We're in the Best Cafe at the slightly unreal time of 11.30am for a 12.30pm kick-off. The omelettes are off, but Lisa and myself opt for mushrooms on toast and Michael braves a full breakfast. Nigel is looking forward to seeing Girlschool later (though surely they must be sixth-formers by now?) and Matt manages to namedrop that he's read some good trivia about Jock Stein in the Northwood United versus Hanworth Villa programme. Lisa and Matt have already seen West Ham Women lose 7-0 to Chelsea this week, so hope it might not happen again today.
It's on to the London Stadium where there are big queues and almost a programme disaster before Nigel and myself find one at the tent past the security checks. We miss the first four minutes but get in just in time see Paqueta get fouled, fall over and then go off with a shoulder injury. Soucek replaces him. Chelsea are fielding a £200m forward line and a side of young players selected from their massive squad.
Early on Felix gets behind West Ham's defence very easily to hit the post and tap home the rebound. It's disallowed for offside, correctly, but it's a warning. The Hammers start slowly and when £107 signing Fernandez has time to chip a through ball to Joao Felix, who has got behind Aguerd too easily, it's 1-0 legitimately. Bowen might have been fouled in the build-up but it's still a sloppy goal to concede. Havertz thinks he's made it 2-0 only to be ruled offside again.
After a poor opening 20 minutes the Hammers come to life and realise that pressing Kepa and his defenders as they try to play it out of defence can reap dividends. Bowen gets a low cross in from the left and Antonio flicks it against Kepa's body to raise the hopes of the home crowd.
The equaliser arrives on 28 minutes. Kehrer finds Coufal in space on the right, and the wing-back's cross is flicked on by Bowen. Antonio can't reach it but Emerson is at the back post and the old prog rocker scuffs it home. Emerson refuses to celebrate against his old club but everyone else does.
STICK YOUR BLUE FLAG…
Before the break Fabianski has to produce a good save to deny the £30m Madueka and it's level at half-time. The second half sees a resilient performance from WHU. Rice shoots narrowly wide, while Antonio almost heads a Chelsea free kick just wide of his own net. "Stick your blue flag..." reverberates around the London Stadium.
Nigel wonders if Chelsea's Cucurella could be in Metallica. The hirsute left-back is replaced by Chilwell, who whinges at the ref and lino for much of his cameo. Soucek is having a decent workmanlike game and it could go either way. It seems like Tomas has won it for the Irons after 81 minutes. Sub Danny Ings wins a free kick, taken by Emerson. Rice's header is saved by Kepa and Soucek taps home the rebound. But VAR intervenes and deems that Rice's shoulder is marginally offside.
Worryingly Aguerd goes off with a knock, so we have to hope he and Paqueta are not too badly hurt. At least Kehrer has a decent second-half. There's still time for more controversy. Gallagher's shot is blocked by a falling Soucek and hits the non-bouncing Czech's hand. It should be a penalty but after Cornet-gate at Stamford Bridge we deserve some luck with VAR.
So the Hammers are unbeaten in four matches and have drawn against Newcastle and Chelsea, games we were expected to lose. We head to the Eagle where Sinead has laid on bottles of Whitstable Bay organic ale for me and cheese sandwiches for Fraser as we wonder whatever happened to Maxwel Cornet. It's packed for the rugby but we sit in the beer garden waiting for Matt and Lisa to arrive from the club shop, probably laden with West Ham dog bowls and the last few Arthur Masuaku mugs.
Chelsea should always beat us having spent so much on players (are they part of Liz Truss's left-wing economic establishment?). So a point is a decent result thanks to Soucek's save of the day. Agent Nigel is heading to Tottenham next week, where we have to hope it happens again. Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Coufal 7, Kehrer 6, Ogbonna 6, Aguerd 6 (Johnson 6); Emerson 7; Rice 6, Paqueta n/a (Soucek 6), Benrahma 5 (Downes 6); Bowen 7, Antonio 6 (Ings 6).
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