BIG PHIL SCOLARI spent the eve of this game in hospital with kidney stones.
And he was feeling even sicker about the lack of home comforts at Stamford Bridge.
This time the pain was caused by former Chelsea hero Gianfranco Zola’s battling Hammers, who worked themselves into the ground for a point
It left Scolari searching for a cure to the Blues’ ills in front of their own fans who booed their team off. This was a third Premier League game in a row without a victory on their own patch and it also begged the question whether anyone wants to win this title.
Leaders Liverpool opened the door to their rivals when they drew 2-2 with Hull at Anfield but Manchester United failed to capitalise by sharing the points at Spurs. Outsiders Arsenal only managed a 1-1 at Boro too.
With West Ham on such a bad run, having won only once in 10 games before this match, and being so poor in the defeat against Spurs the previous week, it was all there for Chelsea to take control at the top.
But, though they dominated for the most part, they came up short — although Frank Lampard was furious that he did not get a late penalty when he appeared to be tripped in the box by Lucas Neill.
Chelsea were unhappy with the build-up after Mark Noble clipped the ball away from Jose Bosingwa and then chested it downwards.
The home players felt Noble handled but it looked more shoulder than arm and Riley was right to play on.
Noble kept cool and laid it back for Craig Bellamy, who volleyed in at the near post. Zola did not move on the bench.
Afterwards he admitted he felt he could not celebrate because he did not want to disrespect the club which had given him so many happy memories.
That did not stop Zola’s No 2 and former Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke leaping out of the dugout and punching the air.
Chelsea had all the possession and were firing in most of the shots but, in another Blues old boy Scott Parker, they had a man keen to prove he is a quality player who should not have been dispensed with.
Parker was magnificent and chased and harried all over the place. By contrast Deco, one of Scolari’s big summer signings, was poor — misplacing passes and being dispossessed too easily.Chelsea fashioned chance after chance but Robert Green in the West Ham goal produced a series of superb saves to keep them out.
He saved to his left to keep out Drogba’s volley from a corner, denied substitute Salomon Kalou and turned away a header by Alex.
Even when he lost his bearings and inadvertently punched the ball back towards his own goal, the redoubtable Parker headed on to the bar and away to safety.
Then Neill survived his lunge at Lamps as Chelsea bayed for a penalty and Carlton Cole missed his chance to emerge as the Hammers hero
And he was feeling even sicker about the lack of home comforts at Stamford Bridge.
This time the pain was caused by former Chelsea hero Gianfranco Zola’s battling Hammers, who worked themselves into the ground for a point
It left Scolari searching for a cure to the Blues’ ills in front of their own fans who booed their team off. This was a third Premier League game in a row without a victory on their own patch and it also begged the question whether anyone wants to win this title.
Leaders Liverpool opened the door to their rivals when they drew 2-2 with Hull at Anfield but Manchester United failed to capitalise by sharing the points at Spurs. Outsiders Arsenal only managed a 1-1 at Boro too.
With West Ham on such a bad run, having won only once in 10 games before this match, and being so poor in the defeat against Spurs the previous week, it was all there for Chelsea to take control at the top.
But, though they dominated for the most part, they came up short — although Frank Lampard was furious that he did not get a late penalty when he appeared to be tripped in the box by Lucas Neill.
Chelsea were unhappy with the build-up after Mark Noble clipped the ball away from Jose Bosingwa and then chested it downwards.
The home players felt Noble handled but it looked more shoulder than arm and Riley was right to play on.
Noble kept cool and laid it back for Craig Bellamy, who volleyed in at the near post. Zola did not move on the bench.
Afterwards he admitted he felt he could not celebrate because he did not want to disrespect the club which had given him so many happy memories.
That did not stop Zola’s No 2 and former Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke leaping out of the dugout and punching the air.
Chelsea had all the possession and were firing in most of the shots but, in another Blues old boy Scott Parker, they had a man keen to prove he is a quality player who should not have been dispensed with.
Parker was magnificent and chased and harried all over the place. By contrast Deco, one of Scolari’s big summer signings, was poor — misplacing passes and being dispossessed too easily.Chelsea fashioned chance after chance but Robert Green in the West Ham goal produced a series of superb saves to keep them out.
He saved to his left to keep out Drogba’s volley from a corner, denied substitute Salomon Kalou and turned away a header by Alex.
Even when he lost his bearings and inadvertently punched the ball back towards his own goal, the redoubtable Parker headed on to the bar and away to safety.
Then Neill survived his lunge at Lamps as Chelsea bayed for a penalty and Carlton Cole missed his chance to emerge as the Hammers hero
