West Ham 0-0

Independent:

Chelsea 0 West Ham United 0
Blues slip up in title race after being held by stubborn Hammers
Jack Pitt-Brooke  

Jose Mourinho had been saying for a while that Chelsea lack the experience to win the Premier League title. It had always sounded like expectation-management, a simple trick from the old master of mind-games, but tonight he appeared to have a point.
 
Faced with a West Ham United team playing what Mourinho described as “19th century football”, Chelsea dominated the game but failed to unpick the massed claret ranks and could only draw 0-0, ending a run of seven straight wins.
Manchester City spent their evening scoring five goals at White Hart Lane and going top of the Premier League. Chelsea travel to the Etihad Stadium on Monday evening and Mourinho admitted, as he has done before, that his team are far from favourites. “For how many months have I said the same thing? One team is an end product. The other is a team trying to build. For me it's not a surprise. We go there on Monday. Are they favourites? Yes. Are they favourites to score again, four, five or six? Yes.” This time, it felt like fair analysis.
Mourinho said that he was proud of his players but ultimately they failed to do what is demanded of title-contenders - to score past a team focussed solely on stopping them. Mourinho joked afterwards that he wanted a “Black and Decker to destroy their wall” and his team did seem to lack something on a frustrating night at Stamford Bridge.
It was only late in the second half, having changed to 4-2-4, that Chelsea really started to threaten West Ham. Demba Ba, on as a sub, hit the post from close range. Samuel Eto'o had a goal disallowed when he assumed that Adrian had taken a free-kick and knocked the ball into the net, only for Neil Swarbrick to rule that the ball was not live. With almost the last kick of the game, Frank Lampard shot from his favourite position, on the edge of the box, but straight at Adrian's legs. West Ham had taken what they came for.
If this was the first time for a while that Chelsea did not look like champions, it was also a rare sight of a West Ham team who did not look destined for relegation. They showed all the discipline, strength and focus that we expect from a Sam Allardyce side and he was understandably delighted with the evening's work.
“A fantastically resilient performance,” beamed Allardyce afterwards. “It was all about frustrating a team with world-class players and not to come here and lie down. Tactically we got it right, stopping Hazard and Oscar and Willian and Eto'o scoring goals, and also stopping them scoring from set-plays. We nullified them, limited them to a few chances, even when we went down to 10 men when we had tired legs and minds.”
West Ham striker Andy Carroll looks on at Stamford Bridge West Ham striker Andy Carroll looks on at Stamford Bridge 
It was clear from the start that West Ham were moulding this game as they wanted it. It took more than hour to open up, there was little space on offer and few chances at either end. In bitter cold and under a haze of rain, it was not exactly a crowd-pleaser.
West Ham had Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Matt Taylor lined up in front of the back four, there was a solid wall for Chelsea to break through and in the first half they could not do it. were largely limited to speculative shots from the edge of the area. The best of these, from Oscar, was tipped onto the bar from Adrian, but the rest - from Willian, Samuel Eto'o, Ramires, and Jon Obi Mikel - flew safely high or wide of the target.
West Ham had a sporadic threat from set-pieces, with Andy Carroll, in his first league start for eight months, putting himself about gainfully. But all the action was at the other end.
Chelsea did improve in the second half, making some chances with some brisker passing, but they could not score and the tension was thickening. Chelsea fans were well aware that Manchester City were winning at White Hart Lane, sending them top. There was loud outrage when Joey O'Brien cut down Willian late, Mourinho encroaching onto the pitch and Neil Swarbrick only booking O'Brien having played advantage.
With Chelsea throwing bodies forward, West Ham could break and Carroll, tired after an hour of play, scuffed his shot from Stewart Downing's chipped cross. He was soon replaced by Carlton Cole while Mourinho, who needed the win more, threw on Nemanja Matic and Frank Lampard.
If the game felt perfectly set up for Lampard to decide, West Ham did not agree. Tomkins and Collins both threw themselves in front of his shots, as Allardyce's tired side ran and ran to stifle the blue shirts in their box. Chelsea tried to summon a special finish, the sort of desperate win that defines title races. This time, they could not do it.

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Guardian:
Chelsea huff and puff but are unable to break through against West Ham

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Somewhere lost amid the din at the final whistle, as the home fans gnashed their teeth in livid frustration and the visitors bellowed their celebratory taunts into the night sky, it was easy to forget that José Mourinho had been proved right. The Chelsea manager had insisted on the eve of this derby that his own team were not yet ready to reclaim the Premier League title. In failing to puncture a side ensconced in the bottom three, that assessment seemed prophetic.
The Portuguese appeared to gain little satisfaction in his judgment effectively being confirmed, as this whole occasion proved utterly exasperating for the majority present. Mourinho fidgeted through the first period and seemed to spend almost the entire second half berating the fourth official once frustration had overcome him, so enraged was he by the "19th-century football" West Ham were apparently playing. If his mood was darkened by perceived time-wasting and stalling tactics, it was actually the visitors' efficient smothering of everything flung at them that drove Chelsea to distraction.
Chelsea struck the crossbar early on as Oscar curled a shot goalwards and Adrián tipped on to the woodwork, and rattled the post in stoppage time at the end when Demba Ba should probably have converted.
Even Frank Lampard, the kind of player who waltzes on to stages such as this to bring the house down, was denied at the end as he skipped on to Eden Hazard's cross and side-footed goalwards only for Adrián to conjure yet another fine save.
The official statistics had Chelsea down for 39 shots, albeit only nine on target, and 72% of the ball. West Ham apparently had only one attempt all night, a fine downward header from James Tomkins, though they had actually looked threatening on the counter-attack when released from the shackles. Quite how Mourinho would have reacted had Andy Carroll converted rather than air-kicked in front of goal on the hour is anybody's guess.

The visitors' resistance was impressive, particularly given that they had shipped 28 goals in their previous nine games and ended with 10 men after Joey O'Brien dislocated a shoulder.
"Tottenham was our best result, winning there for [the first time in] about 15 years, but this one probably equals it because of the position we're in and the problems we've had to overcome," said Sam Allardyce.
"A fantastically resilient performance. It was all about frustrating a team with world-class players and not to come here and lie down. Tactically we got it right, stopping Hazard, Oscar and Willian. We nullified them, limited them to a few chances, even when we went down to 10 men when we had tired legs and minds."
The point lifted West Ham up to 18th, still below the cut-off but within sight of safety. For Chelsea the frustration was palpable. Mourinho's side travel to the new leaders, Manchester City, on Monday aware that, if they lose at the Etihad, they will be six points off the top. This was a reminder that, against blanket defence, they can still struggle to break down opponents and Mourinho's decision to offer up talk of retrograde tactics smacked of a manager seeking to distract.
It was tempting to wonder how Juan Mata, who has found space in congested occasions in the past, might have fared as Chelsea's relentless battering failed to break West Ham down.
But Mata, of course, has gone and the pace of the pass was not quick enough at times to generate the clearer-cut opportunities Chelsea craved. Mourinho had sprung on to the turf when O'Brien –whose shoulder was popped back into its socket post-match – clattered through the back of Willian, taking away his standing leg. By then he had tired of the delaying tactics as West Ham clung to what they had, with men behind the ball and the space cramped. Mourinho was asked what other tactics he might have employed to squeeze out a winner.
"The only thing I could use was a Black and Decker [drill] to destroy the wall…" came the riposte. That summed it up.
His gripe would move on to the amount of time added on at the end and a lack of consistency by officials. "The referees aren't consistent and it's the same with the red cards," he said.
"Compare O'Brien's tackle with [Nemanja]Vidic here earlier this month... but I don't want to complain about the referee. Not when we've had a result I didn't want. We go to Manchester City on Monday and are they favourites? Yes.
"Are they favourites to score again four, five or six goals? Yes. But it will start 0-0 and we go there to compete." Presumably that will not mean blanket defence. After this that tactic is off the menu.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 0 West Ham United 0
By  Matt Law, at Stamford Bridge

Jose Mourinho produced a lesson in the art of deflection by claiming West Ham United played “19th century football” to hold Chelsea to a goalless draw.
Forget the fact that this was a Chelsea team that badly needed the introduction of a Juan Mata, not a Nemanja Matic. Forget the fact West Ham had conceded 28 goals in their last nine games before arriving at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, instead chose to accuse West Ham of resorting to old-fashioned “basic” football and using every trick in the book to get a point.
This is the same Mourinho who did not play a single striker at Old Trafford earlier this season. No wonder West Ham manager Sam Allardyce laughed off the criticism, declaring he “couldn’t give a s---e”.
Chelsea managed 39 shots, in comparison to West Ham’s one, but could not hit the target. Oscar saw a shot tipped on to the crossbar and substitute Demba Ba struck the post in the dying seconds. Mata, Manchester United’s record £37 million signing, may afford himself a wry smile this morning, as his old club missed the chance to go second.
Mourinho said: “West Ham need points, to come here and not play and do it the way they did, is it acceptable? Maybe yes. Maybe yes. I cannot be too critical because if I was in this position, I don’t know if I would do the same. This is football from the 19th century. This is not the Premier League. This is not the best league in the world.”
Asked what 19th-century football is, Mourinho said: “Pretending injuries. Cheating, I don’t know if that’s the right word. The goalkeeper taking time not after minute 70, but in the first minute. 10 defenders in the box, defenders not putting a foot outside the box. Very basic. But I’m nobody to criticise. They are happy. They get a point. I hope the point means something for them at the end of the season, and my players did everything to try and win the game. The only thing I could use was a Black and Decker to destroy the wall.”
Mourinho revealed that Allardyce had laughed when he personally told the West Ham manager what he thought of his side’s tactics. Allardyce laughed even harder when Mourinho’s comments were put to him in the post-match press conference.
Allardyce said: “He can’t take it can he? He can’t take it because we’ve out-tacticted, out-witted him. He just can’t cope. He can tell me all he wants. I don’t give a s---e, to be honest. I love to see Chelsea players moaning at the referee, trying to intimidate him, Jose jumping up and down in his technical area. It’s great to see.”
Mourinho was particularly furious with the fact that only four minutes of time was added on, as West Ham defender Joey O’Brien was forced off with a dislocated shoulder. He thought O’Brien should have already been sent off before then for a late challenge on Willian.
West Ham had made all three of their substitutions when O’Brien was forced off. Up against 10 men, Chelsea almost nicked it as Ba struck the foot of the post and another substitute Frank Lampard saw a goal-bound effort brilliantly saved by Adrian.
Other than that flurry, Oscar had a 20-yard shot tipped on to the top of the bar by Adrian and the West Ham keeper also produced a brilliant stop with his feet from a John Terry header.
“I was telling the fourth official that the message the referees were given, with four minutes’ extra time, was not right,” Mourinho said. “When one team comes here to do what West Ham did and the referees have the chance to show they are not happy with the game too, and they give four minutes – with five changes in the second half? That was the wrong message.
“The extra-time is a situation where the referees are not uniform. Sometimes they have seven minutes and you ask why. Sometimes two and you ask why. They’re not consistent. It’s the same with the red cards.”
Although it was a backs-to-the-wall performance, West Ham had their moments. James Tomkins forced Petr Cech to save a header, while Andy Carroll appealed twice for a penalty and completely missed his kick from a Stewart Downing chipped cross.
O’Brien will be out for at least a month after dislocating his shoulder, but it is hoped that Mohamed Diame will recover quickly from falling over the advertising boards and hurting his knee.
“Tottenham was the best result, 3-0, having not won there for about 15 years,” Allardyce said. “This one probably equals it because of the position we’re in and the problems we’ve had to overcome, and the stick we’ve had regarding our position in the league. It was all about frustrating a team with world-class players and not to come here and lie down. Tactically we got it right.”

Chelsea v West Ham: blunt display exposes Jose Mourinho’s need for a striker
Chelsea have possessed that ominous Jose Mourinho sheen of late – burnished and ready – but they were dulled on Wednesday night


Chelsea v West Ham: blunt display exposes Jose Mourinho’s need for a striker
By Jason Burt, Stamford Bridge

Maybe it was the rain; maybe it was the fact that West Ham United were close to full strength and organised. But this was a struggle for Chelsea despite their dominance and superiority. They lacked an edge; a point to their attack.
Mourinho has coyly talked down his team’s Premier League title hopes, constantly attempting to push that pressure back on to Manchester City. But make no mistake: he is not this close to the top of the table without thinking he can win it.
Next season, wait until next season, has been Mourinho’s refrain with the unspoken inference that for all his squad’s attacking power, it is mainly focused behind the striker.
How Chelsea cry out for a world-class forward to complement that world-class triumvirate. Samuel Eto’o has started but, despite his recent hat-trick against Manchester United, he is beyond his peak and simply a one-season stopgap. Fernando Torres will never regain his powers and Demba Ba is a notch or two below what is required. Between them the trio have 19 goals – eight each for Eto’o and Ba – but that is an insufficient return given the opportunities created.
Last night Chelsea claimed 70 per cent of possession at times. It was not until stoppage-time in the first half that Eto’o dispatched a shot, which was smartly saved by Adrian.
Why have Chelsea not bought a striker? Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah have arrived in this transfer window. As Juan Mata departed, they balanced the books, added power and pace and reduced the age of the squad while redressing areas Mourinho felt needed altering. But he did not buy striker.
The simple answer is that there is not one available. Chelsea have the will and the money but realise how difficult it is to try to lever Diego Costa out of Atlético Madrid right now or persuade Porto to part with Jackson Martínez (although there are suggestions Mourinho might not be convinced about the Colombian).
Something has to happen and will happen this summer but can Chelsea wait until then? It seems they will have to even though Mourinho’s exposed his frustration in December following the 3-2 away defeat against Stoke City. How, ran the subtext of his reasoning, can I win the league with these strikers?
If only he had one of the trio at City – Edin Dzeko, Alvaro Negredo or Sergio Agüero, who Chelsea had a deal to sign from Atlético before changing their minds. How they must regret that one and how they also regret not signing Dzeko having inquired about him. Then there is Falcao, Edinson Cavani, Gonzalo Higuaín... the list goes on.
Quite why Chelsea have pursued a policy of buying the best attacking midfielders and neglecting the man needed to fire the bullets is curious. Maybe they simply hoped that Torres would come good – he has improved – or that Wayne Rooney would join them from Manchester United.
Chelsea were dominant against West Ham and created chance after chance – Adrian kicked a John Terry header kicked off the line, Oscar struck the bar – but Eto’o was a fraction off the pace. Oscar and Willian fizzed crosses into the six-yard only for him to react late.
Mourinho’s frustration grew. Every decision was challenged – he was on the pitch at one stage after a bad tackle on Willian but Chelsea continued to labour, shooting ever more hurriedly from distance, lacking that edge that would make them even stronger title contenders.

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Mail:
Chelsea 0-0 West Ham:

What's the Mata at the Bridge? Mourinho rages as Blues fall behind in title race after stuttering stalemate against battling Hammers
By Matt Barlow

Football in the 19th century conjures images of bearded men in flannels and hats and carrying pipes but Jose Mourinho attempted to redefine it at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
According to the new lexicon of the Special One, it now represents time-wasting, feigning injury and failing to take your goal-kicks quickly on purpose, rather than simply because you have to refill your pipe with tobacco.
Still, his point was made. His Chelsea team tried to score - they had 39 shots at Adrian's goal - and tried to entertain while West Ham did everything in their power to add a precious point to their relegation fight.
At least Mourinho had the grace to admit he may have done the same if he was fighting for survival at the bottom of the Barclays Premier League.
Sam Allardyce emerged happier from this derby. He found it hard to keep the smile from his face, despite more injuries to extend his long casualty list.
Mo Diame hurt his knee tumbling into the crowd, Kevin Nolan came off with a sore back and West Ham finished with 10 men after Joey O'Brien was pushed over by Gary Cahill and dislocated a shoulder when all the substitutes had been used.
Still Chelsea could not find a way to overcome these ancient tactics, parking the omnibus perhaps, and their title ambitions took a blow as they prepare for Monday's date with Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Allardyce laughed off Mourinho's jibes. 'Ho ho, we "out-tacticked", we out-witted him,' chuckled the West Ham boss. He had every right to be proud of the way his players carried out orders, with 10 focused on repelling Chelsea and Andy Carroll isolated up front.
James Collins, who came off at half-time with his shirt in tatters, organised his back four, who were in turn well protected by an industrious midfield five.
They may have been on the receiving end of 37 shots but many of these were ambitious efforts from long range and when the home team did pierce the defensive shield they found goalkeeper Adrian in splendid form.
Oscar hit the bar early on with a delicious curling shot. At the time it seemed hard to believe it was as close as Chelsea would come. Demba Ba, off the bench for the last 10 minutes, also stabbed a shot into the foot of a post in a breathless closing spell.
Frank Lampard endured abuse from the visiting fans as he warmed up on the touchline and came on with purpose but for once the script was not written with him in mind.
Eden Hazard found him in front of goal with the game in the seventh minute of stoppage time but Adrian blocked his low drive with a boot.
Chelsea simmered with frustration. On the touchline, Mourinho lost his cool, flapping and leaping around and buzzing in the ear of the fourth official. On the pitch, Ramires was booked for bouncing the ball angrily into the turf when a decision went against him.
Mourinho was incandescent when the board went up to show only four minutes of added time, although the game actually went on for nearly four more because of O'Brien's injury.
The Chelsea boss had earlier exploded when O'Brien cut down Willian in front of him and seemed set to invade the pitch. Anxiety lapped around Stamford Bridge, reinforced by goal flashes from White Hart Lane where Manchester City were again rampant.
As they took more chances in search of a goal, Chelsea offered West Ham the odd glimpse of glory.
Carroll, starting in the Premier League for the first time this season, had a wonderful chance on the hour to inflict Mourinho's first home defeat in the competition.
Stewart Downing burrowed down the left and Petr Cech could only flick the cross away with his fingertips. It fell to Carroll, on his left foot, on the half-volley, but the England striker made a hash of it. He barely made contact and the ball spun harmlessly away.
James Tomkins thought he had scored in the opening minutes of the game, heading a free-kick down towards the corner but Cech sprang to his right and saved. It would be another clean sheet for Chelsea, their seventh in nine games, but that did not ease the pain.
According to the stats the Tomkins header proved to be West Ham's only effort at goal. Mostly, they had nine behind the ball, crowding the creative spaces and smothering Chelsea's playmakers, who took turns to try their luck from distance with increasing desperation.
Ramires faded a sweet strike narrowly wide before the break and John Terry found the target with a firm header from corner taken by Willian, but Adrian kept it out with his feet.
If anything, West Ham's defending was even more heroic in the second half. Tomkins blocked from Ramires, O'Brien denied Ba in similar lunging style and three players hurled their bodies in front of a shot from Lampard.
They even survived a bizarre incident involving Samuel Eto'o. After making a save, Adrian placed the ball, turned his back and rubbed his head. Eto'o rushed in, smashed the ball into the net and confusion ensued.
Had a free-kick been given? Or had Eto'o caught another keeper napping? Referee Neil Swarbrick ruled in favour of the goalkeeper and his omnibus.

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Mirror:

Chelsea 0-0 West Ham
The Blues drop points as Man City go top of the table
 
By John Cross

Chelsea couldn't break West Ham down, but it wasn't for lack of trying - with 39 shots to West Ham's one

Jose Mourinho blew his top as West Ham produced the fight of their lives to put a major dent in Chelsea's title challenge.
Mourinho's touchline histrionics were more entertaining than the goalless stalemate as the Chelsea manager fumed at time wasting, fouls and a wasted opportunity.
West Ham's brave rearguard action frustrated Chelsea as their heroic display suggested they are ready to dig in for under-pressure boss Sam Allardyce.
Hammers keeper Adrian made a string of brilliant saves while Chelsea could not find a way through and they dropped two precious points in the title race.
Chelsea came out for the second half with even more threat as they pinned West Ham back.
Oscar, Hazard and Ramires all went close as West Ham put a desperate and heroic rearguard action to frustrate Chelsea.
Mourinho began to lose his patience as the minutes ticked by and he completely lost his cool when Joey O'Brien launched an X-rated tackle from behind on Willian.
Mourinho actually ran onto the pitch while the game was still going on to vent his fury at referee Neil Swarbrick who allowed play to continue before eventually booking O'Brien.
But it only highlighted Chelsea's annoyance as they struggled to find a way through while West Ham actually had their own moments.
Stewart Downing's left wing cross found Carroll unmarked in the box but the West Ham striker missed his kick and with it a glorious chance.
Chelsea threw on Frank Lampard and the former Hammer was denied by a fabulous and brave block by Taylor. It was typical of Chelsea's frustrations.
But even when West Ham's O'Brien went off injured in the dying moments to leave Allardyce with 10 men, Chelsea could not produce a last gasp winner, despite their 39 shots during the match.

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Express:

Chelsea 0 - West Ham 0: Hammers steal a point as Jose Mourinho fumes

JOSE MOURINHO accused West Ham of cheating and playing “19th century football” as his team were held to a frustrating goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.
By: Tony Banks

Chelsea saw a seven-game winning run come to a grinding halt, and Mourinho raged: “This was not Premier League football. This was not the best league in the world.
“This was football from the nineteenth century. They had more goalkeepers than defenders. They gave everything. So my respect to their spirit and to their effort. My team tried everything.
“What do I mean by 19th century? Pretending injuries. Cheating - I don’t know if that’s the right word. The goalkeeper taking so much time not after the 70th minute, but in the first minute.
“Ten defenders in the box, and defenders not putting a foot outside the box. Very basic.
“But I’m nobody to criticise. They are happy. They get a point.
“I told Sam that - and he was laughing. He achieved his objective. Not to come here and play good football, or win, or feel part of the quality of the Premier League.
Mourinho added: “The officials did not add on enough time. I was telling the fourth official that the message given, with four minutes’ extra time, was not right. With five changes in the second half? Even with that it is two and a half minutes. That was wrong.”
But Allardyce was utterly unrepentant, saying: “I don’t give a s****, to be honest. He can’t take it because we have outthought him tactically, out witted him.
“He can’t take it. He can tell me all he wants. I love it when I see Chelsea players moaning at the referee, trying to intimidate him. I love it when Jose is jumping up and down in his technical area. It is great to see.
“This was a fantastic point for us. We got it right. We had to stop their players doing what they do and we did. We showed great resilience, topped off by our goalkeeper’s great save at the end.”

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Star:

Chelsea 0 - West Ham 0: Mourinho's Mata of concern
JOSE MOURINHO has been in generous mood lately – but gifting Manchester City the title advantage was not part of the plan.

By Adrian Kajumba

Mourinho gave Manchester United Juan Mata last week, handed out ­champagne to the press to celebrate his 51st birthday, lavished praise on Eden Hazard and has enjoyed playfully dishing out a bit of stick to his old rival Arsene Wenger over their fixture lists.
Few people expected Mourinho’s ­handouts to continue when third-bottom West Ham arrived at title-chasing ­Chelsea last night.
But West Ham produced a brilliant ­rearguard action to ruin Mourinho’s mood.
Chelsea dropped two precious points and blew the chance to go second ahead of their crucial trip to City next Monday – after the Hammers somehow kept them at bay.
There were no goals – but it wasn’t for the want of trying as the Blues threw ­absolutely everything at the Hammers.
But there was no way through the claret and blue wall protecting the visitors’ goal as the smile was wiped off Mourinho’s face.
And it was a night when the decision to offload Mata to United didn’t look quite so wise. Chelsea couldn’t find the net – despite racking up 39 shots on goal to West Ham’s one.
A clever little Spanish playmaker ­capable of unlocking the tightest of ­defences could have come in handy last night. Mourinho probably wouldn’t admit it even if it was a thought that crossed his mind.
What can’t be denied is he would have been cursing another Spaniard, ­goalkeeper Adrian, who led West Ham’s resistance with a string of ­brilliant saves.
The Hammers had two of the brighter moments early on when Andy Carroll’s penalty shout was turned down before James Tomkins’ header was pushed clear by Petr Cech.
Adrian tipped an Oscar curler on to the bar but Chelsea were struggling to click into gear – and didn’t do so until a flurry of chances in the closing minutes of the half.
Adrian denied Chelsea again when he kicked clear John Terry’s header before producing an even better stop to frustrate Samuel Eto’o.
Chelsea kept their foot on the gas after the break but the tension only rose when they failed to convert one of three teasing crosses that fizzed across Adrian’s goal.
Then Mourinho erupted when Joey O’Brien flew into Willian from behind. The Hammers full-back escaped with a yellow card when it could easily have been a red.
And Carroll blew a great chance to pile more agony on the frustrated Blues boss when he missed his kick after being found at the back post by Stewart Downing.
Mourinho tried to change it to force a winner, bringing on Frank Lampard, ­Nemanja Matic and then Demba Ba while going to three at the back.
Lampard would have been a good bet to break the deadlock after bagging five goals in his last five games against his old club.
But two pieces of brilliant defending summed up West Ham’s heroic defensive effort.
Three Hammers flung themselves full- length to deny Lampard as he looked ­certain to do what he has done for ­Chelsea so many times – find the net from the edge of the box.
Then, when the midfielder twisted to make a yard of space in the box soon ­after, James Collins flew in from nowhere to deny him with a last-ditch block.
Ba turned a cross against the post and Eto’o had a cheeky goal ruled out before one last chance fell to Lampard deep into injury time.
But this was not his night – as Adrian produced yet another great stop to earn West Ham a precious point in their bid for survival.