West Ham United 2-1 Chelsea

Andy Carroll leapt off the bench to fire West Ham United to victory over ten-man Chelsea with his first Barclays Premier League goal since January 2015. 

The returning Mauro Zarate landed the first blow after 17 minutes, when he collected the loose ball from a corner to fire the Hammers in front.

And after Nemanja Matic saw red on the stroke of half-time for a second bookable offence, Slaven Bilic's men looked on course for another major scalp.       

But Gary Cahill had other ideas, profiting from another corner to smash the visitors level after 56 minutes. Carroll, however, would have the final word, planting a towering header beyond Asmir Begovic to put the Hammers second!       

With the on-loan Victor Moses ineligible against his parent club, goalscorer Zarate made his first Barclays Premier League start since the 2-1 home defeat by Leicester back in August. 

Dimitri Payet, meanwhile, with his song ringing in his ears, was on the prowl. He sized one up from 25 yards inside five minutes but curled it over the top. 

At the other end, Cesc Fabregas played Diego Costa in behind. James Collins, however, was quickly on the scene and the Spaniard lashed it wildly into the Bobby Moore Stand. 

Payet, almost inevitably, was involved in the goal too. Begovic tipped the Frenchman’s free-kick over the top, but was soon picking the ball out of the net. 

Ramires and Costa both tried and failed to clear the resulting corner and when it fell to Zarate on the angle, he slammed into the near corner from 18 yards. 

In response, Ramires himself tried his luck from distance and Adrian, again, watched it comfortably
over the top. 

But the Hammers’ custodian had no such luxury with Willian’s free-kick after 33 minutes. The Spaniard flung himself to his right to repel the bouncing ball. 

And then Chelsea went closer still. Manuel Lanzini got himself in a pickle trying to clear Kurt Zouma’s header and subsequent replays showed the ball was a fraction from crossing the line when the Argentine hooked clear. 

From danger at one end, West Ham could twice have doubled their lead at the other. An unchallenged Collins saw his header gathered by Begovic, before Lanzini too had his head in his hands.  

The diminutive Argentine raced onto Payet’s flick and though he dinked it over the advancing Begovic, it cleared the crossbar as well. 

Meanwhile, Fabregas thought he had fired the visitors level, but as he stroked into the far corner, the linesman raised his flag. It looked close.   

The first-half drama was not over yet. The already-cautioned Matic hauled Diafra Sakho to the floor on the far touchline. 

West Ham’s protests were vociferous and after a confab with his assistant, Moss produced a second yellow. Mourinho’s response? A wry smile on the touchline. 

Fabregas and Costa made their views known and both earned a caution for their troubles, while Blues coach Silvino Louro was sent to the stands. 

Into the second half and Aaron Cresswell fizzed an inviting low ball across the face of goal. Sakho hadn’t read it and the chance went begging.      

Much like the Hammers’ opener, Chelsea levelled matters when the hosts failed to clear their lines from a corner. Up went the heads but the ball fell kindly at the feet of Cahill who smashed it emphatically beyond Adrian.   

Back came West Ham. Mark Noble cushioned a header into the path of Zarate, whose half volley into the turf was a simple take for Begovic.  

Payet, meanwhile, was up to his old tricks, flicking the ball over Willian before leathering a volley across goal. 

Despite their ten men, Chelsea still pushed forward. Hazard's cut-back picked out Ramires, who, thankfully, from no more than 12 yards, made a mess of it, allowing Adrian to collect.

Over to Carroll. With 12 to play, the big No9 rose to meet Cresswell's perfectly weighted left-wing cross and directed a pin-point header back from where the ball had come and into the net. Text book.  

Chelsea, as you might expect, threw bodies and the ball forward in the dying minutes, but there was no way through, as Bilic's men celebrated yet another famous win in an already unforgettable campaign.  

West Ham United: Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Collins, Cresswell, Noble (c) (Ogbonna 90), Kouyate, Zarate (Carroll 69), Payet, Lanzini (Obiang 82), Sakho 
Subs: Randolph, Valencia, Jelavic, Antonio 

Goals: Zarate 17, Carroll 78  

Booked: Kouyate 

Chelsea: Begovic, Fabregas (Mikel 46), Zouma, Ramires (Falcao 83), Hazard, Costa, Matic, Willian, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta  

Subs: Amelia, Baba, Oscar, Traore, Loftus-Cheek 

Goal: Cahill 56

Booked: Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Costa, Willian, Mikel 

Sent off: Matic    

Referee: Jonathan Moss