West Ham vs. Chealski Sept 23rd, 2018

judas priest... got to be up by 5am on a sunday morning for this one...

better start stacking them zeds right now.

see y'all sunday

welcome to what-the-fupp-o'clock on a sunday....

this game is available in ultra HD 4k - which is perfect for my ultra HD 4k telly... but I'm not sure my cable company broadcasts in it... but the picture looks mighty fine...

lots of pointing and shouting as we try to swarm Chelsea in the midfield...

ooooh... offside fortunately as Chelsea almost sneak in behind us...

we definitely seem up for this...

Noble is out there, can't see Arnie... lemme find a team sheet

some nice interchanges and pressing... we actually look on pretty level terms at the moment.

another great attacking move - it's times like this that ou kinda get a glimpse of the Daves' big plan for West Ham and a glorious future...

then Zabaleta goes and knocks it out of play on the line just when we look to be getting somewhere...

Chelsea corner results in an easy weak shot straight at Fab...

1 Fabianski
5 Zabaleta
23 Diop
4 Balbuena
26 Masuaku
16 Noble
41 Rice
14 Obiang
20 Yarmolenko
30 Antonio
8 Felipe Anderson

no Arnie...

not even on the subs bench...

3 Cresswell
11 Snodgrass
13 Adrian
15 Sanchez
21 Ogbonna
24 Fredericks
27 Lucas Perez

no Chicharito either....

12 minutes gone... a couple of Chelsea attacks as they get more into the game...

Noble and Antonio press in midfield but the end result is the same as if they hadn't... Chelsea keep possession.

another Chelsea corner...

and another Chelsea corner...

the game is falling into a predictable pattern as a more professional commentator might say..

we get the ball away but with the entire team defending, it an only go to the yellow peril who swarm at us again...

but a weak header saves any threat on goal...

Yarmolenko and antonio not on the same pager... so our attack fizzles out and Chelsea regain possession...

oh jeez... we defend stoutly... get the ball and then Anderson plays a weak pass straight back to the opposition

in typical West Ham style, Yarmolenko is the one picking up the ball deep inside our own half and playing it up field to....

my point exactly...


and here he is again...

in possession... running ahead to play the ball... ultimstalrly to o one because he over hits the pass... but he's our forward acting as a playmaker for Zabaleta...

but while I'm bitching and moaning, Anderson gets into the box... puts in a semi low cross and the ball is scrambled away for our first corner...

which ends up as a Chelsea goal kick and a Chelsea attack

Willian shoots wide...

oooh... that could have been bad.

we're putting 11 men behind the ball...

but only Hazard falling over his own feet stops a clean shot on goal...

Free kick comes in

we're almost caught sleeping...

we defend to get it away but only for a throw

Chelsea comfortably on top...

then somehow Noble gets in a tackle, the ball break to Anderson who feeds Anthonio who runs in on goal but his shot is off target...

other than that, it's all Chelsea....

great ball to feed Yarmolenko and he's right in on goal with Antonio by his side... but Chelsea get bodies in the way

it's not quite the blitz... and there are moments of a spirited resistance....

it just seems like we have a striker on form... Yarmolenko

and a striker who isn't... antonio

so all our play seems to be Yarmolenko setting up Antonio

and it doesn't produce goals.


I kno... I know... "striker in form" this is West Ham... you put the boots on the right foot more than once and you're 'in form'

but Yarmo is the only player in today's squad who has scored this season....

the is how the Guardian sees it on 37 minutes...

37 min: For a moment, Zabaleta and Balbuena have a job on their hands to prevent Hazard from doing damage inside the box, but the West Ham defenders stand their ground and crowd out the Chelsea forward. The visitors’ initial verve has fizzled out a little.

The BBC are a bit behind on their text comms...


Noise at last inside The London Stadium as West Ham United finally trouble Chelsea and, as it has been most of the time so far, Felipe Anderson is the catalyst, setting up Michail Antonio.

This slumbering crowd needed something to bring them to life and those few moments of excitement have done it, for now at least.

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it's not quite backs to the wall doom and gloom... there's flashes of chances... but it'a still not quite what you want to see at home...

that being said... a point would be great... but we really need all three to start getting us out of trouble at the bottom of the table.

a win would put us 12th

Antonio and Noble conspire to get the ball off Chelsea... Noble plays it to Yarmolenko who as our forward has the ball on the touchline looking to play it in to...

I guess... Yarmolenko our forward....

but Yarmolenko is the one with the ball on the ....

you see the hole in our thinking....

and Chelsea attack...