Matic and Mourinho off as Blues lose again

West Ham United 2 Chelsea 1

---

Chelsea had Nemanja Matic and boss Jose Mourinho sent off and suffered yet another Premier League defeat in a stormy match at Upton Park.

Former QPR loanee Mauro Zarate had put West Ham in front on 17 minutes and Chelsea were denied what they thought was an equaliser by Kurt Zouma when goalline technology showed a slither of the ball still on the line.

Matic was dismissed for a second bookable offence late in the first half, which sparked a flurry of other yellow cards and a sending-off for Chelsea coach Silvino Louro while Mourinho was forced to sit in the stands after an altercation at half-time.

Chelsea improved markedly in the second half, even with 10, and grabbed an equaliser through Gary Cahill.

But Andy Carroll came off the bench to score the winner, as he rose meet Aaron Cresswell’s cross.

It will increase the pressure on Mourinho and Chelsea, after a week in which their fortunes had seemed to be on the rise after clean sheets against Aston Villa and Dynamo Kiev.

But that record, plus West Ham’s seven-and-a-half-hour drought against the Blues, was ended in the 17th minute when Diego Costa fluffed a clearance from a corner and Zarate beat Begovic at his near post.

Chelsea came within millimetres of an equaliser as Manuel Lanzini scrambled Zouma’s header off the line, with the technology coming to the Hammers’ rescue.

The hosts launched an immediate counter, ended by Matic’s cynical foul which earned his first yellow card.

Lanzini then squandered a glorious opportunity to double the lead, chipping over keeper Adrian and the crossbar when through on goal, while at the other end Cesc Fabregas was harshly adjudged offside as he was set clear.

Then, just before the break, Matic blocked the run of Diafra Sakho wide on the right and after consultation with his assistant, referee Jonathan Moss produced a second yellow.

This sparked fury among Chelsea players, with John Terry and Fabregas booked, while Louro was sent to the stands and Mourinho joined him for the second half.

Cahill’s equaliser, coming after West Ham had failed to deal with a corner, will have brought a smile to his face and Chelsea looked a threat whenever they came forward.

But the defender inadvertantly helped set up West Ham’s winner with a sliced clearance that was worked out to Cresswell, and Carroll rose above Cesar Azpilicueta and nodded beyond a flat-footed Begovic.