It was a frustrating evening for Chelsea as they struggled to breakdown and claim their sixth victory of 2014. On a cold and rainy night at Stamford Bridge, the Hammers dug deep to thwart Jose Mourinho's title chasing side. With over 70% possession and 30 shots on goals, the Blues will be aggrieved that they did not take all three points from the London derby. Countless times shots were blocked by valiant West Ham defenders, desperate to fight for what is a valuable point. Speaking after the match Mourinho admitted that he was not angry with his team, understanding that it was difficult for them to find a way through West Ham's deep defensive line. Even though the fans may not have been, the Chelsea manager was upbeat after the final whistle. For Sam Allardyce, the result is a huge boost for his team's cause. After conceding 21 goals already in 2014, the West Ham boss will be pleased that his side finally managed to plug their leaky defence. After such a big result, there is obviously a lot to be learnt from this encounter. Undoubtedly Chelsea will be keen to move on, but for West Ham their are some crucial positives they can take from this match, positives that could help them beat the drop.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
