West Ham vs Chelsea LIVE: Tomas Soucek handball missed by VAR in controversial finish
The points were shared at the London Stadium
Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United on Saturday as Joao Felix’s opener was cancelled out by ex-Blues defender Emerson Palmieri, leaving Graham Potter’s expensively assembled team still a long way from a top-four spot.
Felix returned to the team after the on-loan Portuguese winger was sent off in his debut for Chelsea last month and in the 16th minute he side-footed home a pinpoint cross by British record signing Enzo Fernandez, one of the many new faces at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea sought to extend their lead but it was their former wing-back Emerson who equalised in the 28th minute when he arrived unmarked at the far post to meet a headed flick-on by Jarrod Bowen and shoot past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
In a second half of few chances, Tomas Soucek put the ball in the back of the net in the 82nd minute but Declan Rice, who headed the ball on to the Czech, was ruled offside by VAR.
A few minutes later, Chelsea appealed in vain for a penalty, claiming substitute Conor Gallagher’s shot was stopped by Soucek’s hand.
The draw meant Chelsea have now won only one of their last seven league games - and they have not won away since October. They stayed ninth in the table, nine points behind fourth-placed Newcastle who have played a game less.
West Ham climbed up to 15th but are only two points ahead of Everton, the highest placed team in the relegation spots.
West Ham team news
West Ham are unchanged from the draw with Newcastle last time out. Thilo Kehrer is fit to start at the back despite concerns over a hamstring injury.
Chelsea team news
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been left out of the squad once more.
Chelsea team news
Joao Felix comes straight back into the Chelsea team after serving his three-match ban following that red card on debut. January signings Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Nonu Madueke all start, while Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher and Hakim Ziyech are all benched.
West Ham vs Chelsea: confirmed line-ups
West Ham: Fabianski; Kehrer, Ogbonna, Aguerd; Coufal, Rice, Paqueta, Emerson; Benrahma, Bowen; Antonio.
Chelsea: Kepa; James, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Cucurella; Madueke, Fernandez, Loftus-Cheek; Mudryk, Felix, Havertz.
West Ham vs Chelsea: team news
Thilo Kehrer sustained an injury at Newcastle last week and was removed at half time, with the defender set to be unavailable along with Kurt Zouma, Maxwell Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca.
Raheem Sterling is the latest to join Chelsea’s lengthy injury list after picking up a knock in training but the Blues are set to be boosted by the return of Joao Felix, who is available again following his three-match suspension for being sent off against Fulham on his Premier League debut.
Mateo Kovacic and Denis Zakaria have returned to training but remain doubts while Graham Potter may also have one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Borussia Dortmund, especially with Reece James and Ben Chilwell only just returning from injury.
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