What a cheek ...Bilic fury at late penalty
West Ham denied top-four spot as young Ruben takes a tumble
A CONTROVERSIAL late penalty for Chelsea earned them a draw and prevented West Ham from moving in to the top four.
With three minutes remaining and West Ham leading, substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek went to ground under pressure from Michail Antonio and referee Robert Madley awarded a spot-kick, which Cesc Fabregas converted to save his side a point.
It was questionable as to whether the Chelsea midfielder was inside the box when he tumbled, or if Antonio even made contact rather than the player tripping over his own feet.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was understandably furious. He said: ‘To concede from a penalty that wasn’t a penalty is unacceptable. Basically to concede a goal that late is gutting, no matter how you concede it. It was not close to the line. It was way out and simply not a penalty.’
West Ham were into the top four in the ‘as-it-stands’ table for all of 58 glorious minutes as they twice went ahead. There is a growing feeling that — with their well-organised manager and talented, skilful squad — they can do the unthinkable and secure Champions League football to the Olympic Stadium by the time they move in this summer.
They have not mounted a serious challenge for a place in the top four since they finished third in 1986 — 30 years ago this May and three decades of yo-yoing in and out of the top-flight.
‘We could have two points more. We could go over Manchester City, put the pressure on them, we could make a gap with the teams that are below us queuing and we deserved it,’ said Bilic. When Manuel Lanzini
By Sam Cunningham put them ahead in the first half, they temporarily overtook City, until Fabregas equalised with a free-kick moments before the break.
Andy Carroll then came off the bench to put them ahead once again but Fabregas scored two minutes from time and the point left West Ham fifth, back where they had started the afternoon.
‘If there was any doubt [about the penalty], it was the benefit of the doubt which made the referee make the decision,’ said Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink. ‘I thought he was on the line when he was tripped. LoftusCheek was about to score. It was a very close call. On the line and the line is part of the box, I think.’
Lanzini’s opener was the sort of goal which would fit comfortably in the Olympic Stadium on a crisp, chill Champions League night.
West Ham moved the ball quickly through Chelsea’s half in the 17th minute and Dimitri Payet was almost through on goal until John Obi Mikel slid back to tackle. The ball, however, rolled on to Lanzini to the left of the area and he cut back inside with his first touch before curling a shot over Thibaut Courtois and into the far right corner.
The Chelsea fans had taunted their West Ham rivals with chants of ‘Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that’ shortly before but never has their been a less appropriate time and for West Ham to have the greatest chance to try and prove that, one day, it could be wrong. Just after the halfhour they produced a stunning move which should have produced a second. Diafra Sakho passed to Lanzini who let the ball run through his legs, flicking it with the back of his heel into the path of Aaron Cresswell, who was overlapping from leftback and his low shot was deflected just wide by Branislav Ivanovic.
But for all West Ham’s good work, Chelsea were level in first-half stoppage time less than a minute from the break. Fabregas curled a beautifully struck free-kick into the left of goal. ‘The last 10 minutes of the first half we tried to play a little bit sloppy, a little bit too sexy, not penetrating enough,’ said Bilic.
Early in the second half they traded chances with the defending Premier League champions as if they were their contemporaries. In the 50th minute, Willian passed out wide to Ivanovic on the right, whose low cross went right through to Oscar running in at the back post, but he shot first time with the outside of his right, instead of a side-footed left and missed.
Cresswell, in yet another foray forward, hit the bar in the 57th minute. It looked like an intended cross but the ball arrowed up and towards goal, confounding Courtois but coming back off the underside of his upright.
Carroll was brought on for Sakho on the hour and within a minute of entering the field put West Ham back ahead. Rarely is the assist better than the strike for a goal but
Payet’s reverse pass to play in the striker was sublime and his finish scuffed but enough.
The half of the Shed End holding the West Ham fans was rattling so violently it was a wonder it did not fall down.
Chelsea tried their hardest to quieten them. Fabregas headed just over, Terry headed just over, Oscar’s volley was blocked and, when the ball bounced up, Fabregas sent an overhead kick, yet again, just over. When they scored the penalty, Chelsea’s relish in denying their rivals was palpable.
‘Our target now for the rest of the season is to see if we can get a European spot,’ said Hiddink. And what he meant by that comment was qualification for the Europa League. West Ham, by stark contrast, maintain the loftier ambition of securing Champions League football. It is not over yet.