, Drogba threading in
Cole, whose low cross was smashed home by Lampard. The rain returned and
there also appeared to be a floodlight failure before the interval. That was
rectified during half-time, after which Kalou fired wide from 12 yards
before John Obi Mikel blocked Manuel Da Costa's header from a corner. Both
sides lost men to injury moments later, Michael Essien hobbling off and Mark
Noble carried off on a stretcher in worryingly innocuous fashion. Drogba's
free-kick just evaded Terry but his cross moments later should have been
converted by Lampard but he failed to land a connection to beat Green.
Unplyable danger
The pitch was in danger of becoming unplayable but David Luiz smashed a
long-ranger against the crossbar moments before Ba's blockbuster was fumbled
by Cech and Hammers substitute Robbie Keane shot straight at the keeper.
With 20 minutes remaining, Kalou was withdrawn for Anelka, with Torres made
to wait by Carlo Ancelotti. Keane really should have levelled 16 minutes
from time when Spector's through ball left him with just Cech to beat but he
blazed wide. Ba became the latest player to clear off his own line before
Torres replaced Drogba for the final 14 minutes, squaring for for Anelka to
score what should have been the clincher, Danny Gabbidon heading off the
line. Then, the moment every Chelsea fan had been waiting for arrived.
Anelka's through ball played in Torres and the ball cruelly appeared to hold
up in a puddle. But that proved a blessing in disguise as the Spaniard
swivelled and curled home left-footed. Stamford Bridge erupted and every
outfield Chelsea player piled on top of a jubilant Torres next to the corner
flag. The striker even played a part in Chelsea's stoppage-time third,
providing the goal assist which Malouda lashed into the roof of the net, a
strike that could prove vital if goal difference comes into play in the
title race.
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McAllister behind Reo-Coker
Villa assistant happy with tackle despite legal threat
Last Updated: April 23, 2011 12:40pm
SSN
Gary McAllister has backed Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker in the
wake of potential legal action from Gary O'Neil over a career-threatening
injury. The West Ham man has been given a 50 per cent chance of playing
again after being stretchered from the field following a tackle from
Reo-Coker in a 2-1 win for Villa earlier this month. There are serious
concerns O'Neil may not be able to play again after undergoing a two-hour
operation on Wednesday to repair the ligament damage suffered in the
ex-Middlesbrough man's ankle. O'Neil is thought to be considering legal
action, however, McAllister, who knows the midfielder following their time
together at Boro, does not believe there was any malice in the challenge.
Villa's No.2 has seen video replays of the tackle and feels it was
Reo-Coker's follow-through that caught O'Neil and that it was indeed a
'good' tackle.
Surprise
"I am surprised. I know Gary O'Neil quite well," said McAllister. "I worked
with him at Boro so, when I saw that the knock he got was bad, I got our
video guys to show me the challenge. "I've got to say it's a good tackle and
it's the follow-through of Gary O'Neil which catches the base of Nigel's
boot, where I think the problem comes from. "Nigel clearly gets the ball.
He's come from the side, not from the back and I just don't think Gary
O'Neil's seen him. "It was just the sharpness of the tackle and just the
follow-through has caught the underside of Nigel's boot. "I think Nigel can
rest assured it was a good tackle."
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Grant expects to keep Parker
Hammers boss says midfielder's FWA award is good for football
Last Updated: April 23, 2011 9:13am
SSN
Avram Grant is confident Scott Parker will stay at West Ham, while he
believes it is good for football that the midfielder was named the Football
Writers' Association Player of the Year. The Hammers have struggled towards
the bottom of the Premier League all season but Parker has still maintained
an exceptional level of individual performance. His magnificent campaign was
recognised with a nomination for the PFA Player of the Year award, although
Gareth Bale took the prize at Sunday's ceremony. Parker came out on top with
the FWA, though, and Grant is delighted with the decision after touting him
as the division's finest throughout the season. "You know I think he
deserves it," he said. "It is good for him, it is good for football. "Not
every time you need to choose players from the top teams. "Everybody is
interested in the top teams but he did a lot for the team, a lot for
football. "He was also good in the games he played for the national team,
but for us he's not just a good footballer but a good person. "I think today
everybody who is involved in football and is watching all over can see it is
good to be a good footballer but it is important to be a positive person.
"And he is the second man from West Ham to win the award after Bobby Moore,
which says something. "Bobby Moore was one of the greatest ever."
Moving forward
Parker's performances this season have led to reports that numerous clubs
may be interested in securing his services over the summer. However, Grant
remains confident that Parker will remain at Upton Park and help the club
realise their lofty ambitions. "Until the summer we have a very long time
but I am very positive that Scott will stay because he knows what the future
of the club is," said Grant. "He knows we are going to try and do things
better to move forward and he is a big part of it so I think he will stay."
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Chelsea 3 West Ham 0
The Sun
Published: 23 Apr 2011
FERNANDO TORRES ended his goal drought to keep Chelsea in touch with
Manchester United. The Spaniard had suffered for 13 games and nearly three
months following his £50million move from Liverpool in January. But his late
finish after coming on as a sub ended 732 minutes of misery at Stamford
Bridge and helped to kill off a spirited West Ham in a thrilling London
derby. Frank Lampard opened the scoring against his old side and Florent
Malouda finished it in style with a thumping effort. But it might have ended
5-5 as a soaked pitch made for an entertaining game. Chelsea went into the
match needing three points to stay in touch with United at the top of the
table. And Malouda should have put the home side in front after just three
minutes as he ghosted on to Didier Drogba's throughball as Manuel Da Costa
slipped. Malouda found himself one-on-one against Rob Green but the Chelsea
man shot straight at the West Ham keeper when he should have done better.
Drogba took a potshot from distance that Green watched all the way before
Malouda's solid effort was kept out by Danny Gabbidon's diving block. It was
all Chelsea and Drogba rolled his marker before shooting instinctively for
the far corner. But Green got down well to hold the ball cleanly in the
slippery conditions. Malouda was enjoying plenty of space down the left
flank and he cut inside before failing with a right-footed effort. Wayne
Bridge did enough to put off Salomon Kalou as he tried to finish off a
one-two with John Obi Mikel. Demba Ba's 35-yard piledriver midway through
the half sparked West Ham into action, though, and they enjoyed a decent
spell when they might have taken the lead. Freddie Sears broke for the
visitors and he beat Ashley Cole for pace before crossing for Jonathan
Spector at the far post. The American's diving header was destined for the
bottom corner until Petr Cech sprung low to his left to palm the ball
behind. Another slip from Da Costa allowed Drogba a sniff in the area but he
blazed too high. West Ham, heartened by their counter-attacking success, won
another corner on 31 minutes. Mark Noble's inswinger found its way through
to Sears and the youngster's backflick saw Cech and Cole combine on the line
to keep the scores level. Branislav Ivanovic dragged a shot well wide before
another Hammers break created another opportunity. Carlton Cole was forced
wide by Ba's diagonal ball but when he eventually came back inside, David
Luiz was there to block before John Terry blocked Ba's follow-up header. And
the visitors succumbed to the sucker punch a minute before the break when
Drogba found Cole overlapping down the left. The full-back pulled the ball
back into the centre and Lampard was there with a trademark finish into the
roof of the net from eight yards to open the scoring.
A half-time downpour made conditions under foot even more treacherous. But a
superb Chelsea move on the sticky surface ended with a shot for Kalou that
he planted wide. West Ham were still in at 1-0, though, and Da Costa got up
highest to nod goalwards only for Mikel to make the clearance a couple of
yards out.
Mark Noble was forced off with a leg injury after giving away a free-kick.
Drogba curled in the set-piece and Terry was inches away from applying the
final touch.
Lampard should have had his second on 63 minutes when he burst unmarked on
to Drogba's clever pass. But the ball lost its power as it travelled on the
wet grass and Green held on. Green denied Lampard again seconds later after
the midfielder sent in a wicked swerver. Malouda found the side-netting next
after dancing his way through a static West Ham defence. The action was
swinging from end to end and Luiz thumped the crossbar with a brilliant
curled effort. But back came West Ham and Ba's 25-yarder stung Cech's palms.
Hammers sub Robbie Keane found space inside the Chelsea box but could only
fire straight at Cech.
Carlton Cole fluffed his lines in front of goal after Sears skinned Ashley
Cole again. Keane passed up the chance of the game on 74 minutes as he
skewed his effort wide after a fine run from Spector. Drogba's last action
was to head goalwards from a corner that Ba cleared off the line and
Fernando Torres came on for the Ivorian. Gabbidon then rescued West Ham with
a header he knew little about after Torres found Nicolas Anelka unmarked and
the Frenchman shot straight at the visiting defender. But Torres finally
grabbed his moment in the spotlight as he burst on to Anelka's throughball.
The striker thought his chance had gone after the ball got stuck in a
waterlogged penalty area. But it allowed Torres to spin on the ball and his
assured finish found the far corner. Stamford Bridge erupted and Torres was
mobbed by every one of his outfield team-mates next to the corner flag.
Malouda then crashed home an injury-time third to leave the scoreline a
little distorted.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, David Luiz, Terry, Cole, Essien (Benayoun 56),
Mikel, Lampard, Kalou (Anelka 70), Drogba (Torres 76), Malouda. Subs Not
Used: Turnbull, Zhirkov, Ferreira, Bertrand. Booked: Ivanovic. Goals:
Lampard 44, Torres 84, Malouda 90.
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Gabbidon, da Costa, Bridge, Spector, Noble (Keane
59), Hitzlsperger, Sears (Obinna 81), Cole (Piquionne 78), Ba. Subs Not
Used: Boffin, Tomkins, Boa Morte, Kovac. Booked: Hitzlsperger, Ba.
Att: 41,656
Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea 3-0 West Ham: Sunday Mirror match report
Published 22:01 23/04/11 By Steve Stammers
The Mirror
After 732 minutes of frustration, Fernando Torres finally got the goal that
ended his drought. In front of the Matthew Harding Stand, Torres collected
a ball from Nicolas Anelka, turned inside and fired past Robert Green. His
joy was understandable and Stamford Bridge erupted with as much relief as
delight. Chelsea are determined to hang on to their title and push
Manchester United to the limit. With Torres now remembering where the net
is, the hope is not so forlorn. The initial impression at Stamford Bridge
was that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti had missed a trick. With Torres
desperate for a goal after three barren months since his £50million move
from Liverpool, this was surely the day he could open his account. Even
with Matthew Upson, the West Ham defence has looked porous of late.
And when the England international defender was ruled out of yesterday's
clash with a chest infection, Torres would have fancied his chances of
ending his hoodoo.
But Ancelotti opted to keep Roman Abramovich's prize asset on the bench and
went for the physique and power of Didier Drogba. The agendas for the
opposing teams could not have been more stark. For Chelsea, victory was
essential to hang on to the coat-tails of Premier League leaders Manchester
United. As for West Ham, they would just settle for United to be on their
fixture list next season. There was ,of course, another undercurrent of
emotion for what was already a feisty affair. John Terry and Wayne Bridge
have history – and Bridge was clearly in no mood to forgive and forget.
Etiquette dictates the players shake hands before the start. Bridge was
clearly uneasy with the custom and ignored Terry to shake hands instead with
the Chelsea mascot. But a mere two minutes into the match, Ancelotti was so
close to justification for his selection as Drogba scythed open the Hammers
defence with an exquisite through ball that left Florent Malouda clear on
goal. But Robert Green was alert and smothered at the Frenchman's feet.
Chelsea continued to pile on the pressure but desperate defending kept them
at bay. And the longer they held out, the more West Ham's confidence grew. A
ferocious thunderstorm left the pitch with a difficult surface — and West
Ham looked the more at ease. After 24 minutes, the eccentric Demba Ba
tested Petr Cech with a fierce shot and two minutes later Cech had to be at
his sharpest to keep out a close-range header from Jonathan Spector. Cech
was then grateful for Ashley Cole's presence on the line when Freddie Sears'
shot looked set to end up in the net. Cole showed his attacking side just
before half-time as he accelerated on to a through ball from Michael Essien
to cross low for Frank Lampard to fire home from 10 yards. West Ham refused
to capitulate — and they came so close to an equaliser in the 51st minute.
A Mark Noble corner eluded the Chelsea defence and Manuel da Costa headed
goalwards only to see John Obi Mikel block.
Essien went off with a hamstring problem to be replaced by Yossi Benayoun.
West Ham saw Noble stretchered off and replaced by Robbie Keane. Drogba
was again the menace just after the hour as he sent a cross into the path of
Lampard but the rain-soaked pitch took the sting off his shot. Malouda then
broke in to the area but decided to shoot instead of crossing and the ball
went into the side netting. Suddenly the game came to life. David Luiz hit
the West Ham bar with a 20-yarder and Cech had to stop Keane's shot. But
Torres came up with his goal and could then indulge himself as creator to
set up Malouda for the home side's third in injury time
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Hammers keeping tabs on Newcastle captain Nolan
Published 23:00 23/04/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham have been keeping tabs on Newcastle's top goalscorer and skipper
Kevin Nolan. The 28-year-old former Bolton Wanderers midfielder is under
contract at St James' Park until 2013 and has been a key figure for the
Geordies in the past couple of seasons. He took his goals tally this season
to 12 when he scored in Newcastle's 4-1 demolition of Wolves on April 2.
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Parker: Award will be tarnished if Hammers go down
Published 23:00 22/04/11 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror
Scott Parker has admitted his Player of the Year Award will be tarnished if
West Ham are relegated this season. With the Hammers mired in the drop zone,
the England midfielder could become the first player to win the vote of the
football writers and go down in the same campaign. And Parker, who will miss
today's visit to Chelsea with his Achilles' tendon injury, said: "If we
don't stay up, I suppose the award will be tarnished. I stated recently the
main focus this year is staying in the Premier League with West Ham and if
we don't do it, after all the personal accolades, it will be very very
disappointing. "It's been a tough season. We've still five games remaining
but we'll keep battling away and see what happens."
Parker becomes only the second West Ham winner of the award after Bobby
Moore in 1964. "When I got the phone call to say I'd won it. I was
speechless," Parker revealed. "I'm absolutely over the moon. "There were a
lot of other candidates - Charlie Adam, Gareth Bale - I'm really really
buzzing that people are appreciating what I'm doing." Hammers manager Avram
Grant said: "He is one of the special ones. He is a modern player with the
good old values that you still have in football. He's not just a good
footballer but a good person."
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Torres finally makes a splash at sodden Bridge
Chelsea 3 West Ham United 0
The Independent
By Steve Tongue at stamford bridge
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Amid Wagnerian scenes of thunder and lightning over west London, West Ham's
best hope of salvaging something from the day turned out to be an
abandonment. The unpredictable Easter weather was against them, however,
like so much else, even assisting Fernando Torres to break his scoring duck
at last after 732 minutes in a blue shirt. Despite a brave fight founded on
a bold 4-3-3 formation, West Ham finished the game where they had begun it,
at the bottom of the table.
For once they made light of missing Scott Parker, named Footballer of the
Year on Friday, even after losing another midfielder, Mark Noble, to injury.
The captain Matthew Upson had not been able to play and luck was absent too,
two goal-bound efforts being blocked by defenders.
It did not look like a 3-0 game and nor was the gap between the sides
reflected in the respective performances. But Chelsea, with the old
reliables Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry to the fore, came
through and stay six points behind Manchester United with four games to play
– one of them at Old Trafford.
Afterwards Carlo Ancelotti was less confident of achieving his team's aim
than Avram Grant of his. "We have less possibility [of the title] because we
have one game less," Ancelotti admitted. "I think we stay in the League,"
Grant claimed, while agreeing that the area in which West Ham must improve
is the conversion of chances.
There had been applause before kick-off for the former Chelsea men Parker,
Carlton Cole and Grant. Less well received was Wayne Bridge, who had
famously refused to shake Terry's hand before his Manchester City team
played here last season. This time there was no attempt by either player to
observe the courtesies.
Chelsea seemed to have decided that Bridge's partner at full-back, Lars
Jacobsen, was the weak link, and it was no surprise that the opening goal
materialised from that area. Half a dozen times beforehand, Ashley Cole or
Florent Malouda had been played into the space behind Jacobsen. When Drogba,
dropping deep, played yet another ball inside the right-back, Cole was on to
it immediately, cutting back a precise pass into the path of Lampard. The
West Ham old boy scored with a thump.
That curtailed an encouraging revival by West Ham after being
comprehensively outplayed in the opening 20 minutes. When they finally moved
forward, Demba Ba unleashed a fizzing shot from 30 yards that Petr Cech had
to turn over the crossbar for one of a series of corners. Another was forced
by Jonathan Spector's header after a break and cross by Freddie Sears. From
the next corner Sears was able to manage nothing more than a flick, which
Ashley Cole blocked on the line.
By the start of the second half, not only had a number of the floodlights
gone out but the amount of water on the pitch had become a serious handicap.
Michael Essien and Noble may or may not have blamed if for the injuries they
suffered soon after the resumption. There were soon more powerful efforts
from David Luiz, who sent a shot from 30 yards against Rob Green's crossbar,
and at the other end Ba, with a drive that Cech could not hold. Manuel da
Costa's header from a corner was blocked by Jon Obi Mikel, and Robbie Keane
shot wastefully from 10 yards.
Torres was given 14 minutes in place of Drogba, quickly setting up another
substitute, Nicolas Anelka, for a shot that Danny Gabbidon headed off the
line. Given his big opportunity, he was helped when the ball held up in the
wet, swinging his left foot to spark protracted celebrations on the pitch
and off. Malouda's late goal only made West Ham's day more miserable. This
may be the twilightof their Premier League life.
Attendance: 41,656
Referee: Phil Dowd
Man of the match: Malouda
Match rating: 7/10
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You've really got to hand it to Bridge... a year on and Terry's left hanging
again
By MICK COLLINS Last updated at 12:40 AM on 24th April 2011
Daily Mail
A season on from the non-handshake between Wayne Bridge and John Terry
following allegations of a relationship between the Chelsea captain and
Vanessa Perroncel, Bridge's former girlfriend, the moments before
yesterday's game offered a chance for a rematch – and a change of tactics
from Bridge. Last year, when playing for Manchester City, Bridge moved to
offer a hand, only to pull it back at the last moment. This time, with him
at West Ham, he suddenly took a deep interest in shaking the hand of a
mascot being taken down the line of players by Terry. By the time an
enthusiastic handshake had been completed with a Chelsea-shirted figure of
about four feet tall, a rather larger one - in the shape of Terry - had once
more been left with his hand hanging in the air by Bridge, as the home
crowd's jeers almost matched that of the cheers from West Ham's travelling
supporters.
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