Chelsea draw upsets Carroll

Cesc Fabregas converted an 89th-minute spot-kick to earn a 2-2 draw after referee Bobby Madley adjudged Ruben Loftus-Cheek had been tripped by Michail Antonio.

Replays suggested if there was contact it was minimal and outside the area.

Carroll had thought he had scored a second winner against Chelsea this season to enhance the Hammers’ bid for Champions League qualification, but Fabregas scored his second after a brilliant free-kick had earlier cancelled out Manuel Lanzini’s superb opener.

“All the lads 100 per cent want us to get into Europe,” Carroll said. “That is what we are pushing for. It would have been nice for us to come away with a victory and push us even higher up the table but we will have a nice break and come back and work harder from there.

“It was a bit upsetting to only get a point. We conceded just before half-time and then just before the end which is upsetting. But we worked really hard and we did deserve the win.

“I have had a look back at the penalty incident and it looked just outside of the area so it was unlucky that they were given a penalty.

“I said last week there are not many teams who come away from the big grounds disappointed to have only got a draw.”

Carroll ended a nine-game scoreless streak by netting a minute after coming off the substitutes’ bench following a fine pass by Dimitri Payet.

It was the eighth draw in an unbeaten streak of 13 Premier League games under interim boss Guus Hiddink.

He said: “We are unbeaten in the league, although I would’ve loved to have had more victories - then we’d have the chance to go to the Champions League.

“I want the team to finish as high as possible. (But) first of all the team must play with pride until the end of the season. We are obliged to do that for ourselves and the club.”