Antonio Conte’s Chelsea have been knocked out of the EFL Cup by London rivals, West Ham United. The Hammers were just too good for the Blues tonight as they got outplayed in every single department.
Kouyate opened the scoring with a stunning header for West Ham United in the 11th minute and then onwards, it was one-way traffic. Chelsea had a few attempts at the other end but were just not able to break the Hammer's rock solid defense.
Edimilson Fernandes then slotted home a beauty from outside the box, through John Terry's legs to make it 2-0 to the hosts. Chelsea went close several times throughout the 2nd half but were just not able to find the back of the net. Gary Cahill finally managed to pull one back but that was with the last kick of the game.
Here are the player ratings:
West Ham United:
Randolph - 8.5/10
The West Ham shot-stopper was at his best today! Made some amazing saves including that of Chalobah - if that would have gone in, Chelsea would have taken the match away from the Hammers.
Fernandes - 8/10
Did very well to score that 2nd goal and was solid at the back. Kept Ola Aina and Oscar quite on his side. Bili couldn't have asked for more from him!
Reid - 7/10
Was extremely good until Diego Costa came on. Had Batshuayi in his pocket throughout the game. Unlucky to get booked.
Ogbonna - 7.5/10
Was very similar to Ried today and the two did very well to keep Batshuayi but he too had a problem or two when Diego Costa came on.
Cresswell - 7/10
Impressive performance by the Englishman on the left side of the defense but did not have much effect on the game. Was able to make things difficult for Willian on his comeback.
Kouyate - 8/10
What a fabulous header! That goal was just brilliant and it also set to pace for a deserving win for the Hammers over their London rivals.
Obiang - 7/10
An impressive performance in the midfield for the former Sampdoria man. His contribution was not something that reflects on the scoresheet but it was one of the most vital performances on the pitch tonight.
Noble – 7.5/10
Nobel did what Nobel does best tonight – impress. The West Ham legend was at his best today and produced a stunning cross for the West Ham opener. Welcomed Hazard into the game with a brutal tackle and got booked for it.
Lanzini – 7/10
Wasted a few good opportunities in the game and was sloppy at times. Had a great opportunity to make it 2-0 early in the first half itself but tried a bit too much with the ball and his shot was way wide of the post.
Payet – 8/10
What a game he had. Gave David Luiz and John Terry a tough time in the defense and also got the highly consistent and reliable, Cesar Azpilicueta to make a few errors. Was able to sneak past the Chelsea defense a lot today and came close to scoring a couple of times himself.
Antonio – 8/10
He just added salt to the wounds for the Chelsea defenders when he started running rings around them. They were just not able to contain him and he just kept moving here and there to create more and more confusion among the Chelsea defenders. John Terry will be having nightmares of him tonight!
Substitutes:
Feghouli – 7/10
Came in the 68th minute and made things even more difficult for Gary Cahill and Oscar. He was determined to impress Bilic and the West Ham fans tonight and he did. Just did not let the ball or opponent go past him.
Andre Ayew – N/A
Came on in the 78th minute but did not make any significant impact on the game.
Simone Zaza – N/A
Had literally nothing to do after coming on in the 82nd minute.
Chelsea:
Begovic – 7/10
There is nothing much he could have done about the goals he conceded tonight. Kouyate’s header was just unstoppable and then Fernandes’ shot came through the legs of John Terry. He was excellent between the post tonight and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.
David Luiz – 5/10
Signs of the old David Luiz were clear in this game. Sloppy, indecisive and out of position more times than not. After playing in the center of the 3 man defense, it might have been difficult to move to the right side but he could have done a lot better.
John Terry – 4/10
Not a memorable return for the captain, leader, legend. With Tery playing in the center of the defense, David Luiz and Gary Cahill's combination didn't work at all. Both players looked uncomfortable.
Gary Cahill – 5/10
Unlike David Luiz, Gary Cahill got to play in the same position but still managed to make a lot of errors. Cleared the ball well whenever needed but was not able to keep hold of it or make decisive passes when needed.
Azpilicueta – 6/10
A shift in position caused trouble to Azpilicueta as well. He’s getting used to playing on the right side of the 3 man defense and a sudden change in position made him look really bad today. The ever so consistent defender made a lot of errors and misjudgments.
Kanté – 5/10
A surprisingly poor performance by the Frenchman tonight. He also kicked off the game from where he left against Manchester United by going close to scoring but then just lost his foot completely. Kept running up and down the pitch but was ineffective.
Chalobah - 6/10
Was impressive but he could have done a lot better. Confident on the ball but needs to know when and where to pass. Just could not grab the opportunity handed to him by Conte.
Aina – 5/10
For a right-back to play as a left wingback, it’s a good outing but he tried too hard to impress Conte but wasn't effective at all. Can become a good player but is far from it right now. Needs to be loaned out for the rest of the season.
Willian – 6.5/10
Back into the Chelsea line after his family tragedy, the Brazilian kicked off from where he left. Made a lot of poor passes and crosses but was still Chelsea’s best outfield player in the match. Missed a glorious chance in the 2nd half to pull one back for Chelsea.
Oscar – 4.5/10
Probably Chelsea’s worst player on the pitch today. Came close to scoring right at the end of the first half but was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the match. He too is back after a family tragedy and he needs to get himself together before getting on the pitch for Chelsea again.
Batshuayi - 5/10
The Belgian is clearly not ready to lead the strike force for Chelsea. Could not control the ball and did not make it difficult for the West Ham defenders in any way. Had a great chance to level things up in the first half but shot over the bar from 6 yards out.
Substitutes:
Diego Costa – 5/10
Showed more hunger and determination than Batshuayi and Oscar put together in the match. Came close to scoring on a couple of occasions but just did not get to notch it in. Gave Reid and Ogbana a run and almost got Chelsea back into the game.
Eden Hazard – 5/10
The little magician just can’t stop impressing this season. But his magic could not find holes in the West Ham wall. He also missed a great chance to get Chelsea back into the game by trying a bit too much with the ball instead of shooting when he was through on goal.
Pedro – 5/10
Did well playing on the left wing today. Could not replicate the performance against Manchester United today but still managed to impress a lot of Chelsea fans, especially with that goal-saving interception towards teh end of the game.
