west ham 1-1

Times:

Penalty drama gives Chelsea draw at West Ham
Oliver Kay, Upton Park

In any other season, a stuttering draw away to a team mired in the Barclays Premier League’s relegation zone would leave question marks over any self-respecting title challenger, but as Chelsea’s players sat on their bus outside Upton Park last night, the catcalls of the locals still ringing in their ears, they can hardly have known what to make of it.
The season is becoming a slog for Chelsea, who have won only one of six games in all competitions since their resounding 3-0 victory away to Arsenal three weeks ago, but it must be hard for Carlo Ancelotti and his players to fret when the competition are struggling to rise to the challenge.
The table shows that they are four points clear of Manchester United, who lost for the second successive Saturday, and six points ahead of Arsenal, so, for now, at least, mediocrity is good enough.
The danger for Chelsea is that they drift into a comfort zone, particularly with tricky assignments against two in-form teams, Birmingham City and Fulham, over the Christmas period.
Comfort was not something they were able to enjoy in the confines of Upton Park, with West Ham United’s players rising to the occasion and taking the opportunity to take and make a well-earned point in their battle to avoid relegation. But there was still the feeling, as the match entered its final stages, that Chelsea had come to regard victory as a possible bonus rather than a necessity.
For Frank Lampard, anything less would have felt like a grave injustice. Back at his alma mater and subjected, as usual, to what he calls “dog’s abuse”, the Chelsea midfield player came through an almost unfeasible test of nerve on the hour when he was put on the spot not once, not twice, but three times by Mike Dean, the referee, who appeared to have decided it was time to declare war on encroachment at penalty kicks.
Only after Lampard’s third successful kick did Dean declare himself satisfied and Chelsea could celebrate the goal that made it 1-1.
What must not be lost amid the farce surrounding the penalty is that it should not have been given in the first place. When Daniel Sturridge, a Chelsea substitute, raced on to a loose ball in the penalty area, Matthew Upson, the West Ham defender, took the ball off his toe with an expertly timed tackle. For reasons unclear, the assistant referee flagged furiously and Dean seemingly had little choice but to take his word for it.
Having taken the lead with a penalty of their own just before half-time, Alessandro Diamanti keeping his cool after Ashley Cole had fouled Jack Collison, West Ham were entitled to feel hard done by. From the first whistle, they had responded to Gianfranco Zola’s call for more belief, more passion, more bravery and, in Scott Parker, they had the game’s outstanding player, one whose all-action performance against the league leaders is likely to increase the interest shown in him by Tottenham Hotspur and others.
Perhaps Parker feels that he has a point to prove when he plays against Chelsea, where he had an unhappy time as one of the early signings of the Roman Abramovich era, but he was not alone in snapping at the heels of Lampard, Joe Cole et al. Collison and Mark Noble were at it, too, making this a very British performance from a team managed by an Italian, and, as half-time loomed, the concern for West Ham, having lost Danny Gabbidon to a hamstring injury early on, was about whether they would find a way through the Chelsea defence.
Their best bet always seemed to be to take the ball into the final third and thread a pass behind John Terry and his colleagues for someone to run on to. They had already tried that several times before the plan worked in the 43rd minute. Guillermo Franco’s pass sent Collison clear and elicited a desperate and ill-advised lunge from Ashley Cole in the penalty area. As Upton Park held its breath, Diamanti kept his composure from the spot and West Ham were 1-0 up.
Another crazy result in this increasingly unpredictable Premier League season? Not if Chelsea could help it. With Sturridge and John Obi Mikel on for Salomon Kalou and Florent Maldouda respectively, Ancelotti’s team showed more purpose after the interval. Didier Drogba was strangely subdued, but came close to scoring a goal of the season contender four minutes into the second half, hitting a dipping shot just wide of Robert Green’s far post from close to the corner flag.
The writing was on the wall for West Ham, but the penalty awarded against Upson was undeniably harsh. If it was a cheap penalty, though, Lampard was made to work for it. If the first demand for a retake was fair enough — if unexpected, given that referees usually turn a blind eye to encroachment — the second was bemusing, since it was three West Ham players who were breathing down Lampard’s neck when he took his shot.
As for the closing stages, West Ham were denied a second penalty with ten minutes remaining when Franco was pushed by Ricardo Carvalho. Perhaps Dean had seen enough penalties for one day. Either way, it was hard to escape the feeling that, whatever their needs at opposite ends of the table, neither team was too disconcerted by the draw.

West Ham (4-5-1): R Green 5 J Faubert 6 D Gabbidon 5 M Upson 7 H Ilunga 6 J Collison 6 S Parker 8 R Kovac 6 M Noble 7 A Diamanti 6 G Franco 5. Substitutes: J Tomkins (for Gabbidon, 19min). Not used: M Stech, M Da Costa, J Spector, F Nouble, L Jimenez, J Stanislas. Next: Portsmouth (h).

Chelsea (4-3-1-2): P Cech7 B Ivanovic7 R Carvalho 6 J Terry 7 A Cole 7 F Lampard 7 M Ballack 6 F Malouda 5 J Cole 5 D Drogba 6 S Kalou 4. Substitutes: J O Mikel 6 (for Malouda, 46), D Sturridge 5 (for Kalou, 46), Y Zhirkov (for J Cole, 75). Not used: Hilário, P Ferreira, Alex, J Belletti. Next: Birmingham (a).

--------------------------------------------------

Telegraph:

West Ham United 1 Chelsea 1

By Henry Winter at Upton Park

Frank Lampard and Chelsea benefited from the controversial largesse of Mike Dean, whose love of awarding penalties shows no sign of abating. The Wirral referee has now given 23 in the past two seasons, 10 clear of his closest challenger Phil Dowd. If Dean owns a dog, its name is probably Spot.
Upton Park saw more conversions than an estate agent yesterday. Dean had correctly given West Ham a first-half penalty, ably despatched by Alessandro Diamanti after Ashley Cole brought down Jack Collison. Yet shortly before the hour-mark, Dean wrongly penalised Matthew Upson for a legitimate challenge on Daniel Sturridge, presenting Lampard with his chance which had to be taken three times because of encroachment.
So at the end of an entertaining game they graced with skill and zeal, West Ham could reflect ruefully of the eternal truth in these parts that fortune’s always hiding. Three of the best players wore claret and blue, putting more-heralded visiting names to shame. Scott Parker, the captain leading by example, kept driving through the middle, kept putting in tackles, kept showing the resilience that West Ham will require if they are to escape the drop. He even cleared off the line.
Zola unleashed another pedigree dog of war in midfield. The greatest compliment that can be paid to Mark Noble is that he was neither outclassed nor outpassed by Lampard, himself the pick of a disappointing Chelsea bunch. Noble’s energy and commitment warmed East End hearts on a bitterly cold afternoon.
In attack, Guillermo Franco gave John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho a torrid time. Wearing No 10 on his back but with the line-leading qualities of a rampaging No 9 written all over his every move, Franco kept holding the ball up, then either bringing his midfield into play or turning and going himself. John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho simply did not know how to deal with the Argentinian-born Mexican international.
Terry tangled legs with Franco. Carvalho, clearly rattled, was cautioned for going through the back of him. How the Portuguese centre-half got away with one penalty-box challenge on Franco, resembling a linebacker taking out a running-back, was astonishing to behold, particularly given Dean’s propensity for pointing to the spot.
In the wake of three defeats, Franco, Noble and Parker gave West Ham the kiss of life, showing the positive attitude Upton Park craved. Potential buyers will note the character in the dressing-room, and the importance of moving soon before the transfer window opens. Parker, particularly, Matthew Upson and Robert Green would all be targets.
Chelsea must freshen up their squad in January, particularly with players disappearing to the African Cup of Nations. Ancelotti’s side seem to lack urgency going forward and concentration at set pieces. Although Chelsea pushed four points clear of Manchester United at the peak of the Premier League, altitude sickness seems to be afflicting Ancelotti’s side as well as Sir Alex Ferguson’s. Does anyone want to win this title?
Although Daniel Sturridge sped on, delivering a lively cameo, Chelsea’s ambitions would be strengthened with a recruit or two. For all the talk of the need for cover in midfield and attack, another defender would not go amiss. Harried by Franco, their backline was poor.
Like Del Boy’s disastrous chandelier-cleaning service, Chelsea’s defence looked vulnerable long before Jack Collison’s dart through the middle drew a foolish challenge from Ashley Cole, gifting Diamanti his penalty chance. There was an inevitability of the defence falling and shattering. It kept teetering under pressure exerted by West Ham and particularly the excellent Franco.
A minute from the break, Franco suddenly dropped deep to sweep a low pass through to Collison. The young Welsh midfielder controlled it with his first touch and was about to take a second when Cole came diving in from the side. The angle of Collison’s run demanded that Cole challenge with his right foot. He didn’t. Cole went in with his favoured left and paid the price. Clearly catching Collison, Cole’s 29th birthday acquired a sour note as Dean rightly signalled a penalty.
Diamanti’s confident body language spoke of a player who knew his penalty would find the mark, who had already converted kicks here against Arsenal and Liverpool, and who was already planning his celebration.
Effortlessly sending Petr Cech the wrong way, the flamboyant Italian embarked on lengthy festivities.
Ancelotti was so angry he withdrew Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou, sending on John Obi Mikel and Sturridge. Chelsea, clearly missing Nicolas Anelka (who was nursing a slight muscle tear), had enjoyed chances in the first half, Lampard bringing a fine save from Robert Green and then Parker clearing Branislav Ivanovic’s header off the line but the visitors simply couldn’t find their stride. Parker, Noble and Franco never let them.
Chelsea got lucky just before the hour. When Lampard slipped the ball down the inside-right channel, Upson really did not need to challenge Sturridge as Herita Ilunga was covering. The England centre-half certainly did not need to leave the ground, always a dangerous tactic, especially with Dean around. Yet it was the linesman who wrongly gave the decision against
Upson, indicating he had brought down the Chelsea sub when he actually made contact with the ball.
If the decision sent West Ham temperatures to boiling point, it was impossible not to admire the sang-froid of Lampard. Predictably booed, the former West Ham midfielder beat Green from the spot only for Dean to order a retake because of encroachment by Didier Drogba and Joe Cole. Composure personified, Lampard placed his second kick past Green. Again Drogba jumped the gun. It was third time lucky for Lampard. Although Drogba had again encroached, Dean gave it. If Lampard deserved his goal, West Ham deserved more than a point.

------------------------------------------------------------

Independent:

Lampard keeps nerve in shoot-out with referee
West Ham United 1 Chelsea 1

By Sam Wallace

If England need a man to see them through a World Cup finals penalty shoot-out next summer then they need look no further than Frank Lampard – in fact, you can put him down for the first three spot-kicks.
In remarkable circumstances yesterday, Lampard had to retake a second-half penalty on two occasions, beating Robert Green from the spot three times in two minutes. Luckily for Chelsea, Lampard has ice in his veins: he has learnt to deal with the bottles thrown at him at corners when he visits Upton Park, but the psychological strain of having to convert a penalty three times in a row is something new.
The penalties had to be retaken because the referee Mike Dean had spotted an encroachment in the 'D' by Chelsea players as Lampard began his run-up. To start invoking a law that is largely ignored these days was bizarre, but it had been an extremely erratic decision to award the penalty against Matthew Upson in the first place.
It was a pity for West Ham that Lampard stole the show because until then the home side looked like they might continue the weekend's theme of inflicting damage upon the Premier League's big four. Scott Parker was the game's outstanding player and West Ham deserved better than the single point that keeps them above bottom-placed Portsmouth.
As for Carlo Ancelotti, his team had a great chance to stretch their lead over Manchester United in second place to six points and they blew it. The Chelsea manager conceded that his team had not played well but as he expressed dismay at the pile-up of Christmas fixtures, as all new Premier League managers are prone to do, he said that his team had not done badly in the circumstances.
Yet there is something not right about Chelsea who, in recent games, have lacked their characteristic power to sweep teams away. They are not in as much trouble as Liverpool or, to a lesser extent, Manchester United, but they have won just once in their last four league matches and, with a bit more about them, they could be approaching Christmas as the runaway leaders.
The club yesterday denied the News of the World's allegation that John Terry took £10,000 to show an undercover reporter around their training ground. The problems with their defence are less easy to brush aside. Ashley Cole conceded a first-half penalty and Ricardo Carvalho was extremely lucky not to have one awarded against him when he shoved Guillermo Franco in the closing stages of the game.
The challenge from Cole for the penalty was clumsy, the full-back going in two-footed on Jack Collison and getting nowhere near the ball. Alessandro Diamanti has scored penalties against Liverpool and Arsenal at Upton Park already this season and he beat Petr Cech comfortably.
There was just the slightest suspicion that West Ham had got lucky in the last minute of the first half when Green clattered Salomon Kalou after the Chelsea striker had got to the ball first and, admittedly, knocked it too far ahead of himself. But Chelsea were more than compensated with a wholly undeserved penalty just before the hour. It came from a tackle by Upson on the Chelsea substitute Daniel Sturridge which was just about as good a challenge as you will see this season. The England centre-half took the ball cleanly, and Sturridge fell as his momentum carried him through. Badly advised by his linesman, Dean gave the penalty.
It was then that the fun really began. Lampard had to wait a while to take the penalty as the West Ham players protested Dean's decision. When he did, he struck it to the side that Green dived – his right – but it was too hard and too well-placed in the corner for the goalkeeper. Dean stopped Lampard in mid-celebration to insist he take it again.
The first time it was Didier Drogba who encroached in the area along with about five West Ham players, but it was pretty remarkable that, having been warned once, Michael Ballack did it on the second occasion. Lampard struck his second penalty to Green's left but by now Dean had become militant.
Incredibly, he called upon Lampard to take the penalty again, this time it seemed because Sturridge had wandered into the area. At this point a lesser player might have railed against the referee for being forced to observe a law that is largely ignored these days. But Lampard is rather better than that. He struck his third – and final – penalty to Green's left and at last Dean was satisfied.
Among Premier League referees, Dean has given almost twice as many penalties, 23, over the last two seasons as the next on the list, Phil Dowd, on 13. What made it all the more unusual was that he did not reward Franco for the challenge from Carvalho with nine minutes of the match left. Even under the scrutiny of the rigorous Mr Dean, yet another penalty might just have been too much excitement for one afternoon.

West Ham United (4-5-1): Green; Faubert, Gabbidon (Tomkins, 19), Upson, Ilunga; Collison, Parker, Kovac, Noble, Diamanti; Franco. Substitutes not used: Stech (gk), Jimenez, Spector, Da Costa, Nouble, Stanislas.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Iavnovic, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Ballack; Lampard, J Cole (Zhirkov, 75), Malouda (Mikel, h-t); Drogba, Kalou (Sturridge, h-t). Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Ferreira, Alex, Belletti.

Referee: M Dean (Wirral).
Booked: Chelsea Carvalho, A Cole, Terry; West Ham Franco, Parker, Upson.
Man of the match: Parker.
Attendance: 33,388.

------------------------------------------------------------

Guardian :

Frank Lampard penalty for Chelsea frustrates West Ham's hopes of lift off
West Ham United 1 Diamanti (pen) 45 Chelsea 1 Lampard (pen) 61

Kevin McCarra at Upton Park

The clear decline of the Premier League elite is raising spirits everywhere. Chelsea extended their lead over Manchester United to four points but in days gone by they would have dealt severely with opponents from the relegation zone. Instead West Ham are entitled to be exasperated that their goal from a penalty was balanced out by a spot kick for the visitors, after 61 minutes, that ought not to have been awarded.
The referee, Mike Dean, took his decision on the advice of his assistant, although Matthew Upson had connected with the ball when challenging the substitute Daniel Sturridge. Chelsea's equaliser was still an ordeal as Dean ruled out Frank Lampard's first two attempts because of encroachment by other players. There was a calmly methodical reaction from the midfielder as he shot home to left and centre before his penalty was deemed valid as if flew home on the right.
It was a rare sign of calm authority by the visitors. Chelsea could have fallen to yet another penalty but no offence was detected when Ricardo Carvalho hurled himself at Guillermo Franco as a corner kick was delivered nine minutes from the close. If the clubs in the upper reaches of the table are no longer so secure, then those from the lower orders cannot be treated dismissively.
West Ham had already taken a draw against Arsenal in this stadium and beaten an Aston Villa team that is on the rise. Gianfranco Zola's merriness over this result was not dimmed by the knowledge that, in practice, the club's circumstances had taken a turn for the worse. Their relegation rivals Wolves, who beat Burnley yesterday, are now four points clear of West Ham.
The West Ham manager was right to sense that this was not a moment for statistics. "Nobody could have said anything if we had got three points," Zola said of his side's endeavour. "I like the passion they put on the pitch. I am sure they were tired but they didn't look like it. In the past we've played some good games but I never felt the atmosphere that I felt today. The way the players were encouraging themselves and working it up was contagious."
His opposite number made do with a phlegmatic tone. "We are one more point ahead of second place," said Carlo Ancelotti, "but we didn't play a good match. This period is not easy, playing games every three days. Now we have a week to prepare [for a home game with Birmingham]. We'll benefit from that."
Chelsea had met with stiff resistance from West Ham, who know they need to stop games from being quite so eventful if they are to survive in the Premier League. The side had been conceding at a rate of two goals a match before this result. Yet no one accused them of a reckless romanticism here and they threatened to hold on to the lead they had gained. Ancelotti's side could never be in complete command when opponents such as Scott Parker were putting up such a fight in midfield.
There were breaks on the flanks now and again but for the most part Chelsea found 10 outfield opponents positioned to block their path. The visitors are accustomed to that sort of approach but would not have anticipated the implacable manner in which West Ham sustained that commitment. Any reputation for brittleness had receded. Not even the muscle injury that ended Danny Gabbidon's involvement had immediate consequences as James Tomkins, who came on was at least familiar with the set up after starting the previous three games.
It had looked unlikely that West Ham would score but a covering Ashley Cole fouled Jack Collison from behind as he collected a pass and Alessandro Diamanti sent Petr Cech the wrong way to convert the penalty in the 45th minute. Chelsea's true difficulty, all the same, lay in a lack of creativity.
They might well have had a penalty early in the game, when Danny Gabbidon's hand made contact with the ball, but it did look as if they would be dependent on Didier Drogba's individualism for a goal and at the start of the second half he nearly scored with an angled volley from Cech's kick-out that flew narrowly wide.
There is a narrowness to the football being produced by Ancelotti's line-up. They did not cope well in the absence of Nicolas Anelka, a creator as well as a scorer, because of a minor muscle strain. Since that authoritative 3-0 defeat of Arsenal at the Emirates three weeks ago, their command has dwindled. Limited harm has been done but there will now be interest in seeing how keen the club is to make signings in the transfer window.

------------------------------------------------------------

Mail:

West Ham 1 Chelsea 1: Blues get in a spot of bother as Carlo Ancelotti rues missed chance

Ivan Speck

For the second successive weekend Chelsea drew a game they might have expected to win beforehand . . . and still they moved a point further ahead of Manchester United.
Their hosts, West Ham, like Portsmouth 24 hours earlier, earned a result against a member of the collective formerly known as the Big Four to prove that the beating heart of the Barclays Premier League has become joyfully erratic.
Had there been any justice, Gianfranco Zola’s side would not merely have avoided slipping to the foot of the table ahead of their Boxing Day confrontation with Pompey but earned a victory to replenish in an instant the reserves of confidence which have been eroded.
Referee Mike Dean gifted Chelsea a path back into the match when he wrongly judged a Matthew Upson tackle on Daniel Sturridge to be a foul and then compounded the folly by making Frank Lampard take the penalty three times because of encroachment by Chelsea players.
There was no discernible difference between the first two spot kicks and the third.
West Ham manager Zola said: ‘The referee saw the tackle right, so it’s disappointing that he took the linesman’s view. He was closer and better positioned so should have stayed with his original decision.’
Then again, the portents of gloom would have descended upon the Boleyn Ground had Alessandro Diamanti’s earlier penalty for the home side proved decisive. The last time West Ham beat Chelsea, in 2003, the score was 1-0 and the goalscorer an Italian, Paolo Di Canio . . . and West Ham were relegated.
If they are to stay up this season, the effervescent Scott Parker will play a pivotal role. He chested a Branislav Ivanovic header off his line midway through the first half, yet it is as the visionary force in midfield where his true worth lies.
Sitting deep and able to spin away from tacklers, his passes pierced the Chelsea rearguard with regularity, while his calmness in front of the back four relieved the pressure. In defence, Upson was magnificent, even if his cause was helped by the absence of Nicolas Anelka. Given the sketchiness of their contributions, it was surprising that Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou lasted until half-time.
Just when it appeared the half would end goalless, the industrious Guillermo Franco slid the ball into the path of Jack Collison, a midfielder who ran beyond the striker for once. Ashley Cole dived in and Diamanti sent Petr Cech the wrong way with a smooth spot kick.
Didier Drogba produced the one true moment of imagination after 50 minutes, chasing a bouncing ball away from goal and swivelling to strike a volley of such power and dipping precision that it looped over the stranded Robert Green and shaved the far post.
In the final 15 minutes, Joe Cole ought to have put Chelsea in front instead of flapping at his shot, referee Dean should have given West Ham a second penalty for a clear foul by Ricardo Carvalho on Franco at a corner and Franco’s point-blank header was somehow kept out by Cech.
Ancelotti said: ‘We didn’t play a good match and we are not at our best, but it’s not so bad because we are four points clear.'

GRAHAM POLL: The Official Line
It was a game of penalties. West Ham were awarded the first after a clear foul by Ashley Cole and then Chelsea took three of their own. And it could have been more. Chelsea appealed for a handball and definitely should have had one when Robert Green fouled Salomon Kalou.But two wrongs made a right when assistant Simon Beck incorrectly told referee Mike Dean to award a penalty against Matthew Upson. Dean correctly made Frank Lampard take the penalty three times after encroachment from both sides — the fact that there were more defenders than attackers in the area is irrelevant. It’s a pity all match officials don’t ensure penalties comply with the law.

---------------------------------------------------

Sun:

West Ham 1 Chelsea 1
From SHAUN CUSTIS at Upton Park

IT'S one for the pub quiz.
How did Frank Lampard score a hat-trick for Chelsea in a 1-1 draw?
The answer is that referee Mike Dean made him take a penalty three times before allowing the goal.
And fair play to Lampard for keeping his nerve at the ground where the fans love to hate him.
Former Hammer Lampard may even have got a perverse satisfaction out of hitting the net on each occasion with his detractors baying for him to miss.
Premier League leaders Chelsea could count themselves lucky to depart with a point because the 58th-minute spot-kick - which was eventually despatched in the 61st minute - should never have been given.
England defender Matthew Upson's sliding challenge on Blues sub Daniel Sturridge was a perfectly-timed tackle but the linesman indicated it was a foul despite furious protests from home players.
Maybe Dean started doubting the decision himself by making Lampard have three goes at it - because of encroachment in the area.
While they avoided defeat, Chelsea missed a real chance to put some daylight between themselves and stuttering Manchester United.
With United having lost 3-0 at Fulham, the Blues would have gone six points clear with a victory here.
You really wonder whether anyone wants to win this league given how often the big boys are stumbling this season.
West Ham's goal also came from a penalty but that was very much the correct decision when Ashley Cole came through Jack Collison just before half-time. The impressive Alessandro Diamanti sent Petr Cech the wrong way to put Chelsea on the rack.
Ref Dean likes awarding penalties. He has given 10 more than any other Prem ref in the last two seasons.
He should actually have given another one because Ricardo Carvalho completely flattened Guillermo Franco - clattering into the back of the striker at an 81st-minute corner.
Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola called this "a big performance" by his men. He was right.
Had they lost, West Ham they would have gone bottom of the table on goal difference. That would have been psychologically damaging but Zola's side showed great fight which belied their position.
Midfield scrapper Scott Parker was their standard-bearer. The former Chelsea midfielder was immense and showed why the likes of Liverpool are weighing up a bid for his services.
Parker was everywhere and his team-mates took inspiration from him.
His chest trap on the line from Branislav Ivanovic's header followed by a sliding clearance typified his day.
In fact, it was all hands to the pump for the Hammers early on as Robert Green flew to his left to deny Lampard's 20-yard drive and Danny Gabbidon was a touch fortunate to escape a penalty shout when he appeared to handle in the box.
But the home side pulled themselves together and Petr Cech saved with his foot to keep out Diamanti.
The visitors - who have not been in the best of form - struggled for rhythm, as shown when Lampard rushed a shot and dragged it well wide from Ashley Cole's cutback.
Then the subdued Didier Drogba fired into the side-netting when he should have crossed for Salomon Kalou who was waiting to side-foot home.
The foul by Ashley Cole on Collison, which produced the West Ham penalty, was indisputable and Diamanti gave the crowd reason to enjoy their half-time cuppa as he despatched the kick.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti felt the need to change things, bringing on Sturridge for Kalou and John Obi Mikel for Florent Malouda.
Drogba tried an audacious volley from wide out right which flashed just beyond the left-hand post before the controversial equaliser.
Upson seemed to win the ball fairly from Sturridge but the linesman put his flag across his chest to signal a penalty.