West Ham vs. Chealski Sept 23rd, 2018

oh blimey... I thought we had ten minutes to go... they've all had enough and half time it is...

west ham kick off the 2nd tiempo

Chelsea had 71% possession in half 1...

Yarmolenko is too lazy to deserve much praise...

Anderson wins and unlikely ball and runs towards the goal...

Antonio strolls up on the far side so Anderson plays the ball in to the box to our 'striker' Mark Noble...

Yarmo is following up somewhere... but it's a little too late son.

given recent for in this fixture... a draw wouldn't be a bad result for Chelsea.

given current form and table position... a draw would be a bad result for Chelsea....

football is funny old game

to illustrate which...

Yarmolenko gets the ball... runs in on goal... cuts inside ike he did for his 2nd last week but just curls the ball over the crossbar...

Antonio does well down the wing... but then passes it inside to Chelsea...

Anderson gets booked... conceding a free kick just outside the box

decent West Ham build up... even Noble calling the shots and demanding the ball in the box... ends with Yarmolenko's weak kinda nothing...

and Chelsea are back at us...

Chelsea corner...

brief moment of panic there as Zabaleta's clearance skips a Chelsea player and incredibly plays in Antonio who has no choice but a lone run in on goal before being outstretched...

but we're back to normal service... Chelsea on the march...

half hour to go... it's 71-29 possession - which is exactly what it was in the first half...


a Fabianski kick heads up field to our attacking duo of Antonio and anderson... Yarmolenko would have been the fourth West Ham player running towards the ball... except he's so lazy he doesn't even get out of our half before Chelsea regain possession...

nice little passage of West Ham pressure but it goes predictably into a Chelsea free kick about 30 yards out...

if we defended like this more often we'd not lose so much and our goal difference wouldn't be so awful...

we'd also not win much either...

Lucas comes on for Antonio


really was a good opportunity to get rid of Yarmolenko,,, but that's not the West Ham way...

ooh.. Chelsea nip in behind the defense and only a last minute intervention saves a clean shot on goal....

and then sloppy defending from Yarmolenko gives them another chance... but Fabianski's face saves us...

69 minutes gone... another Chelsea corner... looked a certain goal kick... but fortunately goes nowhere.

Snoddy is coming on for Anderson...

yup... no matter how shit you are as a striker... West Ham will never substitute you...

looks like we need 8 more subs before Yarmolenko is in any danger of being taken off...

Noble gives away a free kick just outside the box.. well maybe ten yards outside...

another good save by Fabianski... he really has made a difference this season.

Without him we'd be in real big trouble

oh my effing god...

almost a minute or more of sustained West Ham pressure and then a clean header form six yards out but Yarmolenko puts it wide of what was basically an open goal...

while we're forced to watch several replays of Yarmo's awful miss... here's ho the media saw it...

Guardian first, then the Beeb...


77 min: A huge miss by Yarmolenko!! The winger meets Snodgrass’ brilliant bent cross around the Chelsea defence from the left. On target and it’s in, but Yarmolenko nods wide. A massive chance goes begging. Up in the stands, a stony-faced Arnautovic stands in anger as the London Stadium gasps.

78 mins
CLOSE!
West Ham 0-0 Chelsea
Had to be. Had. To. Be.

Andriy Yarmolenko has his head in his hands. He knows.

The Ukraniain is perfectly picked out at the far post by Robert Snodgrass, but, unmarked, he contrives to glance wide of the Chelsea goal from six yards.

An absolute eyesore of a miss. The injured Marko Arnautovic is off his feet in disbelief in the posh seats.

9 minutes to go... technically it will be a good point for us... anything that isn't a ross will be good...

but you can't help but get the feeling we could (should?) have done something more...

83 minutes gone... looks like another sub in the offing... if the ball ever goes out of play

Noble comes off

Sanchez comes on

Zab gets the armband...

5 minutes left.

Perez gives away a free kick... Chelsea get the ball in the back of the net...

offside?

Perez looks like a petulant child...

not what you want to see from a sub who should be jazzed up and ready to go...



apparently we've never lost three opening home games... which is not the kinda stat you want saying out loud with only 1 minute to go...

jesus's christ... Fabianski does it again... awesome diving save...

4 minutes of additional bum squeakage...

that was either a great tackle or dreadful shooting because form 1 yard out, Willian missed the end of the pitch...

another Chelsea free kick coming up...

ten seconds to go...

stout defending...

nothing up front...

and a point it is...

over all, we have to say we're pleased...

we didn't lose

we didn't lose at home

we didn't concede to one of the top teams...

but as always, we had flashes that make you think with a bit more skill, a bit more application...

we could have gotten more out of the game.

Yarmolenko needs a good kick up the arse...

thanks for bearing with me drivel.

now the big question of the day...

7:22am on a sunday... do I go back to bed for a couple hours or try to soldier through the day?

I make that a good point from avery good side. Good defensive performance, with a bit better finishing we could have nicked it. Firts clean sheet and things are lokking better 

Thanks once again monkey