Somewhere amid the din at the final whistle, as the locals gnashed in livid frustration and the visitors whipped up a taunting celebration, José Mourinho had actually been proved right. The Chelsea manager insisted on the eve of this derby against a side ensconced in the bottom three that his own charges were not yet ready to reclaim the title. The stalemate that ensued seemed to prove him right.
The Portuguese's animated exasperation on the touchline at every perceived act of time-wasting suggested he had privately been thinking very differently about his team's prospects this season, but this was a reminder that, against resolute opposition, his team can still run aground. They lacked the slickness of recent weeks, the pace of the pass slowed as they monopolised the ball, and West Ham's stubborn defence would not yield. This was an excellent point in their own struggle against relegation but Chelsea will find no satisfaction in remaining third and further from the summit.
For all Mourinho's pre-match assertions that securing a top-four finish has to be Chelsea's priority, this still looked like an opportunity that could not be passed up. Arsenal's draw at Southampton the previous eveninghad finally offered their London rivals the chance to spring into the top two at the very least. The tweaks made to his lineup after the weekend FA Cup success against Stoke were designed to maintain freshness, even if Oscar and Eden Hazard merely resumed where they had left off on Sunday. The Brazilian forced Adrián to tip an early effort, curled from the corner of the area, on to the crossbar and the contest appeared to be following the prescribed script.
Yet the visitors, saddled by dreadful recent form in all competitions and a dismal record over the last 12 years in these parts, retained their composure, stuck doggedly to their task, and increasingly took encouragement from their resistance. Even the loss of Mohamed Diamé on the half-hour did not disrupt their resolve. The midfielder tumbled over an advertising hoarding and on to a child (who, impressively, managed to clutch on to his hot dog as he disappeared beneath the 6ft Senegalese) injuring his hip in the process.
Andy Carroll was dominant in the air, even against such an experienced back-line, and cannily targeted César Azpilicueta from diagonal passes flung over from the opposite flank. When possession was surrendered the visitors massed in their own half, suffocating Chelsea's space and clogging up their movement. Had Petr Cech not reacted smartly to turn aside James Tomkins' downward header from a delivery by Stewart Downing then they might even have led, though it was Adrián, blocking with his foot from John Terry's header and his left hand from Samuel Eto'o's half-volley, who caught the eye.
They needed to retain such rugged defiance. Chelsea sprang at them again after the interval, anxious to alter the complexion of the derby by forging ahead, with Tomkins blocking Ramires's shot from inside the penalty area. The centre-half crumpled to the turf, winded by the ferocity of the attempt, but West Ham's barrier remained intact. Whenever the hosts built up an attack with steady possession, monopolising the ball for lengthy spells, they confronted banks of visiting players. Oscar and Hazard occasionally darted into the channels in an attempt to bypass the clutter, but their delivery only ever hinted at reward.
Ramires, tearing unnoticed at an angle towards the six-yard box, sliced Azpilicueta's cross wide from their clearest sight of goal yet. Mourinho's anxious fidgeting in the technical area rather summed up the mood of the majority with the Portuguese then apoplectic when Joey O'Brien slid through late and clattered Willian. The Chelsea manager was actually on the turf protesting as play continued, the advantage played. Yet, while the tackle was late and took away the Brazilian's standing leg, the frustration was more the result of West Ham's refusal to wilt. Carroll's horrible air-kick after Cech had touched on Downing's centre was a reminder that Sam Allardyce's side also posed a threat on the counter.
Those opportunities were rare, Chelsea's formation tweaked and Frank Lampard introduced at the expense of a left-back in all-out attack. Even then, Matt Taylor summoned a wonderful block to deny the veteran in front of goal. This was not to be Chelsea's night, with a trip to the new leaders, Manchester City, to follow on Monday. That feels daunting. West Ham, in contrast, will cling to a point gained through admirable defence as reason for optimism.
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