Chelsea – West Ham United

1. Join us at 1730 BST to see if Chelsea can close the gap on Man Utd at the top of the league by beating West Ham.

2. <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/images/2011/0416/carloancelotti20110405cap_275x155.jpg"><br>Carlo Ancelotti is under pressure

3. ESPN pundit Kevin Keegan says Ancelotti can <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/910163/kevin-keegan:-ancelotti-can-walk-with-his-head-held-high?cc=5739" target="_blank">hold his head high if he leaves in the summer</a>

4. More bench warming for Fernando Torres as Carlo Ancelotti sticks with Malouda, Kalou and Drogba as his front three. Branislav Ivanovic returns at right back.

5. Scott Parker still isn't fit and is joined on the sidelines by Matthew Upson, who has a chest infection. Danny Gabbidon comes in.

6. And Freddie Sears gets a rare start up front for the Hammers, who are now bottom of the table after today's results. Robbie Keane is dropped.

7. It has been a beautiful day in London, but as the teams take to the field, we have a heavy shower spreading across the ground.

8. And, of course, Wayne Bridge and John Terry are about to come face to face. Handshake-gate mark II.

9. No handshake between Terry and Bridge. Not even a meeting of the eyes....

10. 1'

    <b>KICK OFF</b>

11. 2'

    An early chance for Sears to try and burst into the box but a poor touch lets him down.

12. 3'

    Now Malouda goes clean through! Kalou's flicks deceives Da Costa and Malouda is in but Green stands tall and blocks his shot. That should have been 1-0.

13. 4'

    That was a very poor miss from Malouda. He was 17 yards out, only the keeper to beat and he's hit it right at Green's chest.

14. 5'

    Drogba tries a speculative effort that bounces awkwardly in front of Green but the keeper grabs it at the second attemptt.

15. 6'

    West Ham with ten men behind the ball and Cole up top alone, fighting for scraps. Could be a long afternoon for the Hammers.

16. 7'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Hitzlsperger is carded after his third foul of the game so far.

17. 8'

    Drogba approaches the area before turning in a very languid pass to no-one in particular.

18. 9'

    Kalou tees up Ivanovic but he can;t get a cross past Ba, who is being asked to do plenty of defensive work, along with Sears. A risky ploy.

19. 10'

    Another dribbler of a shot from Drogba but Green is right behind this one.

20. 11'

    More danger from Chelsea as Kalou's cross drops to Malouda but his shot is blocked and then cleared, but only momentarily.

21. 12'

    You can't see West Ham holding out for 77 more minutes if they continue to defend this deep.

22. 13'

    Cole is the only option for West Ham when they get the ball but he's outnumbered all the time.

23. 14'

    West Ham win a rare free kick - a chance to load the box.

24. 15'

    Noble's ball is decent but Cech claims comfortably as a mesh of shirts filed across him.

25. 16'

    Lampard gets to the edge of the box but loses possession when it two minds as to whether to shoot or pass.

26. 17'

    Malouda shows how one footed he is by cutting inside onto his right and shanking one well wide from 16 yards.

27. 18'

    Torres looks glum on the bench. 13 games without a goal for him.

28. 19'

    A lovely move but a very poor touch from Kalou as he collected Mikel's return pass. Had he controlled properly he was in on Green.

29. 20'

    Hitzlsperger tries to float a ball in for Ba but Terry beats him in the air. A decent spell of Hammers possession ends with a poor Bridge cross.

30. 21'

    It's just not quite happening for Chelsea in the final third. The skiddy nature of the pitch isn't helping.

31. 22'

    Spector tracks Ashley Cole's run well and tidies up a potentially dangerous situation.

32. 23'

    Ba is the latest player to slip on the sodden turf. The sprinklers were out before the game too - they needed have bothered.

33. 24'

    A powerful effort from Ba and Cech is forced to parry the ball over the bar. West Ham corner.

34. 25'

    Chelsea break from West Ham's corner and win one of their own.

35. 26'

    What a break from West Ham! Sears charges down the left, turns and crosses and Spector was unmarked at the far post but Cech gets down to push his diving header round the post.

36. 27'

    A good five minutes for West Ham as they start to show some attacking intent.

37. 28'

    But they nearly shot themselves in the foot there as Drogba profits from a loose pass and hammers a shot wildly into the stands.

38. 29'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Ivanovic is carded for a foul that has given West Ham a free kick wide left.

39. 30'

    Noble fires in a cross and Essien nods behind for a corner before clutching his knee. He's up now though.

40. 31'

    Now Cech makes a point blank save from Sears after he flicked the corner towards goal from four yards. Actually, it was Cole who cleared it off the line.

41. 32'

    A terrible cross from Ivanovic as he runs into space on the right.

42. 33'

    West Ham have come right back into this game now. Its reasonably even.

43. 34'

    Drogba wins a corner as Gabbidon nods his cross behind.

44. 35'

    An opening for Ivanovic as Terry's clip is diverted into the defender's path by Kalou. His volley flashes along the six-yard box without anyone able to divert it home.

45. 36'

    A good clearing header by Jacobsen as Kalou crosses.

46. 37'

    Drogba blatantly dives under a slider from Noble and as they break, the visitors win a corner.

47. 38'

    Noble takes the corner short and Bridge's cross is blocked by Lampard.

48. 39'

    A waste from West Ham - Spector won the ball and Chelsea were short at the back. Ba's pass for Cole was poor and took him wide, the Luiz blocks his eventual shot.

49. 40'

    Da Costa sticks to his task well as Drogba tried him for pace. Good defending.

50. 41'

    Now David Luiz is knocked out cold as he bangs into a combination of Cech and Cole. It was his own keeper who cleaned him out.

51. 42'

    Luiz wasn't out cold, he was just playing dead. Now he's up and is fine to continue.

52. 44'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Lampard! Finally, a move down the flank comes off as Cole gets beyond the defence and squares for Lampard to smash home from seven yards.

53. 45'

    That has blown a hole in West Ham's game plan, and the storm has caused a partial power cut in the stadium as some of the floodlights have gone out.

54. 45'

    Very nearly 2-0 as Malouda swings in a cross and the midfielder flies in right in front of goal but can't make contact.

55. 45'

    <b>HALF TIME</b> A shame that West Ham couldn't hold on until the break as they had weathered the storm well until that point but now they have to come out and find an equaliser in the second half.

56. If you missed any of this afternoon's action then catch up here with our <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/910669/premier-league:-manchester-united-secure-important-victory?cc=5739" target="_blank">Premier League wrap</a>.

57. <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/images/2011/0423/terrybridgehandshake20110423_275x155.jpg"><br> John Terry and Wayne Bridge ignore each other. Again.

58. We wait to see if the game is delayed due to the lack of floodlights. The storm still rages in London.

59. 46'

    We begin again and the floodlights are back up and running as normal....

60. 47'

    Lots of standing water on the surface now, but no enough to stop the ball in its tracks. Much more heavy rain and it could get quite messy.

61. 48'

    Still getting the odd flash of lightning around our office building, just a few miles from Stamford Bridge.

62. 49'

    Another burst of torrential rain hits West London. There are bright skies visible though, so hopefully the rain stops soon.

63. 50'

    A great chance for Kalou, as Drogba finds Malouda at the far post, he lays it back and Kalou side-foots wide from 14 yards out.

64. 51'

    Terry blasts a cross behind for a corner under no pressure. He'll blame the rain no doubt.

65. 52'

    Da Costa gets an effort on goal but Mikel clears it two yards from the line.

66. 53'

    Ba seeks out Cole, who dummies the ball, but his namesake Ashley isn't fooled.

67. 54'

    More worry for Essien, who pulls up with more pain in his knee. I don't think he'll be continuing.

68. 55'

    Malouda is flagged offside. The fourth official is 'monitoring the situation' apparently, as the ball starts to stick in the standing water.

69. 56'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Essien's replacement is Benayoun.

70. 57'

    Ivanovic wins a free kick off Hitzlsperger and now Mark Noble is down for West Ham.

71. 58'

    Noble is going to be stretchered off. It looked innocuous but obviously isn't. He hasn't moved.

72. 59'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Robbie Keane is on for Noble.

73. 60'

    Finally the free kick is taken and Drogba's flashes it low and Terry very nearly tucks it home.

74. 61'

    Keane does well to skip away from Mikel but his ball into the area is flicked on by Ba then cleared by Ashley Cole.

75. 62'

    Drogba picks out a sublime ball for Lampard, who only needed to get a touch on the ball to make it 2-0 but he can't connect and Green collects. A golden chance.

76. 63'

    Two chances in quick succession now as Lampard forces Green to parry his fierce effort from range, before Malouda charges into the box and round the back before firing into the side-netting.

77. 64'

    Terrible chest control from Drogba as Malouda dinked the ball to him in the area. He takes it right out of play.

78. 65'

    We've seen hardly anything from West Ham in an attacking sense in this second half.

79. 66'

    A little coming together between Drogba and Da Costa ends in a word with Phil Dowd.

80. 67'

    Green comes out to punch clear Drogba's corner.

81. 68'

    Luiz has hit the bar! He got the ball from Lampard and curled one over Green but against the bar.

82. 69'

    Now West Ham have two chances as Ba forces Cech into a parry with a powerful drive, then Hitzlsperger's shot falls to Keane but he shoots right at Cech.

83. 70'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Anelka comes on for Kalou. Still no Torres.

84. 71'

    Now Carlton Cole has wasted a HUGE chance! Sears gets past Ashley Cole and crosses but instead of hitting it first time he tries to twist and turn and loses possession. Awful, awful.

85. 72'

    If West Ham don't get a leveller in the next 20 minutes they will remain rooted to the foot of the table.

86. 74'

    What a miss! Robbie Keane is slipped through by Spector and fires wide with only the keeper to beat from 14 yards. Incredible!

87. 75'

    West Ham have had three golden chances to score today.

88. 76'

    Off the line! Spector hacks clear as Terry met Drogba's corner.

89. 77'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Drogba goes off and Torres comes on.

90. 78'

    HItzlsperger floats in a free kick which Da Costa meets but his header was always flying over.

91. 79'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Piquionne replaces Carlton Cole, who really should have scored a few moments ago.

92. 79'

    Quality move from Chelsea now as Torres makes an excellent run and squares for Anelka but his shot is cleared by Da Costa just before it was about to hit the net.

93. 80'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Ba is carded for a late tackle.

94. 81'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> Obinna comes on for Fred Sears.

95. 82'

    Demba Ba fires over from just outside the box.

96. 84'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Torres scores! Finally, he's done it and gets mobbed by his team-mates as a result! He charges through on Anelka's pass, swivels as the water on the surface stops the ball and finishes left footed.

97. 85'

    The relief is palpable around Stamford Bridge. A good finish it was too, though the sodden turf nearly scuppered his big moment. In the end, it made his mind up and he slotted well with his left. The ground erupted....

98. 86'

    That should be the start of a goal run for Torres now. He always gets them in bursts.

99. 87'

    And that surely means West Ham will stay bottom. Another bad weekend for them.

100. 88'

     Now finally, we can all stop talking about Torres' drought...

101. 89'

     Obinna heads into the box and tries to claim a foul off Ivanovic but no way is he getting a penalty for that.

102. 91'

     <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL</b> Malouda rounds it off! No chance for Green as Malouda hammers one into the top corner after a lay off. Harsh on the Hammers.

103. 92'

     Four added minutes....

104. 94'

     <b>FULL TIME</b> A solid win for Chelsea but it wasn't as comfortable as it looks. West Ham had a good spell in both halves and should have scored at least one but the day will be remembered for Fernando Torres' first goal in blue.

105. 94'

     Chelsea close the gap on Manchester United to six points and lead Arsenal by three, but Arsenal can join Chelsea on 67 points with a win at Bolton tomorrow. Join us for commentary on that one at 4pm GMT.

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