CHELSEA v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 23 APRIL 2011
STAMFORD BRIDGE
KICK-OFF: 5.30PM
FULL AUDIO COVERAGE - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Chelsea knowing they face a battle to ensure Barclays Premier League survival come the season end on 22 May. The Hammers went into the weekend two points adrift of safety and will take on a resurgent home side who still have title ambitions.
• Saturday's fixture will be noticeable for the absence through injury of FWA Footballer of the Year winner Scott Parker - the first Hammer to claim the coveted prize since Bobby Moore in the 1963/64 season.
• West Ham are seeking to end a run of three straight defeats - a 4-2 home loss to Manchester United on 2 April followed by a 3-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers last Saturday before last weekend's 2-1 home reverse against Aston Villa.
• Chelsea are six points behind leaders Manchester United but still have to play the Red Devils in their final five fixtures.
Last time out
Saturday 16 April 2011
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 1-2 Aston Villa
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Bridge, Da Costa (Gabbidon 14), Upson, O'Neil (Ba 63), Noble, Hitzlsperger, Obinna (Hines 58), Keane, Cole
Subs not used: Boffin, Spector, Boa Morte, Piquionne
Goal: Keane 2
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea 3-1 Birmingham City
Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Cole (Bertrand 56), David Luiz, Terry, Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Malouda (Anelka 67), Drogba, Kalou (Torres 67)
Subs not used: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Benayoun, Zhirkov
Goals: Malouda 3, 62, Kalou 26
Last meeting
West Ham United welcomed Chelsea to east London on 11 September. Two Michael Essien headers - one in each half - either side of a freak Salomon Kalou goal paved the way for the Blues to win 3-1. Scott Parker struck a stunning late consolation.
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Ben Haim, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Boa Morte, Noble, Obinna, Cole
Subs: Stech, Faubert, Tomkins, Kovac, Dyer, Barrera, Piquionne
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Ferreira, Terry, A.Cole, Essien, Ramires, Mikel, Anelka, Kalou, Drogba
Subs: Turnbull, Alex, Zhirkov, Benayoun, Malouda, Kakuta, Sturridge
Background
• West Ham have fared well away from home in London derbies this season - winning 3-1 at Fulham and drawing 0-0 at Tottenham Hotspur. Only a late Alex Song goal denied them a goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium.
• The Hammers have not won at Stamford Bridge since Paolo Di Canio's double in a 3-2 success back in the ill-fated 2002/03 season.
• In fact, the Hammers have not won in 12 matches in all competitions against Chelsea home and away since May 2003. Di Canio's third goal against the Blues that season sealed a 1-0 home win.
• Fernando Torres has not scored in 13 games for Chelsea but has a good record against West Ham. He scored two goals for Liverpool in a 3-2 win at Upton Park last season and back in March 2008 struck a hat-trick in a 4-0 Anfield win.
• Chelsea are the league's form team with 19 points from a possible 21.
• Lars Jacobsen and Victor Obinna made their debuts in the September fixture.
• Jon Obi Mikel and David Luiz both turned 24 on Friday.
Previous meetings
• The most recent meeting between the two sides at Stamford Bridge was on 13 March 2010, when 41,755 supporters saw Chelsea run out 4-1 winners in a Barclays Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge. Alex put Chelsea ahead on 16 minutes before Scott Parker levelled matters on the half-hour mark with a rasping half-volley. Second-half goals from Didier Drogba (two) and Florent Malouda settled matters.
The lineups were:
Chelsea: Turnbull, Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Ivanovic (Zhirkov 80), Malouda (Kalou 87), Lampard, Mikel, Ballack, Drogba, Anelka (J. Cole 66)
Subs not used: Taylor, Bruma, Deco, Sturridge
West Ham United: Green, Gabbidon, Upson, Spector, Daprela, Parker, Kovac, Dyer (Cole 68), Behrami, Ilan (Diamanti 84), Mido (Stanislas 68)
Subs not used: Stech, Tomkins, Collison, McCarthy
• Saturday's game marks the 95th time West Ham and Chelsea have faced one another in competitive fixtures, and the 86th in the Football League and Premier League. West Ham have won 36, Chelsea 40 and there have been 18 draws. In this competition, West Ham have won 34, Chelsea 34 and 17 matches have been drawn.
Overall record
v Chelsea (all competitions) W 36 D 18 L 39
Team news
• Avram Grant is still without Scott Parker (achilles) with the Footballer of the Year hoping to return to face Manchester City on Sunday week.
• Gary O'Neil is out for the season at least with a serious ankle injury suffered after an hour of last week's match against Aston Villa.
• James Tomkins (dead leg) and Manuel da Costa (ankle) have both trained this week but it remains to be seen whether they will be involved.
• Jack Collison has played three times for the reserves after recovering from his ankle injury and is back in the first-team picture.
• Kieron Dyer went off in the reserves defeat by Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday with a tight hamstring. Winston Reid has also had a knock and not trained this week.
• Grant is still without long-term absentee Peter Kurucz (knee) and Junior Stanislas (hernia) while Jordan Spence (Bristol City), Frank Nouble (Charlton Athletic) and Olly Lee (Dagenham and Redbridge) are out on loan at present.
• Chelsea could be without ankle injury victim Ashley Cole after he was substituted in midweek while Alex and Ramires both look set to miss out with hamstring problems.
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Chelsea
2009/10 Premier League 1st (86 points - champions)
2008/09 Premier League 3rd (83 points)
2007/08 Premier League 2nd (85 points)
2006/07 Premier League 2nd (83 points)
2005/06 Premier League 1st (91 points - champions)
2004/05 Premier League 1st (95 points - champions)
2003/04 Premier League 2nd (79 points)
2002/03 Premier League 4th (67 points)
2001/02 Premier League 6th (64 points)
2000/01 Premier League 6th (61 points)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Phil Dowd. He was promoted to the Barclays Premier League list of referees in 2001. This is his tenth season as a top-flight referee.
• He was the fourth official at the 2006 FA Cup final between West Ham United and Liverpool at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
Old boys
• Avram Grant was appointed as Director of Football at Chelsea on 8 July 2007. Following the departure of Jose Mourinho, Grant was appointed as manager on 20 September 2007. The first Israeli to manage an English League club, Grant led Chelsea to the 2008 League Cup final, where they lost to Tottenham Hotspur, the 2008 UEFA Champions League final, where they lost to Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out and second place in the Premier League. Voted Manager of the Month for April 2008, Grant took charge of 54 matches in total at Stamford Bridge, winning 36, drawing 13 and losing just five. He left Chelsea on 24 May 2008.
• Scott Parker made 28 appearances for Chelsea between January 2004 and May 2005, scoring once.
• Carlton Cole began his career at Chelsea, making 31 appearances between August 2001 and May 2006, and scoring eight times.
• Chelsea's Frank Lampard began his professional career at West Ham United, making 187 league and cup appearances and scoring 38 goals before heading west in June 2001.
• Blues midfielder Yossi Benayoun spent two seasons at West Ham between July 2005 and July 2007, scoring eight goals in 72 appearances. Benayoun started the 2006 FA Cup final for the Hammers and also played a starring role in the 'Great Escape' season of 2006/07.
• Chelsea captain John Terry spent time at West Ham as a schoolboy.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Clive Allen, Syd Bishop, Peter Brabrook, Billy Bridgeman, Billy Brown, Robert Bush, Dickie Deacon, Alan Dickens, Len Goulden, Jimmy Greaves, Ron Greenwood CBE, George Hilsdon, George Horn, Joseph Hughes, Sir Geoff Hurst, William Jackson, Glen Johnson, Joe Kirkup, Andy Malcolm, Harry Medhurst, Scott Minto, Eric Parsons, Joe Payne, Dave Sexton, John Sissons, Ron Tindall and Billy Williams.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• Saturday afternoon's forecast in west London is for a sunny day with a maximum temperature of 26 degrees although it could turn overcast by the time of kick-off.