Chelsea hammer West Ham to claim first win of the season | OneFootball

Chelsea picked up their first Premier League win of the season in style, thrashing West Ham 5-1 at the London Stadium.

Despite losing Cole Palmer to injury in the warm-up, the Club World Cup winners brushed aside West Ham’s feeble resistance. For the Hammers, it was a second successive defeat, with pressure already mounting on manager Graham Potter.

The hosts had taken an early lead through Lucas Paquetá, who curled a fine left-footed effort into the net in the sixth minute. However, the visitors responded in spectacular fashion, turning the game on its head.

João Pedro levelled the scores with a close-range header after just 15 minutes, before Pedro Neto gave the visitors the lead with a precise strike from inside the box in the 23rd minute.

Enzo Fernández added a third with a composed finish from close range just after the half-hour mark, putting the Blues firmly in control.

The second half saw Moisés Caicedo extend the lead to 4-1 with a confident strike after a corner in the 54th minute, before Trevoh Chalobah completed the scoring in the 58th with a close-range finish following another set-piece.

The Hammers had a few opportunities from set-pieces late on, but Maximilian Kilman and Nayef Aguerd were unable to convert, while Robert Sánchez and Chelsea’s defence stood firm to see out a comfortable win.

With this resounding victory, Chelsea send a clear message early in the season, while West Ham will need to regroup quickly as questions begin to surface over Potter’s position.