Two goals from Nicolas Jackson helped Chelsea to a comfortable 3-0 victory over London rivals West Ham United in Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off.
Chelsea took control at the London Stadium just four minutes into the match, with Jackson linking up with Jadon Sancho to capitalise on some poor defending by the home side.
The 23-year-old striker doubled his tally shortly afterwards, finishing off a perfectly weighted slide-rule pass from Moises Caicedo with a sublime outside-of-the-boot shot that left West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola with no chance.
The Blues extended their lead shortly after the break when Cole Palmer slammed home a third goal, capping a dominant away performance for Enzo Maresca’s side.
Chelsea’s clinical display left West Ham chasing shadows and ended their strong home record against their London rivals.
Former West Ham manager David Moyes, working as a pundit for beIN Sports during the match, reflected on the Hammers’ disappointment in losing their solid home form against Chelsea.
Prior to Saturday’s defeat, West Ham had won three of their last four home encounters with the Blues, although Moyes himself endured a 5-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge in May.
“They will be disappointed because we had a good record against Chelsea at the London Stadium over the years,” Moyes said.
“There were difficulties at Stamford Bridge, but at home, we’ve been pretty good up against them.”
He also lamented the third goal, coming just after half-time, which effectively killed off any hopes of a West Ham comeback.
In my view, David Moyes subtly reminded West Ham fans of his impressive home record against Chelsea at the London Stadium. The Blues hadn’t won there since 2021, and even that victory came courtesy of a Timo Werner goal after West Ham were reduced to 10 men.
Since Julen Lopetegui’s arrival, things have gone from bad to worse. His side conceded early in the game, the defence was disorganised, the midfield looked completely out of sync, and the attack was utterly toothless. It’s fair to say that everything at the club seems to be in complete disarray right now.
Was appointing Lopetegui a terrible decision? It certainly looks that way.
Julen Lopetegui, West Ham’s new manager, has now won just one of his opening four games in charge. To make matters worse, they face a daunting Carabao Cup third-round tie away at Liverpool on Wednesday, adding further pressure as he looks to steady the ship after a shaky start.