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Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, February 11.
The Hammers and the Blues faced each other in a London derby that always provides entertainment, be it goals or cards. The hosts ran out 3-2 victors in the corresponding fixture last season as Arthur Masuaku scored a late winner. The visitors then won 1-0 on their turf as Fabian Balbuena was sent off for West Ham.
Both David Moyes and Graham Potter are under considerable pressure in their respective jobs with expectations rising. Moyes and his team are hovering just above the relegation zone with 19 points.
The Scotsman will look to overturn his team's fortunes by stringing together a run of positive results. Potter, on the other hand, has been handed all the tools and will be expected to propel Chelsea back to the top.
Chelsea made a bright start to the game and threatened from the early stages as they had two goals ruled out for offside inside 25 minutes. They did, however, score a deserved goal in between those attempts as Enzo Fernandez played a delightful ball over the West Ham defense to allow Joao Felix to score from close-range.
The Hammers looked visibly dejected after the goal, having already lost Lucas Paqueta to injury earlier in the period. They were handed a boost midway through the half as Jarrod Bowen flicked a cross on towards the far post. Former Chelsea player Emerson Palmieri made a smart run and finished the chance off to make it 1-1.
Both teams had minor chances to alter the scoreline but did not manage to do so as they went into the interval tied at 1-1.
Both Chelsea and West Ham made aggressive starts to the second half as they each looked to assert themselves in the proceedings. They received one booking each in the opening exchanges of the second period. The Blues kept the ball for the majority of the time but could not hit the target despite three attempts. The hosts, on the other hand, attempted four shots but missed the target.
Both managers turned to their respective benches halfway through the second period as they looked to alter the course of the game. There was drama in the final 10 minutes as Tomas Soucek first had a goal disallowed for an offside on Declan Rice in the build-up. Soucek then appeared to take the job from Lukasz Fabianski as he used his hand to block a shot but got away scot free.
The game ended 1-1 after a dramatic finale as the London clubs shared the spoils. On that note, here are the five talking points from the game.
#5. West Ham need to make better starts to games
In their game against Newcastle, the Hammers conceded inside the first minute. The goal was later ruled out after a VAR check. However, they conceded another just moments later and the goal stood.
They made a similarly shaky start today and were spared their blushes as Felix's initial attempt was ruled out for offside. However, he scored just four minutes later to make it 1-0. West Ham were lucky once again in the 23rd minute as Kai Havertz's goal was ruled out for offside as well.
The Blues breached the hosts' defense thrice inside the first 25 minutes - a worrying sign for Moyes' team if they are to win games.
#4. Graham Potter is close to finding Chelsea's best lineup
The Blues boss made an interesting decision to start Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fernandez together but their combination seemed to work well. While the former sat back and maintained their shape, the latter could push forward and aid in attacks.
Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk offered pace and directness from the flanks while Felix and Kai Havertz kept West Ham's central defenders occupied with their smart movements in and around the box.
Their defense looked fairly solid, with newly-extended Thiago Silva leading from the middle. Marc Cucurella and Reece James offered solidity in defense as well as an additional option in the build-up for Chelsea on the flanks.
#3. West Ham lack consistency in attack
Other than the chance which Emerson eventually scored from, West Ham did not have much else going forward despite Chelsea dropping intensity every now and then. They attempted 10 shots throughout the game but hit the target just twice. Although they had very limited possession for most of the game, the Hammers will need to be more clinical if they want to get results from matches against big teams.
Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, and Jarrod Bowen have all been patchy with their form so far this season. Should they be able to recreate the magic from last year, West Ham will be in a much better place.
#2. Chelsea should have buried the game in the first half
Chelsea made a positive start and put the ball in the back of West Ham's net thrice inside 25 minutes, but two were ruled out for offside. However, the signs were clear that the Blues were the much better side and that their combinations were bearing fruit from the start.
However, 12 shots later, they managed to score just once from four on target. Had West Ham shown more fight and intensity, they could have stolen the game away from Chelsea.
#1. Tomas Soucek deliberately handled the ball
Soucek showed a goalkeeper-like instinct as he got down in time to block a shot. However, he decided to use his hands inside the penalty area and was extremely fortunate that the VAR deemed it an action to break his fall. Most analysts, including Ian Wright and Glenn Hoddle, were shocked by the decision, as were Chelsea's players.
You can watch the incident below:
