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Chelsea\u2019s perfect start to the season came to a halt as they were held to a goalless draw at West Ham.<\/p>\nChelsea\u2019s perfect start to the season came to a halt as they were held to a goalless draw at West Ham.<\/p>\n
Maurizio Sarri\u2019s side were looking to join Liverpool at the top of the Premier League on 18 points after six games, but they were denied by a resilient and enterprising display from their derby hosts.<\/p>\n
Not even Eden Hazard, back in the side after being rested in Europe in midweek, could find a way to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n
Indeed it was West Ham who could, and probably should, have taken all three points after creating by far the clearer chances.<\/p>\n
The Hammers were barely recognizable from the shambles of their first four matches, now playing with more than a hint of shape and organisation as well as with plenty of attacking intent.<\/p>\n
They did so without injured forward Marko Arnautovic, who has been directly involved in four of their five goals so far this season.<\/p>\n
The Austrian also scored the winner when Chelsea made the trip from west to east London last season.<\/p>\n
In his place was Michail Antonio, and the two best chances of the first half fell to the former Nottingham Forest man.<\/p>\n
On the half-hour Felipe Anderson neatly skipped past Cesar Azpilicueta before slipping the ball through to Antonio, who skied his shot from a tight angle.<\/p>\n
Moments later Andriy Yarmolenko jinked his way into the area and the ball broke for Antonio again.<\/p>\n
This time he was denied by a point-blank save from Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with his thigh at the near post.<\/p>\n
Chelsea had otherwise dominated possession in the first half but created very little with it, Hazard and Olivier Giroud forcing routine saves from Lukasz Fabianski and Willian firing wide.<\/p>\n
As the interval approached Hazard fed Willian who touched the ball back across goal for N\u2019Golo Kante, but the Frenchman glanced his header the wrong side of the far post.<\/p>\n
After the break West Ham continued to frustrate Chelsea, while Yarmolenko curled a shot narrowly over.<\/p>\n
Sarri sent on Alvaro Morata who was straight into the action, denied by a crucial interception from Issa Diop as he went for Hazard\u2019s cute back-heel before seeing a close-range shot kept out by the face of Fabianski.<\/p>\n
A groin injury to Antonio Rudiger prompted a first appearance of the season for Blues defender Gary Cahill, just two days after he admitted he may have to look for a move away in January.<\/p>\n
West Ham\u2019s big opportunity to win it arrived 12 minutes from time when Robert Snodgrass looped in a cross but Yarmolenko somehow headed wide at the far post.<\/p>\n
The face of Arnautovic in the stands said it all \u2013 it was a missed chance to claim a major scalp for Manuel Pellegrini\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
At least Fabianski ensured they took a point, and did not lose a third straight home match, when he got his fingertips to Ross Barkley\u2019s late effort and pushed it wide.<\/p>\n