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| Antonio Conte |
There was a minute to go and Chelsea were on the brink. Not of victory, although not really of calamity, either; this was hardly an echo of last season. But they were poised to drop points to West Ham at home. And that’s not good around these parts. It would constitute an inauspicious start for manager Antonio Conte.
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| Diego Costa |
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| Diego Costa |
Should Costa have been on the field? Well, that’s another story. Booked in the first half for dissent, he should have received a second yellow for a late lunge on Adrian with 25 minutes to go. The ball was a good yard away when he hit West Ham’s goalkeeper, late and high.
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| West Ham Collins |
But he cannot play the man if he does. So Anthony Taylor, the referee who had seemed so strict in the first half, messed up or lost his nerve. We applaud the Premier League crackdown on dissent, which brought Costa’s first yellow. But it’s all well and good giving referees protection; referees have to ensure that players get it, too.
Still, the best team won and Conte will have been impressed with his team’s resolve. More disturbing is the fact it took pretty much a single West Ham attack to break them down. In the 77th minute, they won a free-kick and, from it, a corner. They had barely been inside Chelsea’s penalty area until that moment, but Chelsea cracked.
They had looked so comfortable, too. So in control. West Ham were at arm’s length. Eden Hazard was running the game. Chelsea looked quick, often slick, and energetic. Watched by England manager Sam Allardyce, Andy Carroll was getting no joy from Conte’s central defenders, nor N’Golo Kante sweeping in front of them. True, it had needed an horrendous mistake from Michail Antonio and a penalty to give them the lead, but Chelsea were good for it. If there was to be a second goal in the game, it was going to the boys in blue.
Then Dimitri Payet came on, and changed the dynamic. Suddenly, Chelsea looked less assured, vulnerable, much like last season. West Ham won a free-kick, then another.
The second was in Payet’s range, just outside the area to the right. Stamford Bridge seemed edgy. He hit the wall, to a relieved cheer, but the ball went out for a corner. And, from there, calamity struck Conte’s men. Chelsea have not kept a clean sheet at home in the league since November; and it will be hard to win the title unless that changes.
Payet swung the corner to Collins. His glancing header may have struck Cesar Azpilicueta’s arm but as several West Ham players appealed Enner Valencia continued playing and clipped the ball back to Collins. He shot, first time, past Thibaut Courtois.
Collins celebrated deliriously, the travelling fans serenading the ‘Ginger Pele’. Someone will have to explain it all to Conte later, when he has calmed down. They may have to explain that this is fairly standard for the Premier League, too, because for a manager used to the order of Serie A, it is going to take some getting used to.
Good grief, it was frantic at times. A game of few chances but plenty of action and early yellow cards. Not so many late ones, though, Taylor displaying the inconsistency for which Premier League officials are renowned. So Kante was booked after three minutes for a foul on Carroll, but not late on for the same challenge on Payet.
As for Costa, if there is to be an instant reckoning for dissent, the penny needs to drop and quick if Chelsea’s striker is not to spend more time suspended than a circus trapeze act. In the 19th minute, Oscar dispossessed Mark Noble, turned and ran on goal. He passed Winston Reid on the outside and there was contact, but it was minimal and barely impeded his run.
Oscar fell, dramatically. A bit soft. Taylor was having none of it. On the touchline, Conte hopped around like a live prawn on a hot plate. Costa chased 40 yards down the pitch to berate Taylor. Big mistake. There is zero tolerance of dissent this season and he became the second name in the book. Third was Collins for kicking Costa; something several of his team-mates may feel like doing if he doesn’t learn to keep his mouth shut.
West Ham were tenacious but, without Payet in the starting line-up and after losing Andre Ayew to a right leg injury after 34 minutes, posed little threat. The home team had the best of the chances.
In the 12th minute, a delightful backheel from Oscar found Branislav Ivanovic on the overlap. He cut inside Cheikhou Kouyate and hit a snap shot, low, at the near post, needing Adrian to have his wits about him to keep it out.
Hazard also came close, making enormous ground on the left after 31 minutes, darting inside and striking a shot just wide of the far post. With virtually the last kick of the first half, Willian struck a free-kick from 25 yards that was deftly flicked over the bar.
Something had to change and Slaven Bilic, the West Ham manager, could be seen in conversation with Payet shortly before the second half began — but it was too late. Within a minute of the restart, Antonio had given away a penalty.
Two mistakes for the price of one. First, he gave the ball straight to Azpilicueta just outside the West Ham area. Then, attempting to limit the damage, he went in on him clumsily as he attacked and sent him tumbling. No doubt in Taylor’s mind this time and Hazard stepped up and smashed his shot high into the roof of the net.
Six minutes later, Antonio was taken off for Sam Byram and Bilic did not even look at him as he marched down the tunnel. It was a foolish, petulant display by the player. Antonio may see himself as more winger than full back, but good wingers don’t pass the ball to the opposition and then foul them in the penalty area. Bilic had every right to be angry.
