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Chelsea secured a late 2-1 win over West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday, September 3.
The Blues came into this game having won two, lost two and drawn one of their opening five games. Thomas Tuchel's men were 10th in the league table prior to kick-off and were eager to secure a victory to climb higher up. Wesley Fofana started the game having moved from Leicester City for a fee of £75 million.
The Hammers, on the other hand, lost three, drew one and won one of their opening five games. David Moyes was eager to secure a result at Stamford Bridge as he gave starts to new signings Lucas Paqueta and Thilo Kehrer.
The first half began with Chelsea having more possession of the ball than West Ham. However, they were clumsy off the ball as Marc Cucurella and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were booked in the first period. The visitors sat deep and looked to break on the counter with Paqueta operating as an attacking midfielder.
Thiago Silva made a strong start in defense for Chelsea as he organized his fellow defenders. However, they were guilty of passing the ball sideways too many times instead of playing through West Ham's lines. This allowed the Hammers to maintain a compact shape and defend in numbers.
Many questioned Tuchel's team selection as he fielded a very defensive XI, with just two out-and-out attackers in Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic. Reece James and Cucurella pushed high up the pitch. However, they were unable to break down a rigid West Ham backline. The first half did not see much goalmouth action as the teams were deadlocked at 0-0.
West Ham United made a better start to the second half than they did in the first, looking more confident and purposeful in possession. They continued to commit men forward as Declan Rice and Michail Antonio began to get more involved in their attacks.
The Hammers pair combined to put them a goal up just after the hour-mark. Rice did well to reach a cross played into the penalty area and bring it down before passing it goalwards. Antonio latched onto it in a flash and put it across the line to make it 1-0.
Chelsea did not give up despite falling behind. Tuchel made a few substitutions in a bid to reinvigorate his side's hunt for an equalizer. His decisions paid off as substitute Ben Chilwell did extremely well to control a long ball by Thiago Silva. He then squeezed it into the net from a tight angle to draw the Blues level after 76 minutes.
Kai Havertz was the hero for Chelsea in a big moment yet again as he scored the winner in the 88th minute. The hosts did have a scare as Maxwel Cornet appeared to have equalized late on. However, play was surprisingly pulled back for a foul by Jarrod Bowen on Edouard Mendy.
Chelsea secured a 2-1 win, their third of the season. That said, let's take a look at the five major talking points from the game.
#5. Chelsea lack creativity in their ranks
Thomas Tuchel fielded a lineup that had several players with outstanding defensive abilities. While that gives the Blues security at the back, they are left severely short in attack with usually just two options up front. Tonight, Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic took up those roles.
However, with Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek being box-to-box midfielders rather than distributors, the forwards are often left severely isolated. Chelsea recently added Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to their ranks. It will be interesting to see if they use a long ball approach rather than passing it through opposition defenses.
#4. West Ham United are severely goal-shy
After six games into the season, West Ham have only managed to find the back of the net three times. They hold the joint-worst record for goals scored with Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, Wolves have two more points on the board owing to two more draws than the Hammers.
With attackers like Michail Antonio, Lucas Paqueta, Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals in the team, it is a surprise that West Ham average 0.5 goals per game so far. They also have Jarrod Bowen and Declan Rice in midfield, who are great passers of the ball. Despite this service, they have failed to create a sufficient number of clear-cut chances to score from.
It could prove costly as they seem to look hapless if they fall a goal behind.
#3. Conor Gallagher has not adjusted well to life at Chelsea
If anyone watched Gallagher play on loan for Crystal Palace last season, they would think the Blues have found a pot of gold. However, the youngster has failed to replicate his performances with the Eagles since his return to Stamford Bridge. His role in Tuchel's side still seems undefined.
There is no doubt Gallagher has the physical and mental attributes to be a terrific player. However, considering Chelsea's style of play, his tendencies to venture forward often leave gaps in midfield that are open for opponents to exploit. Tuchel will soon need to find a remedy for this, or drop Gallagher altogether.
#2. David Moyes could be in for a long season if he fails to spark a turnaround
West Ham United finished an impressive seventh in the Premier League last year, winning 16 games and drawing eight of them. They were one of the toughest teams to defeat at their home ground for parts of the season. Despite a good finish, the Hammers shipped a whopping 51 goals last year.
Moyes being an experienced manager saw signs of frailty and duly brought in a couple of defensive reinforcements to strengthen his side. Angelo Ogbonna's return from a long injury lay-off was a boost for West Ham as well.
Despite several big names being part of the squad, it has failed to translate into results, which is what they need the most.
#1. Chelsea are reliant on luck and individual brilliance
So far, most of Chelsea's goals this season have come through a piece of magic from their players or a mistake by the opponents.
Their first goal by Chilwell was a result of a defensive errors by West Ham's defenders, who essentially boxed each other out and let the ball fall to the Chelsea man. For their second, Chilwell made a wonderful run and played a perfectly-weighted pass into Havertz's path. The German was loosely marked just a few feet from goal and scored to win the game for his side.
