Curbishley and Eggert need Tevez to hit high notes again

West Ham's chairman is prepared to try anything to stave off the prospect of relegation and he hopes that a sprinking of star dust from Icelandic tenor Gardar Thor Cortes ahead of their Premiership clash with Chelsea will help do the trick.

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His presence should help raise the temperature inside Upton Park, but it will be the performances of the players that comes under closest scrutiny.

The Hammers were within sight of safety after three successive Premiership victories, but their 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United last Saturday left them five points adrift of the Blades.

Some of Curbishley's side, notably Carlos Tevez, went missing at Bramall Lane and the Hammers manager has made his feelings clear after a sub-standard performance.

Curbishley, who has targeted three victories in the Hammers remaining five games, said: "I must admit, I was disappointed with Carlos last Saturday and I have spoken to him about.

"The way he has been performing recently, certainly at Upton Park, galvanised everyone. He has put a lot in and I have had to subsitute him because of the efforts he has put in, but we did not get that at Sheffield United and I need that against Chelsea.

"I would like to think there is a bit of stage for some of them to perform on and now we have to see if they can respond to it.

"Carlos has to be one of them and we have to see if he can bounce back from it. Whatever happened results wise, the performance has to change from Sheffield United."

Tevez has been having pain killing injections in his knee, but it will be nothing compared to the heart-ache on Green Street if the Hammers are relegated at the end of a traumatic season.

Curbishley has not forgiven the Blades for beating their chests after their thumping 3-0 victory last weekend, but they can close the gap on Neil Warnock's team if they score an unexpected triumph over Chelsea to add to unlikely Upton Park victories against Arsenal and Manchester United.

The Hammers chief added: "Sheffield United celebrated that victory as if it was enough for them and it's not. We are looking at it thinking we have to win three games to give ourselves a chance and three of our last five are at home. We have to win them.

"Sheffield United believe they have to get a certain amount of points to be safe and although I congratulated Warnock, it's not over."

Surviving their second season in the Premiership is all that counts for Curbishley, but Jose Mourinho's side are still challenging on three separate fronts after their dramatic FA Cup semi-final victory over Blackburn.

They renew hostilies in the Premiership this evening for the first time since their narrow 1-0 victory over Tottenham on April 7 and there will be a typical East End reception in wait for Frank Lampard and Joe Cole.

While Lampard is an old hand at soaking up the abuse - he usually responds with a goal - it is the first time Cole has returned to Upton Park since he left in the summer of 2003.

The Chelsea midfielder said: "It's a big, big game. I've not been back there as a player because I was suspended last season.

"I played against them at Stamford Bridge and I imagine I will get some stick at Upton Park, but that's football. Supporters don't like to see their players leave, so I have to be ready for it."

Mourinho's side will arrive at Upton Park with the scent of their ninth successive Premiership victory filling their nostrils and they will look to the likes of Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko to take them into double figures.

Shevchenko is still recovering from his embarrassing mishit in Sunday's semi-final, but he still his sights on winning all four trophies and facing his former club Milan in the Champions League final.

The Chelsea striker said: "We are fighting Manchester United on every front and besides the domestic league and the Champions League, we will have to play against them in the FA Cup and that is very important.

"I don't like talking about a game that is not yet even in the programme, but if we reach Athens, I would like to face Milan."