Crisis, what crisis? Last night West Ham notched up a second successive victory with an invigorating display of skilful and committed football.
They turned the corner last Saturday against Southampton. This win against Chelsea was deserved and impressive. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hit the post late on as the visitors chased an equaliser. Suddenly Glenn Roeder's job is no longer on the line. West Ham began like a side reborn, going 2-0 ahead inside the first 13 minutes.
And the home fans roared their approval. After suffering the embarrassment of consecutive 0-5 and 1-7 scorelines recently, there was rich enjoyment to be had in seeing their side dominate supposedly superior opponents.
When Emmanuel Petit directed a free header over the bar after just 54 seconds the signs looked ominous for the hosts, but they took the game by the scruff of the neck and took the lead after just five minutes.
A lovely quick-fire interchange saw the ball travel from Sebastian Schemmel on the right to Trevor Sinclair and then on to Michael Carrick, who fired a 19-yard right-foot shot low into the corner past a stranded Mark Bosnich.
Eight minutes later West Ham deservedly doubled their lead, though this time the role of Chelsea's back-in-favour goalkeeper could be questioned. A lunging Trevor Sinclair tackle saw the ball squirm to FrΘdΘric KanoutΘ 20 yards out. Skipping past Slavisa Jokanovic he uncorked a shot which seemed to go under Bosnich's outstretched arm.
Urged on by an incandescent Claudio Ranieri, fuming on the sidelines, Chelsea slowly got their passing together and pulled a goal back on 22 minutes.
Gianfranco Zola's brilliant pass found Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the penalty area, and despite being surrounded by two defenders, he managed to unleash an unstoppable shot past Shaka Hislop.
WEST HAM: Hislop, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn, Sinclair, Carrick, Hutchison, Courtois (Defoe 45), Di Canio, Kanoute (Kitson 79). Subs Not Used: Bywater, Foxe, Moncur. Goals: Carrick 5, Kanoute 13.
CHELSEA: Bosnich, Melchiot, Gallas, Terry, Le Saux, Jokanovic, Petit (Dalla Bona 61), Lampard (Forssell 80), Zola, Gudjohnsen (Zenden 71), Hasselbaink. Subs Not Used: Evans, Desailly. Goals: Hasselbaink 22.
Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).
