Sam Allardyce’s repair job should not go unappreciated but under his successor, Slaven Bilic, West Ham have consistently played without fear despite their disappointment at a 2-2 draw with Chelsea

Although West Ham United left with regrets over missed chances and grievances over a highly debatable late penalty, the loss of two precious points could not dampen the pride they took from a performance that demonstrated how far they have come since they visited Chelsea on Boxing Day in 2014 and rolled over instead of taking the game to their more illustrious opponents.

Although there should be nothing but appreciation for the repair job overseen by Sam Allardyce during his four years at Upton Park, equally there were times when his pragmatism stifled his players and on Saturday, as West Ham attacked in numbers, constructed moves with some wonderfully fluid football and scored two splendid goals, thoughts drifted back to the way they lifted the white flag on their previous visit. Slaven Bilic’s predecessor rested two of his best players, Diafra Sakho and Alex Song, and West Ham played so meekly in a 2-0 defeat that it was hard to believe they were fourth at kick-off.

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Shorn of a little belief, the stuffing knocked out of them just enough to make an imperceptible but crucial difference, two days later West Ham lost at home to Arsenal despite the return of Sakho and Song to the starting line-up, slowly slipped out of the battle for the European spots and limped over the line in 12th place.

Style matters. West Ham have been fearless under Bilic, beating Liverpool home and away, winning at Arsenal and Manchester City, overwhelming Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park. With eight games left, they are firmly in the fight for Champions League qualification.

They would have secured their first league double over Chelsea since the 2002-03 season if Robert Madley had not awarded the hosts the penalty that allowed Cesc Fàbregas to equalise in the 89th minute, the referee having failed to spot that Michail Antonio’s foul on Ruben Loftus-Cheek took place outside the area.

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If Bilic had one criticism of his side, it was that they played “too sexy, not penetrating enough” when they were on top. Ahead early on thanks to Manuel Lanzini’s beautiful goal, they had chances to kill Chelsea off after responding to Fàbregas’s excellent free-kick on the stroke of half-time by regaining their lead when Andy Carroll scored with his first touch after replacing Sakho. Yet it was a lack of game management that let Willian lead the break that culminated in the penalty.

They are a developing side, with kinks that need to be ironed out. Enjoying themselves in fifth place, however, Bilic does not want his players to think too far ahead. “I don’t feel we need to have big meetings, or talk about pressure,” West Ham’s manager said. “Of course there is pressure, we are playing in the Premier League for West Ham and it is a big club, but that is a positive kind of pressure, a kind of motivation for us.

“On the coach we’ll look at the table and think there we are with eight games to go, but that is wrong. Spend half an hour tonight, but the way we approach it, and I hope the players are the same when they talk among themselves, is: ‘Look, we are playing well, who is next game? It is difficult but if we play the way we are doing we have a chance to win.’ And then do it for the next game, and the next game and see where that takes us. I’d love us to be in this situation every year. There is no better thing than positive pressure.”

Man of the match Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United)