West Ham United 0-3 Chelsea
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 21 September 2024, 12.30pm BST
West Ham United suffered a third straight home defeat to start the Premier League season for the first time in the Club’s history, going down 3-0 to Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.
The Irons’ indifferent form at London Stadium has seen them win just two of 13 Premier League games in Stratford in 2024, and there was little to suggest that would change as the Blues secured a deserved victory.
Nicolas Jackson scored two goals inside the opening 18 minutes to set the visitors on their way, before Cole Palmer made it three early in the second half to condemn the Hammers to their third defeat in the opening five top-flight matches in 2024/25.
The first half was a lesson in taking chances, as West Ham created more goal attempts, shots on target, corners and had more touches in the opposition penalty area than Chelsea, yet it was the Blues who went in 2-0 up at the break.
Both goals were far too simple in their execution, from a West Ham perspective.
First, on four minutes, Jadon Sancho’s quickly-taken free-kick released Jackson, who dribbled into the penalty area before slotting the ball through Alphonse Areola’s legs.
Another Jackson run moments later led to Palmer slotting inches past the far post, but it would not be too long before the Senegal striker had his second, this time latching onto Moisés Caicedo’s pass before prodding accurately past Areola.
Until that point, West Ham’s own chances had been of the half variety, with Edson Álvarez slicing over and Lucas Paquetá firing a free-kick into the defensive wall.
After seeing Jarrod Bowen fire wide, Mohammed Kudus’s shot blocked by Marc Cucurella, Crysencio Summerville denied a penalty when he appeared to have his arm held by Wesley Fofana and Kudus have a goal ruled out for offside, Julen Lopetegui had seen enough to make a change.
Tomáš Souček came on for Guido Rodríguez, and the Czech went close to pulling one back minutes later when his low shot was saved by Robert Sánchez.
However, any hopes of mounting a comeback were all but ended 75 seconds after the interval when Jackson got free yet again, fed Palmer, and the England international slammed between Areola and his near post.
Chelsea had mustered three shots on target – and scored three goals.
Lopetegui sent on Michail Antonio and Carlos Soler in an attempt to alter the course of the game, and both Bowen and Soler worked Sánchez, but Chelsea continued to threaten, as Areola denied Noni Madueke and the Blues a fourth.
With the hosts looking disjointed, João Félix poked into the side-netting, Wan-Bissaka blocked a Caicedo effort and Areola made a flying one-handed save to keep out Christopher Nkunku’s header and Félix thumped a late shot wide as Enzo Maresca’s side threatened to inflict an even heavier defeat on the hosts.
Andy Irving was sent on for his Premier League debut and his first action was to fire a long-range shot at Sánchez, before the goalkeeper kept out a low flick from Antonio moments later, but the Irons never seriously looked like beating the Spaniard on a forgettable afternoon in east London.
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson (Cresswell 73), Rodríguez (Souček 37), Álvarez (Soler 54), Paquetá (Irving 72), Kudus, Summerville (Antonio 54), Bowen ©
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Coufal, Todibo, Ings
Booked: Souček, Álvarez, Kilman, Antonio, Soler
Chelsea: Sánchez, Fofana (Disasi 57), Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella, Fernández © (Dewsbury-Hall 84), Caicedo, Madueke, Sancho (Neto 57), Palmer (Félix 64), Jackson (Nkunku 64)
Subs not used: Jørgensen (GK), Badiashile, Mudryk, Veiga
Goals: Jackson 4, 18, Palmer 47
Booked: Fofana, Cucurella
Referee: Sam Barrott
Attendance: 62,473
