Premier League: West Ham United 3 Chelsea 1 – match report

Wonderful West Ham United triumphed over crestfallen Chelsea on an enthralling East End afternoon at London Stadium.

In a dramatic demolition derby that saw the Hammers finish with 10 men, Nayef Aguerd endured a mixed Sunday, heading the Hammers into a seventh-minute lead before then being sent off after the break.

Carney Chukwuemeka levelled as the half-hour mark approached and only a brilliant Alphonse Areola penalty stop then prevented Enzo Fernández from giving Mauricio Pochettino’s side an interval lead.

With the possession count mounting heavily against David Moyes’ men, Michail Antonio then fired West Ham back in front eight minutes after the restart.

And with Aguerd having turned from hero to villain after collecting a second yellow card midway through the second half, Lucas Paquetá put a miserable few days behind him by firing home a stoppage-time penalty that cemented the Hammers first victory of the new campaign.

In a frustrating summer transfer race, Moyes had seen central defender Harry Maguire’s midweek move from Manchester United collapse in the final yards of the final furlong but the Scot had, at least, finally managed to open the cheque book and bring two midfielders into his London Stadium stable.

And while 68-cap Mexican international Edson Álvarez found himself named on the bench, James Ward-Prowse had come under starter’s orders following his £30million move from Southampton as the West Ham manager made just one change from the side that had drawn 1-1 at Bournemouth on the opening weekend.

And what an impact the new boy would make with two telling, delightful debut assists.

With Pablo Fornals dropping to the bench, the Hammers started firmly on the front foot with Ward-Prowse wasting no time making his presence felt as he swung over an early, teasing corner that saw keeper Robert Sánchez thwart an inrushing Jarrod Bowen inside the six-yard box.

Then, on seven minutes, the 11-cap England midfielder whipped over his second corner of the afternoon and, going deeper this time, Ward-Prowse expertly pinpointed Aguerd, who rose above Conor Gallagher and Milo Gusto to power a downward, eight-yard header into the Chelsea net.

The Blues looked set to be given the chance of an immediate response when a breaking Nicolas Jackson was upended by the helplessly exposed Areola but the offside Gambian striker had set off a split second too early and all thoughts of a spot-kick were subsequently dashed by a Video Assistant Referee review.

Chelsea had also had to settle for a point in their first match of the 2023/24 campaign and following their 1-1 draw against Liverpool seven days earlier, big-spending Pochettino made just one change with Gusto coming in for the injured Reece James (hamstring), while record-signing Moisés Caicedo took his place on the bench.

As the visitors looked to get back onto an even keel, goalscorer Aguerd found himself cautioned for hauling back race away Raheem Sterling and after Areola parried Gallagher’s long-ranger, Jackson followed up to curl his 15-yarder over the bar.

Since taking their early lead, West Ham had barely threatened Sánchez again and, on 28 minutes, they duly saw their advantage wiped out when former Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma stabbed Ben Chilwell’s low cross back into the path of Chukwuemeka, who took a couple of touches before bending an unstoppable 10-yarder around Areola and inside the right-hand upright.

Seemingly about to become embroiled in a reported Football Association betting enquiry and, with his proposed move to Manchester City now aborted, Paquetá’s frustrating week continued when he was yellow carded for dissent after being blatantly pulled back by Sterling, shortly before grazing the base of Sánchez’s left-hand upright with a stretching, 10-yard prod.

Certainly, referee John Brooks was enduring a busy spell, also booking Axel Disasi and Chukwuemeka for fouls on Antonio and Emerson and, when Sterling hit the deck following Tomáš Souček’s lunge, no lengthy VAR review was needed this time as the official instantly pointed to the spot.

Fernández now looked all set to give his side an interval lead but Areola saved Souček’s blushes by guessing right to dive to his right and brilliant parry the Argentinian World Cup winner’s spot-kick to keep it all square at the interval.

With Chelsea enjoying a fulsome three-quarters of the possession, it had been one-way traffic throughout the first half and, after goalscorer Chukwuemeka hobbled off at the break Mykhailo Mudryk emerged for the restart.

Just as they had in the opening few moments of this contest, though, Moyes’ men started the second period in positive mood, too, with Saïd Benrahma bursting down the left touchline before cutting in, taking a touch too many and blazing an angled shot across the face of goal.

On 53 minutes, though, Antonio showed his Algerian team-mate the way it should be done when Ward-Prowse – collecting inside his own half – cleverly sent the Hammers striker racing behind Levi Colwill and Disasi before unleashing an angled 18-yarder that flew across the face of Sánchez and inside the keeper’s right-hand post.

Somehow, West Ham had got their noses back in front and having regained the upper hand, they defended for their lives putting bodies on the line with a string of desperate defensive blocks.

But midway through the half, Aguerd mistimed his slide on Jackson and received a second caution of a mixed afternoon.  

As the Moroccan international trudged down the tunnel of shame, Angelo Ogbonna was summoned from the bench to take his place alongside skipper Zouma as Benrahma’s afternoon came to a premature end and, with the 10 men in claret and blue looking to keep their foothold in this desperate derby, Fornals then replaced goalscorer Antonio.

Pochettino had already introduced Caicedo and Noni Madueke at the expense of Chilwell and an increasingly petulant Gallagher, and with 10 minutes remaining Moyes decided to switch his own recent purchases, replacing chief architect Ward-Prowse with Álvarez.

Still Chelsea pressed and still their possession was above the three-quarters mark but a cocktail of the Hammers dogged defending and the Blues futile finishing was ensuring that Antonio’s unlikely second-half goal was still making all the difference between victory and defeat.

An additional six minutes of stoppage time were doing little to ease the shredded nerves of the West Ham faithful hoping that their 10 men could hold out but on a rare, late foray forward former Chelsea defender Emerson was felled by Caicedo after he raced onto Paquetá’s deft, flicked return.

Once again, referee Brooks pointed to the spot and while Caicedo was left to rue a calamitous first half-hour in a Chelsea shirt, Paquetá helped to put a woeful week behind him, when he confirmed a valiant victory by placing his penalty inside the right-hand post as Sánchez headed in the opposite direction.

WEST HAM UNITED: Areola, Coufal, Emerson, Zouma, Aguerd (Ogbonna 68), Souček, Paquetá, Ward-Prowse (Álvarez 80), Benrahma, Bowen, Antonio (Fornals 76). Unused subs: Fabiański, Johnson, Cresswell, Cornet, Ings, Mubama.

CHELSEA: Sánchez, Disasi, Gusto (Burstow 82), Colwill, Silva, Fernández, Gallagher (Madueke 74), Chukwuemeka, (Mudryk 46), Chilwell (Caicedo 60), Sterling, Jackson. Unused subs:  Bergström, Cucurella, Ugochukwu, Maatsen, Humphreys.

Booked: Aguerd (13), Paquetá (35), Disasi (36), Chukwuemeka (40), Emerson (45).

Sent off: Aguerd (67).

Referee: John Brooks.