Football | West Ham United 1 - 5 Chelsea

It has been a disastrous start to the season for West Ham United

Chelsea brushed aside a turbulent start to secure their first win of the season against a shambolic West Ham 

Author | Lewis W

Stadium | London Stadium 

Pre match scenes

Cole Palmer’s late withdrawal in the warm-up and an early strike from Lucas Paquetá looked to have unsettled Chelsea, but goals from João Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah turned the derby into a rout.

A closer look at what happened 

Teenager Estevão Willian, drafted in to replace Palmer, endured a slightly  shaky opening when his loose backheel led to Paquetá’s swerving opener. Yet he quickly recovered, providing the cross for Fernández’s first-half strike after João Pedro had headed Chelsea level.

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Pedro Neto’s volley and Fernández’s tap-in put the visitors firmly in control before the break, while VAR denied West Ham what would prove their last real chance, Niclas Füllkrug’s finish ruled out for a marginal offside in the build-up.

Further errors from debutant goalkeeper Mads Hermansen compounded West Ham’s misery, his misjudged handling from corners allowing Caicedo and Chalobah to score in quick succession. By then large sections of the home support had already departed, disillusioned after seeing their side concede eight goals in the opening two fixtures.

For Graham Potter, it was another bruising evening against his former club. West Ham remain without a win in six home matches, while Chelsea leave with their confidence restored. 

Immediate reaction 

One fan told us: "I don't think that he should be sacked. However, I fear he will be if results continue. He's sadly become the face of a regime that nobody likes."

The fan next to me at the match simply said: "Shambles." I think the vast majority of those inside the stadium would have agreed with him.