Chelsea 5-1 West Ham: Maresca’s Blues run riot in London derby to claim first Premier League win
Chelsea’s wait for a first Premier League victory of the season ended in emphatic fashion as Enzo Maresca’s side thrashed West Ham 5-1 at the London Stadium on Friday night.
The evening began with drama when Cole Palmer withdrew from the starting XI after picking up an injury in the warm-up, handing teenager Estevao Willian his first start. But it was the home side who struck first, as Lucas Paquetá punished an Estevao error with a thunderous 25-yard strike into the top corner, celebrating passionately after his recent off-field battles.
Chelsea responded quickly. Marc Cucurella flicked on a corner and Joao Pedro rose highest to head home the equaliser. Just minutes later, Niclas Füllkrug thought he had restored West Ham’s lead, but VAR ruled out the effort for offside in the build-up.
The Blues seized control before the break. Trevoh Chalobah robbed Paquetá in midfield and fed Pedro, who squared for Pedro Neto to tuck away at the far post. Soon after, Estevao atoned for his earlier mistake by surging down the flank and cutting back for Enzo Fernández to make it 3-1 at half-time.
Graham Potter, under pressure on the West Ham bench, rang the changes at the interval, but his side’s defensive frailties persisted. Moisés Caicedo added a fourth, capitalising on a mistake by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from a corner, before Chalobah himself got on the scoresheet moments later to cap Chelsea’s dominance.
The visitors eased off in the closing stages but could easily have added more, such was their control. For Maresca, it was the perfect response after a slow start to the campaign, while Potter’s Irons were left looking disjointed and overwhelmed.
