Speaking to West Ham TV Allardyce had nothing but praise for his players, with Carlton Cole in particular getting a special mention. “We were so great at the end and our fitness levels were so high that, for me, we ran Chelsea into the ground. To consider that was our third big game in six days, to produce that much energy at the end was magnificent.
“The reward we got was the win and it was an outstanding victory.”
“Playing against Chelsea was always going to motivate him (Carlton Cole) because he’s a great lad. He has been patient and I’ve really enjoyed working with Carlton since I’ve been here. He’s done a great job for himself and for everybody today - certainly for the fans - to send everybody home happy.
“He showed a lot strength for the first goal and great hold-up play, because that is what you need in the Premier League to build sustained attacks. Your front men have to play well and he played ever so well today.
“That was backed up by Diame, Taylor, Jarvis and Nolan and Noble got better. The defenders didn’t have as much pressure on them, so when they needed to defend they did well. In the end, you can’t say we can’t deny we deserved the win.”