- Alex (16), Drogba (56), Malouda (77), Drogba (90)
- Parker (30)
- Date:2010-03-13
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Stamford Bridge
- Attendance:41755
- Referee:Clattenburg, M
Live Commentary
90mins
The referee blows the whistle for full time
89mins
Drogba scores with his left foot from close range after Green fumbled the ball
86mins
Malouda leaves the pitch to be replaced by Salomon Kalou. Malouda has played extremely well today
82mins
Alessandro Diamanti comes on for Ilan
82mins
Lampard strikes the ball but it hits Parker and goes behind for a corner. Malouda takes it and Cole takes a shot but Daprela can clear comfortably
80mins
Drogba is fouled by Parker. Ballack takes the free kick but it comes to nothing for Chelsea
79mins
Yuri Zhirkov comes on for Ivanovic
78mins
Cole chips the ball to the back post and Drogba flings himself at it but Green comes out to prevent the chance
76mins
Malouda shoots low after surging into the box making the most of his neat footwork and the ball whacks the back of the net
73mins
Mikel's shot from 40 yards goes just wide of the post
72mins
Alex takes a free kick from range but it's blocked on the edge of the box. Parker eventually picks up the loose ball and West Ham break forward before Terry clears
70mins
Parker seems OK now and play resumes
68mins
Parker barges into the box and bangs into Ivanovic. Parker looks to be injured but Chelsea break forward regardless before eventually putting the ball out of play
66mins
Junior Stanislas comes on for Dyer
66mins
Mido comes off for Carlton Cole
66mins
Cole strikes the ball well but it hits the leg of Gabbidon
65mins
Anelka is replaced by Joe Cole
63mins
Chelsea have slowed the pace of their play down a little in recent minutes as they look to control the game in midfield
61mins
Malouda's right-footed cross into the box is smothered by Green, with Anelka lurking
59mins
Ilan finds Kovac, who shoots but his attempt is blocked. Kovac's second attempt at goal is also blocked by Terry
59mins
Malouda tries to play Drogba through with a curved pass but Matthew Upson steers the ball back to Green
57mins
Chelsea have another chance to score but Green saves brilliantly down low
55mins
John Terry surges forward brilliantly with the ball and finds Malouda. Malouda's cross is converted by Drogba, who heads home from close range
53mins
Malouda crosses into the box and Ballack is there but Fabio Daprela heads away the danger
52mins
Mikel gives the ball away carelessly to Parker, who finds Kovac but he wastes possession and Chelsea are back in control
50mins
Dyer cuts inside and attempts to bend the ball in towards the goal but he gets his effort all wrong in the end
48mins
Mido is booked for a challenge on Ballack
47mins
Malouda takes a free kick into the box but it's cleared by West Ham. Seconds later, the ball bounces around in the West Ham box until the referee flags for a free kick to the away side
45mins
The second half is underway at Stamford Bridge
45mins
It is half time at Stamford Bridge
44mins
Mikel's shot is blocked by Kovac. West Ham are living dangerously right now
42mins
Malouda sends a wicked ball into the box but Gabbidon is there once again for West Ham to prevent the chance
41mins
Malouda shoots towards goal from a tight angle but Spector slides in to prevent the danger
38mins
Ferreira's header from Malouda's cross is saved by Green. Not enough pace on that header but it was a difficult chance
37mins
Mikel picks out Nicolas Anelka, who shoots towards goal but the ball is collected comfortably by Green
35mins
Ilan plays through Dyer with a neat ball after a West Ham break but he's flagged offside by the linesman
34mins
Green makes a decent one-handed save from Lampard's shot after some neat build-up play from the home side
32mins
Drogba surges into the box but Gabbidon can clear for a Chelsea corner. Alex heads the ball over from the corner
29mins
Parker scores a wonderful goal from range, taking one touch on his chest and hitting it early, giving Turnbull no chance to make the save
27mins
Drogba's hanging header at the back post from Lampard's accurate cross fails to hit the target
26mins
Parker touches the ball back to Robert Green from a Drogba header with Lampard threatening
24mins
Malouda goes down right on the edge of the box after a challenge by Radoslav Kovac. Chelsea win the free kick and Drogba takes it but he skies the ball high and wide
22mins
Kieron Dyer battles with Branislav Ivanovic on the wing but his cross is cleared on the edge of the box
22mins
That early Ilan miss is looking very costly for West Ham at the moment. They're failing to get a foothold in this game
20mins
Drogba tries to find Ballack on the edge of the box with a cushioned header but West Ham can clear
19mins
Drogba cuts in from the left and tries to burst between two West Ham players but can't quite squeeze through with the ball
17mins
Chelsea are all over West Ham now, who look shell-shocked by that goal. Can't say it hadn't been coming
15mins
Malouda's cross is headed in emphatically by Rodrigo da Costa Alex. Poor defending from West Ham there
14mins
Ahmed Hossam Mido tackles Ferreira and wins the ball, much to the delight of the vociferous away fans
12mins
From 10 yards out, Ilan sends an effort over the bar. He should have done better in that position but the ball may have taken a nasty bounce just in front of him
10mins
John Obi Mikel passes to Didier Drogba but his shot is skewed into the side netting. Decent chance for Chelsea there
9mins
This has been a good period of pressure from the home side, with Malouda looking particularly lively
7mins
Malouda sprints forward with the ball but is adjudged to have fouled a West Ham player by the referee
5mins
Ferreira zips past Spector but fails to nip the ball past Gabbidon at the near post. From the corner, Ballack gets a head to the ball but Parker clears
3mins
Jonathan Spector puts the ball out of play with Renato Paulo Ferreira looking threatening. Seconds later, Frank Lampard's shot is blocked on the edge of the box by Danny Gabbidon
1mins
Florent Malouda slices an attempt about five yards wide of the post from the edge of the box. Hint of indecision there from Malouda
1mins
West Ham have seen a fair bit of the ball in these opening minutes, with Scott Parker and Araujo Dall'lgna Ilan taking neat touches
0mins
Referee Mark Clattenburg gets the game started
0mins
Chelsea start with Ross Turnbull for the first time in the league, whilst Michael Ballack returns from suspension. West Ham make a total of five changes
Match Preview
East meets west in a game which neither club can afford to lose at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Chelsea can take advantage of Manchester United not being in action until Sunday by reclaiming top spot, while time is running out for the Hammers to give themselves breathing room at the wrong end of the table.
The Blues have had two weeks to lick their wounds following a 4-2 humiliation for John Terry and company at the hands of Manchester City on February 27.
They were effective in sending Stoke City packing from the FA Cup at the sixth-round stage last weekend, but Chelsea have been far from their clinical best since losing to Everton in the league at the beginning of last month.
Injuries are certainly not helping coach Carlo Ancelotti, who will once again be without the likes of Petr Cech (calf), Ashley Cole (ankle), Michael Essien, Jose Bosingwa and Deco (all knee).
Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti are both available after missing the Stoke game through suspension.
Meanwhile, West Ham's mini-revival following the takeover of the club by David Gold and David Sullivan in January is in danger of petering out.
Last weekend's 2-1 home defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers Bolton has seen the Hammers drop to 16th place in the table where they are just three points clear of the drop-zone.
"There is not much to say, the players know exactly what happened and why we lost," explained boss Gianfranco Zola afterwards. "This is a lesson that we cannot repeat. It is a big lesson and we will respond next time."
Zola will be hoping key duo Scott Parker and Carlton Cole can get one over their former club.
Cole has scored just two goals since his return from injury in January and the form of the England striker will be key to the Hammers' survival hopes.
Last season they went to Stamford Bridge and secured a valuable point following a Craig Bellamy goal in a 1-1 draw.
Match Report
Florent Malouda inspired Chelsea to three vital points as they defeated West Ham United 4-1 at Stamford Bridge to return to the top of the league.
The French wideman set up goals for Alex and Didier Drogba before scoring the third goal himself.
Drogba hit his second goal of the afternoon in stoppage time while the visitors' goal came from a Scott Parker blaster which briefly brought the east Londoners back into the game.
Drogba had a fine chance on 11 minutes, beating the Hammers back four but failing to control the ball and shooting aimlessly wide.
West Ham, with Carlton Cole on the bench, seemed to have come to defend and counter-attack and, on 13 minutes, had just chance to open the scoring.
An error by Paulo Ferreira let in Mido who passed to Araujo Ilan but he skied the ball over Ross Turnbull's crossbar.
Chelsea responded within seconds and an unmarked Alex powered a header from eight yards past a hapless Robert Green to put the west Londoners 1-0 up.
Drogba then pressurised Matthew Upson who clipped his own crossbar seconds later. The Ivory Coast international again had another good chance on 28 minutes but headed Frank Lampard's cross wide.
West Ham's second chance on goal resulted in a screamer from ex-Blue Parker who let fly from 20 yards and the ball sailed high past Turnbull - giving the former Middlesbrough goalkeeper no chance.
He received the ball direct from a Kieron Dyer throw-in which looked like a foul one.
Chelsea responded well with fine one-touch football. On 36 minutes, Green was forced to make a good save from a low Lampard drive.
Again, good approach play from Chelsea saw another chance - this time Ferreira had a header from close range that flew straight to Green.
Chelsea restored their lead on 56 minutes and it was from an excellent build-up. Drogba fed the ball to John Terry who passed it out wide to Malouda. The Frenchman put in an inch-perfect cross to the incoming Drogba who nodded home from three yards.
Green was forced to make another fine save when he parried away an Alex header 60 seconds later.
Joe Cole entered the fray on 66 minutes and a minute later West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola brought on Carlton Cole and Junior Stanislas for Mido and Dyer.
Chelsea's dominance of the game was affirmed on 77 minutes when Malouda took the ball to the edge of the West Ham area and slotted home a deft left-footer past Green's despairing dive.
Lampard almost made it four but his six-yard effort from Malouda's pass clipped off the West Ham upright with four minutes remaining.
Drogba sealed the emphatic victory on 90 minutes with his own tap-in after Green had failed to hold Lampard's drive.
Chelsea Team
West Ham United Team
Chelsea | West Ham United |
Corners
| 11 | 1 |
Fouls
| 13 | 10 |
Goal attempts
Shots off target
| 10 | 3 |
Offsides
| 2 | 3 |
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85mins
Lampard hits the post after great play from Malouda once again. Chelsea are carving West Ham open at the moment