Alphonse Areola was one of a team of heroes as ten man West Ham United earned their first win of the 2023/24 Premier League season with a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at London Stadium.
Before kick-off, both the statistics and recent history suggested West Ham had little chance of winning: the Irons had lost eleven of their previous 16 London derbies, while David Moyes had never beaten Mauricio Pochettino in five previous attempts.
But those statistics and history counted for nothing as Moyes and his team produced a superb performance to send Pochettino and his Blues back to west London with nothing.
Areola kept out Enzo Fernández’s penalty with the scores level at 1-1 just before half-time, setting the platform for a second-half surge led by Michail Antonio and Lucas Paquetá.
James Ward-Prowse also had a debut to remember, providing assists for Nayef Aguerd – who was sent-off with his side leading 2-1 midway through the second half – and Antonio, either side of Carney Chukwuemeka’s well-struck equaliser.
And so it was, 74 days after that balmy night in Prague, on a hot and sunny August afternoon at a sold-out London Stadium, the UEFA Europa Conference League champions returned home with a win that takes Moyes’ side into the top six.
Watch the goals from a memorable win in the video player above.
