DOUBLY BUBBLY
West Ham show fighting spirit at Watford, now they’re targeting another win over Chelsea
ONCE upon a soft touch, West Ham would have curled up their toes when falling behind to a daft penalty after three minutes on a damp, blowy evening.
But these Hammers aren’t any old Irons – and for their next trick, they could become the only team to beat Chelsea twice this season.
Since Slaven Bilic managed to shift the emphasis from ‘customers’ fighting each other at the Taxpayers Stadium, and offloaded his best player squealing for a move, he has turned West Ham into a half-decent team.
They will have to take on the champions-elect without Michail Antonio, who capped his robust, man-of-the-match display at Vicarage Road with a late red card.
But Geordie totem Andy Carroll should be back to lend the Eastenders a touch of Blaydon Races to the bubbles and Knees Up Mother Brown.
And Hammers skipper Mark Noble promised Chelsea – who came unstuck on the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park in the League Cup four months ago – another dose of trouble.
Noble said: “Even with Michail going sent off, we are wondering if a point is enough, and we’re a bit gutted it’s not all three, but it’s a shame he will miss out against Chelsea now. He’s been playing really well and we are going to miss him because he’s been a top player for us, but hopefully we’ll get Andy back.
“We’ve beaten Chelsea once already this season and although they are absolutely flying, it’s a London derby under the lights and I hope we can generate another really good atmosphere and a strong performance to go with it.
“Maybe we didn’t get enough credit for knocking Chelsea out of the EFL Cup because, for a time, whenever we won at home it was overshadowed by crowd trouble, the atmosphere or people moaning.
“After the start we had, and all the stuff off the pitch – moving to a new stadium and a new training ground, the situation with Dimi Payet – I would eat your tape recorder microphone to finish in the top seven or eight.”
Manager Bilic agreed: “I am not happy about Antonio missing Chelsea because in this game he was unstoppable. But we are a proper team now.”
West Ham had to wait until Andre Ayew’s 73rd-minute equaliser to take a deserved share of the swag back to jellied-eel heartlands after an early spot-kick from Troy Deeney (above) for the Hornets.
Ayew pounced after Antonio had outpaced Younes Kaboul, Watford’s quickest defender, and produced a stunning feat of geometry by ramming his shot against BOTH posts before the double ricochet fell kindly for the Hammers substitute. MOTM ANTONIO (WEST HAM)