A few weeks ago, West Ham would have lost this game and, in fairness, they might just as easily have lost it this afternoon, too.
Had it not been for two marginal offside calls, the Chelsea goal to which they trailed after just 16 minutes would have been three by the time it was cancelled out by Emerson Palmieri.
But just as a point on the road at Newcastle last weekend showcased a growing - or returning - belief and resilience, in rallying to first equalise and then come close to winning the game late on, the Hammers delivered another indication that their season has turned a corner.
It is now just one defeat in seven games in all competitions for West Ham since the start of January, following a run of four straight League losses either side of the World Cup and while a point only takes them into 15th even before the rest of the weekend’s games, David Moyes’ side, at last, appear to be looking up rather than down.
Wing-backs Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri would have been long odds-against to play a key part in any revival not long ago: the former’s downturn in form had gone on long enough to transition into outright decline, while Emerson had seemed untrusted to play in a back-four and seldom looked good in a five.
Finally established as first-choice after months of sometimes enforced tinkering, however, the pair have improved markedly in recent weeks and combined to level the scores here, helped by a clever flick from Jarrod Bowen, who steered Coufal’s cross on to Emerson, arriving unmarked at the back-post.
The Italian did not celebrate against his former club but would have been forgiven for doing so, given he hardly enjoyed a grand time of it at Stamford Bridge. There must surely have been a small hint of personal satisfaction at his goal stemming from a mistake by Marc Cucurella, the player whose £60million signing from Brighton last summer effectively signalled the end of his Blues career.
Late on, Emerson’s fine free-kick delivery looked to have created the winner, headed goalwards by Declan Rice and then tucked home by Tomas Soucek after Kepa Arrizabalaga had parried.
As in the reverse fixture in September, VAR went against the Hammers, though this time there could be no grumbles about Rice being deemed offside.
In the end, in fact, the only complaints were from the away bench, as Soucek somehow escaped punishment for blocking Conor Gallagher’s strike with his hand.
Gulf in spending
In a week where financial disparity within English football has been headline news, the opening 25 minutes here was an exhibition in the gulf between the haves and have-nots, even when those supposedly in the latter category have - compared to the world outside the Premier League bubble - actually got plenty.
West Ham, who spent lavishly last summer in what has so far proved a failed bid to close the gap to the established elite, lost their club-record signing, £50million playmaker Lucas Paqueta to an early injury, then fell behind to a goal constructed by two players who each cost more-or-less twice that and finished by one whose services for a mere five months commanded an £11m rental fee.
Mykhailo Mudryk’s sliding challenge stole the ball ahead of Jarrod Bowen, before a wonderful cross from Enzo Fernandez, the most expensive player ever to arrive in British football, was swept home by Joao Felix.
That trio looked a cut above in terms of quality as well as price-tag and threatened to take the game away from West Ham before half-time but it was further evidence of the home side’s resilience that none had the same influence after the break.
Concern over Paqueta and Aguerd
Paqueta’s departure after less than a quarter-of-an-hour was a blow to Moyes, who had been looking to build on what he called one of the Irons’ best performances of the season at Newcastle last week by naming an unchanged side.
The damage was done for the Brazilian in what seemed an innocuous fall driving clear of his own penalty area, with immediate concern from the home bench when Paqueta signalled to his collarbone, an injury to the same part of his body having kept the midfielder out for three League games back in October.
Already missing Gianluca Scamacca, Kurt Zouma, Aaron Cresswell, Alphonse Areola and Maxwel Cornet from his squad here, Moyes included two goalkeepers on his bench but was still not able to fill it.
Several of the aforementioned absentees are said to be closing on returns, but the Scot could do without his numbers depleting further, particularly in central-midfield, where a relatively well-balanced squad is at its lightest.
Even more troubling would be another spell out for centre-back Nayef Aguerd, who had to be replaced by Ben Johnson late on.
