By dixon9
April 24 2007

I must confess that despite this being what turned out to be a comfortable win that this part of the season is starting to get to me. So much at stake and on the cusp of something great – yet at the same time knowing that we could end up with nothing else to add our league cup triumph.

But so what?  Whatever happens between now and the middle of May, it will have been a truly memorable season – a veritable rollercoaster ride!  I’ll just have to learn to hold the nerves back and take all this in and enjoy it – the summer will soon be here and we all know how a summer is without football don’t we?!!!

 

As suspected, Mourinho decided to rest a few players and as suspected, West Ham decided to have a real go at us during the first 30 mins.  Some of the playing personnel on our side may have changed but the character, resilience and sheer power remained intrinsic and it was more than enough to withstand the Upton Park side’s frantic probing.

 

Wright-Philips was to be MOM and deservedly so.  His first goal on the 30^th min was sublime.  Apparently darting to the left and being marshalled by two defenders he made a sudden inverted switch between the two leaving them both flat-footed before making a crisp finish low into the right-hand corner of the net.

 

West Ham were soon to respond just 5 mins later when Tevez scored a spectacular goal from a diagonal 25 yards out. His finish was just enough to beat Cech although without wishing to take any credit from the strike, I reckon Cech was at error.  In fact both Terry and Cech certainly looked uncharacteristically out of sorts during the opening period and Carvalho had to be at his most alert to cover.

 

Just as I could imagine the air of hope coming from the direction of Manchester (and some parts of London, Essex, Kent and Ireland!) just 31 seconds later I could almost hear the groans on the same wind!  Bridge, deputising for Ashley Cole, produced some nice work down the left and his aggressive, low cross was met full on the volley by Wright-Philips – the roof of the net ballooned and the natural order had been restored! 1-2!

 

The second half saw our dominance being maintained and after Kalou bundled in our third on 52 mins.  I could now relax!

 

Drogba had again been a bane for the opposition defence and shrugged off the defence to nonchalantly finish just 10 mins after our 3^rd.

 

West Ham gave up and their fans began to leave in their droves “a la Arsenal v PSV” style and the remainder of the game resembled a training match – I half expected Rui Ferrier to start putting cones out and Mourinho to march onto the pitch with a clipboard!  Arrogant?  Not really – I’m making more of a statement re West Ham throwing in the towel so early.  Apart from Tevez and Young they hadn´t put too much effort in – in fact their fans had probably shaken our team up more when they bricked our coach as it entered the ground.

 

This had been a thoroughly entertaining match – at least during the first 65 mins.  I bet Chris Waddle choked on his sausages!

 

Shaun Wright-Phillips:

"The feeling is really indescribable but I have got to put it out to the lads, they have believed in me since the start and that makes it easier.

"It is only normal the more games you play the better you get and it is starting to come through as I wanted.

"We knew what we had to do. We are behind United and we have to win every game to put them under pressure.

"It was another bridge to cross and the determination is unbelievable."

Off a West Ham site:

"As for the main post - For half an hour or so we matched them. But we aren't the first side to crumble at the hands of Chelsea's power. Look at last season under 'St' Pardew (remember him? The manager who created this monster?), at Stamford Bridge. Smashed out of sight by ten men. This Chelsea side are the most powerful football team I have ever seen live. They were simply too much for us in terms of skill, strength and power.

I hate those Chelsea berkshire hunts but please, get some perspective and look at the two sides, how much they cost to assemble, the wage differences and, to be fair to you, the quality of the two managers.

Like it or not Mourinho is on his way to becoming one of the best managers of all time, be it at Chelsea, Man U, Real Madrid or wherever. To say that Curbishley came up short against him is being harsh and totally unrealistic. Wenger comes up short against him FFS so what did you expect Curbishley to do?

Final point - we got battered by a team that could win all 4 trophies this season. They are berkshire hunts. They don't play the beautiful game... But they are a fantastic football team who simply do not do 'shock results'.

If you don't recognise the true quality of this Chelseas side, who's biggest attribute is charcter and spirit (down to Mourinho IMO), despite the transfer fees and wages they have spent, then you simply don't have a clue."

 

West Ham: Green, Spector, Collins, Neill, McCartney, Benayoun, Reo-Coker (Mullins 76), Noble, Boa Morte, Tevez (Blanco 83), Zamora (Cole 72).
Subs Not Used: Carroll, Davenport.

Booked: Reo-Coker, Neill, Mullins, McCartney, Boa Morte.

Goals: Tevez 35.

Chelsea: Cech, Diarra (Ferreira 46), Carvalho, Terry, Bridge, Essien, Mikel, Lampard (Ballack 78), Wright-Phillips, Drogba (Joe Cole 67), Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Makelele.

Booked: Diarra, Drogba.

Goals: Wright-Phillips 31, 36, Kalou 52, Drogba 62.

Att: 34,966

Ref: M Dean (Wirral).

 

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWfgiv3jWtw