Chelsea were saved by another embarrassing result after Cesc Fabregas converted an 89th minute penalty to earn a vital point against West Ham.
The Hammers led twice through goals from Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll but Fabregas canceled out their lead twice with late goals in each halves.
Draw may have been a good result for Chelsea, but it was a bad blow for West Ham’s hopes of finishing in top 4 this season. Manchester United now have the chance to close the gap on them, if they beat Manchester City on Sunday.
On the wake of Chelsea’s late draw vs. West Ham, we take a look at key talking points and things learned from the game at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea need serious re-building next season
Spine of Chelsea’s squad is very fragile at the moment, be it defense, midfield or attack. Incoming manager Antonio Conte has his work cut out as he would need at least 4-5 new players to ensure, Chelsea remain in hunt for next season’s league title.
Body blow for West Ham in Champions League race
Slaven Bilic must have been wondering about playing European football in Olympic stadium next season before Chelsea were awarded the penalty kick. West Ham are in a tight race with Manchester clubs for that last Champions League place, and dropping points tonight could end up being a key factor later on in the season.
Why refs are hesitant in awarding penalty for handballs?
It almost feels like referees are reluctant in not awarding penalty kicks for handballs inside the penalty box. Enner Valencia’s hand obstructed a Chelsea shot, which could have been deemed as a foul and subsequently as a penalty kick.
But Robert Madley decided to wave off the appeals and continue the play. Sooner or later, fans would hope for a simpler justification of handball rule and would hope for refs to start punishing handballs inside the penalty box.
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