Thu, 19th Apr 2007

Chelsea swaggered back to three points behind Manchester United with the club's biggest
ever win at Upton Park. Shaun Wright-Phillips scored two outstanding goals.

Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba struck in the second-half. And there were crucial last
quarter of the game rests for Drogba and Frank Lampard.

With five changes from Sunday's FA Cup semi-final starting line-up, and a few bottles
being lobbed at the team bus by West Ham fans as it arrived, Chelsea certainly had every
reason to be fresh and up for the game.

In marked contrast, the home crowd gave a fine welcome back to Joe Cole when his
name was read out by the stadium announcer.

Chelsea started well enough, but after five minutes Terry got caught on the ball by his old
schoolboy team-mate Zamora, and Benayoun had the chance to cross unchallenged.
Diarra stayed cool to clear without conceding a corner.

West Ham, who played 90 minutes on Saturday as opposed to Chelsea's 120 on Sunday,
got wind up and immediately looked much sharper.

Tevez crossed, Cech punched, and again Diarra battled well and cleared coolly. Benayoun
won a corner, Tevez took it and Collins headed over.

All West Ham's attacks were coming down their right. But when Noble showed too much
of the ball to Essien, Lampard countered and Wright-Phillips set up Kalou who was
blocked. He recovered to find Drogba whose shot was half-blocked by Green and
cleared.

Chelsea kept attacking and Bridge forced a booking out of Reo-Coker, being hacked
down as he skipped over him. It was Reo-Coker's 14th caution of the season.

Three minutes later Neill entered referee Dean's book for hauling down Wright-Phillips
as he leap-frogged him. Wright-Phillips wasn't far from having a good run on goal.

Boa Morte was lucky four minutes later not to be booked when he brought down Essien
from behind.

Instead, it was Diarra who was yellow carded in the 20th minute when he kicked the ball
away after being whistled up for fouling Tevez just wide of the penalty area following a
great Zamora pass as West Ham broke out from Chelsea's first corner.

West Ham won their fifth corner before the half-hour in a good period of attacking.
Again, everything was down their right - that was from where all the corners came - not
least because Tevez kept pulling out there.
On the half-hour, Wright-Phillips scored not only the best goal of his Chelsea career so
far but one of Chelsea's finest of the season.

There was some superb one-touch play when he took the ball from the centre towards the
left and looked to pass outside but instead slid inside Spector and in one movement
turned and shot left-footed low into the far corner from outside the area.

This position on the right of the midfield diamond has certainly seemed to transform his
game, Believe it or not, this was his first Premiership goal for Chelsea, although his fifth
overall - all scored this season.

But four minutes later West Ham were level. From a throw on their left - yes, their left -
Tevez cut inside and hit a wonderful cross-shot from just inside the area that not even the
supreme Cech could save. This London derby was buzzing.

One minute later it exploded. Bridge tore up the left again, starting in his own half and
playing a one-two with Lampard, crossed low and gloriously, and Wright-Phillips
sprinted in to drive a brilliant right-footed finish from 15 yards. From 0-0 to 2-1 up in
five minutes.

Immediately West Ham crossed from their right again and defender Collins was upfield
to send a header down to Cech's left, but this time the goalkeeper was able to dive and
hold it with certainty.

As the West Ham fans sang the now perennial taunt at José Mourinho: 'You're getting
sacked in the summer…' you couldn't help but look at West Ham manager Alan
Curbishley as he stood distraught on the touchline, and wonder if he was thinking this
was for him.

As stoppage time started at the end of the first-half, the defence went into uncharacteristic
disarray, Diarra clearing when Cech could have held, escaping punishment when
Benayoun crossed sloppily, and breathing a sigh of relief when Boa Morte's effort was
easily held by Cech.

There have been many full-blooded, entertaining games between West Ham and Chelsea
at the Boleyn Stadium, and the first-half was right up there with the most exciting.

For the second-half Ferreira replaced Diarra. But straight from kick-off Zamora crossed
from wide left and Boa Morte sent a header just wide.

Then, after Essien had hit a 30 yarder straight at Green, Mikel lost the ball outside his
area, McCartney crossed and Zamora somehow mis-hit the ball straight at Cech.

West Ham were stretched though. First Drogba and then Lampard were fouled, and after
the second breach Lampard's scintillating free-kick into the six yard box was touched for
goal by Drogba. Green saved on the line but Kalou was there to force the ball over for his
eighth goal of the season.

The players raced to the corner to celebrate where West Ham fans showered them with
liquid and abuse. Drogba was booked for taking the celebrations there.

One minute later, Drogba forced a spreading save by Green with his legs as he shot
across the keeper.

And five minutes after he span to shoot just wide after another great counter-attack by
Kalou and Lampard.

But Drogba finally scored his 31st goal of the season in the 62nd minute when Lampard
lobbed him through and somehow Neill let him touch the ball past him and he easily beat
the advancing Green.

Not surprisingly, Drogba was rested after 66 minutes, and Joe Cole replaced him to a
wonderful ovation. Not even the finishing of Wright-Phillips could have given Mourinho
such pleasure as the opportunity to rest his centre-forward for 25 minutes.

Carlton Cole was sent on against his former colleagues with 20 minutes left, but despite
the score it was a like-for-like change, replacing Zamora. Now the Chelsea fans chanted:
'You should have kept Alan Pardew…'

And then: 'Frankie, Frankie, what's the score?...' Lampard signalled 4-1.

When Mullins replaced Reo-Coker, Neill took the armband. One minute later Mullins
was booked for pulling back Essien. And one minute after that Lampard was withdrawn
and Ballack replaced him. This was all Mourinho could dream of.

McCartney became West Ham's fourth player to be booked when he cynically blocked
Ferreira who had played a pass inside and sprinted outside.

Ferreira's sprints in the last 10 minutes ensured the game didn't quite finish at a stroll but,
for a team dreaming of glory against a team destined for the drop, this was a canter.

West Ham (4-1-2-1-2) Green; Spector, Collins, Neill, McCartney; Noble; Reo-Coker (c)
(Mullins 75), Boa Morte; Benayoun; Tevez (Blanco 83), Zamora (C Cole 71).
Scorer Tevez (34).
Booked Reo-Coker (11), Neill (14), Mullins (76), McCartney (81), Boa Morte (88).

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2) Cech; Diarra (Ferreira h-t), Carvalho, Terry (c), Bridge; Essien;
Wright-Phillips, Mikel; Lampard (Ballack 77); Drogba (J Cole 66), Kalou.
Scorers Wright-Phillips (30, 35), Kalou (51), Drogba (61).
Booked Diarra (19), Drogba (51).