Match Report: Resilient West Ham Frustrate Dominant Chelsea

Chelsea were forced to make do with a point in a rain drenched London derby against West Ham United, despite turning out a performance that warranted all 3. The Blues dominated from the first minute to the last, but were unable to break down their east London counterparts as the hosts lost ground in the title race.

José Mourinho cast a frustrated figure on the touchline as the first half drew to a close, watching on as his Chelsea side were largely restricted to pot shots from distance. West Ham came to Stamford Bridge with a game plan and the disciplined Hammers defence limited the Blues' clear-cut goalscoring opportunities in the opening 45 minutes.

A similar pattern followed after the interval as the hosts pressed for the opener, but failed to carve out any real chances as the West Ham backline camped out in their penalty area and ensured they came away from Stamford Bridge with a point. The 0-0 draw, coupled with Manchester City's 5-1 mauling of Tottenham at White Hart Lane, means Chelsea now sit 3 points off top spot in their bid to be crowned Premier League champions for the fourth time.

In the end, the Blues fired off 39 shots on goal, but were unable to force the ball into the net as they failed to score in a competitive fixture for the first time since January 9th 2013. From a statistical perspective however, the west London side deserved to come away with a victory.

Come the full time whistle, Mourinho's team had enjoyed 72% possession, while the 39 shots they had was the most in a league match this season. However, 59% of those 39 were from outside the box, while a further 14 were blocked by a West Ham player, 7 of which were by midfielder Matthew Taylor, a testament to West Ham's committment. As Chelsea failed to find a way past Adrián, it's little surprise that the Spaniard picked up the WhoScored man of the match award having garnered a rating of 8.4.

Adrián was forced into 9 saves over the 90 minutes, ensuring West Ham secured their league-high 10th clean sheet of the season. His performance won the Hammers a much needed point in their bid to stave off the threat of relegation.

While Sam Allardyce's side are still mired in the bottom 3 as a result of Sunderland's 1-0 win over Stoke, the display from his team was one that would've pleased the veteran boss. The determination and grit emanating from his players is exactly what the team need as they look to avoid dropping back into the Championship.

The 14 shots West Ham blocked was the most in a single Premier League game this season and highlighted the defensive resilience Allardyce has looked to instil when his teams travel away from home. As the Hammers manager noted following the full time whistle, it's now 4 points from their last 2 games away from Upton Park and it's this mentality that his team needs to adopt when playing at home if they're to stay up.

As for Chelsea, it's the second time this season they've dropped points at home, despite dominating the entire game. These encounters in particular are the ones they need to be winning if they're to usurp City at the summit of the table, but credit must go to West Ham for a resolute defensive display that will have gone a long way to boosting morale within the squad as they aim to maintain their Premier League status.

Did West Ham deserve to come away from Stamford Bridge with a point? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below