I’ll leave you with John Brewin’s match report from the London Stadium. Thanks for reading. Also a 3-0 defeat for West Ham’s women today. Here’s the story of their loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, courtesy of Tom Garry. Rather strange that Michael Jackson got a mention on this blog before kick-off and Nicolas Jackson scored twice and then celebrated with a Michael Jackson dance. Think it was the Thriller one that Lenny Henry did but changed the words to “Aston Villa”. Villa at home to Wolves today by the way. A reminder that we have six 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League this afternoon. Scott Murray will guide you through them. Joe Cole calls it a “fantastic performance” from Chelsea. He continues: “They look like a club moving in the right direction. I’ve not seen Chelsea fans that happy in a while.” FULL TIME! West Ham 0-3 Chelsea And it’s all over. It was only going one way really after Nicolas Jackson put Chelsea ahead after just four minutes. And any hopes of a turnaround were snuffed out completely when Cole Palmer lashed one in straight after the break to make it 3-0. A comprehensive win for Chelsea who climb to the giddy heights of second place. But trouble for West Ham and Lopetegui. Three home defeats to start his tenure is the stuff of nightmares. 90+3 Action at both ends. Kudus has a shot blocked before Joao Felix pulls a right-footer from the edge of the box not far wide. 90+2 min A yellow card for Soler who mistimes his tackle and catches Cucurella high on the inside of his knee. A painful one. But no red card. 90+1 min We’re into the first of four added minutes. Tubes filling up outside. 89 min Lucy Ward on co-comms gives the man-of-the-match to two-goal Nicolas Jackson. 88 min To quote Clinton Baptiste, spirits fading now. In terms of West Ham even getting a consolation goal, that is. 86 min Caicedo blocks Soler’s shot on the edge of the box. The Chelsea midfield holder has been strong today. 85 min Just scruffy bits and pieces from West Ham now in an attacking sense. Nothing clear-cut. Chelsea will want to keep hold of this clean sheet. 83 min Dewsbury-Hall comes on for Fernandez as Chelsea see the game out. 82 min A frustrated Antonio clatters into Caicedo and is booked. That’s six yellows now I think. 81 min West Ham fans are leaving in their droves although heads are cocked back towards the pitch when a cross comes in for Bowen. He can’t get on the end of it though and the march towards exit signs continues. 80 min The game moves into the final 10 minutes. West Ham not making any real impression now although Sanchez has to palm a Wan-Bissaka cross away. Summing the afternoon up, several West Ham players leave the loose ball for each other. 78 min Neto does take a conventional corner this time but it’s headed away. Lots of West Ham fans looking bemused. Telling body language. Furrowed brows. 77 min This is clearly no good for West Ham: 0-3 at home never is. But there’s scope here for a pummelling if Chelsea keep pushing. A 5-0 perhaps. 76 min Yellow card for Kilman for a hack on the slippery Joao Felix. 75 min Chelsea can’t be bothered to send corners in and instead work the ball around. It almost pays off but Areola makes one of those eye-catching scooping saves on the goalline to keep Nkunku’s header out from six yards out. 73 min Antonio tries a little near-post flick at a cross but it’s half-blocked and all the power goes. Chelsea break and add to their corner count. 71 min Sub time again for West Ham. Emerson and Paqueta go off and the Brazilian pair are replaced by Cresswell and debutant Andy Irving. The latter has a shot straight off the bat but it’s easy for Sanchez. 70 min Chelsea waste the corner and then Cucurella absolutely hacks Kudus to the floor. It’s a seven-roller. Perhaps more but the camera came away from him. 69 min The Chelsea corner count is rising fast. Neto’s pace is frightening and Mavropanos has to stretch every sinew to deflect his cross behind. 68 min Chelsea take a short corner this time which comes to nothing. At the other end, Kudus chips a cross into the area but Sanchez gobbles it up. Two more subs on the way for West Ham. 67 min Chelsea win a corner from a deflected Caicedo shot. Neto comes across to take it and Areola has to punch clear from under his crossbar. The Chelsea substitutes are hungry and keen to make an impression. The visitors win another corner. 65 min Neto makes his first burst down the left, showing a clean pair of heels to the West Ham defence. The ball breaks back to Fernandez and that’s so nearly the fourth as the side-netting ripples from his shot from 20 yards or so. Chelsea are looking hungry for more. 63 min Maresca takes off goalscorers Jackson and Palmer, the latter looking a little surprised. Joao Felix and Nkunku are pretty decent replacements. The players are certainly there for Chelsea if they can be co-ordinated correctly. And they are today. 62 min Most of Antonio’s runs are buccaneering and this one earns a corner. Sanchez punches Bowen’s delivery away and Chelsea burst clear once more. Here we go again … is this the fourth? … not quite as Madueke slams a left-foot shot too near Areola. 60 min Chelsea are finding it so easy to get from one penalty box to the other. Palmer tries to thread a ball through but Jackson and Madueke rather get in each other’s way. A reprieve for West Ham this time. 59 min Lopetegui continues to look like man ready to have a fierce row and perhaps even a fight in a car park. The fourth official is getting it in the ear. West Ham win a corner down the left. 57 min Wan-Bissaka’s dangerous cross to the far post is hooked back in by Kudus but Chelsea clear. Soler is there with a follow-up shot but it’s straight down the throat of Sanchez. 56 min All change for Chelsea too. Sancho and Fofana are off, being replaced by Neto and Disasi. 54 min Madueke bursts down the left and tries a fancy ball into the box with the outside of his favoured left foot but can’t pick out Palmer. 53 mins On come the two West Ham subs. Summerville is off and that goes down like a lead balloon with the crowd. Soler replaces Alvarez. 52 min Paqueta attempts a 1981 Ricky Villa-style dribble into the box but it doesn’t have the same outcome and he’s blocked out. 51 min Looks like Lopetegui is lining up another couple of subs. Antonio and Soler are being readied. 50 min Wan-Bissaka dinks a ball over the top to Bowen, who goes for goal from a narrow angle but it thuds straight into Sanchez at the near post. 48 min Lopetegui stands still on the touchline with his arms folded. A penny for his thoughts. Something, something for a game of soldiers. GOAL! West Ham 0-3 Chelsea (Palmer 46) Wow. What a start to the second-half for Chelsea! Kudus is blocked out in the area and the visitors break. Jackson leads the charge and then plays a reverse pass to Palmer who thumps it home, in off the post, to completely destroy Lopetegui’s half-time team talk. 46 min Chelsea get the second half in play, Palmer booting the ball all the way back to Sanchez straight from the kick-off. West Ham are back out early and doing little bouncy loosening up routines. Presumably, Lopetegui has had his rant. Will it have an effect? “Be careful what you wish for”, was the much-repeated catchphrase when West Ham fans were calling for David Moyes’ exit. It’s sure to get another run-out over the weekend unless West Ham turn this around. Reader Dan Owen is on the road far, far away from the London Stadium and sends us this. “On a long drive from Matadi to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo….. great relief that lorry drivers are on strike today ahd the road is uncommonly clear and great relief that Jackson’s strikes are doing the job and road ahead for Chels might be similarly clearing.” HALF-TIME! West Ham 0-2 Chelsea West Ham were sleepy and pretty dreadful for the first part of that opening period and were punished by two calm finishes from the often-maligned Nicolas Jackson. They’ve shown signs of a revival but simply have to score the next goal if they’re to try and win a first home point of the season. Lopetegui is miffed beyond belief, as are most of the angrily muttering home fans. 45+2 The free-kick bobbles into the Chelsea box and is cleared for a corner. Bowen loops it in before an offside flag goes up and the half-time whistle goes. 45+1 min We’re into the first of just two added minutes. A first bit of Argentina on Brazil fouling action as Fernandez leaves Paqueta in a heap. 44 min Yellow card for Fofana as he brings down the galloping Summerville. Free-kick to West Ham out on the left. Mavropanos get his head to the cross but can only divert it wide. 43 min It’s been a bit of a skittish display by Sanchez so far and he misjudges a bouncing ball over the top for Kudus and almost pays for it as the West Ham man hooks it back in from the touchline. The danger passes but the hints of a revival are there, even if it’s via Chelsea doing something daft. 42 min Palmer and Madueke have been quiet so far and yet Chelsea are already two goals to the good. Just a feeling, though, that West Ham aren’t out of this yet. They’ve had by far the better of it since Jackson’s second goal. 41 min Soucek almost makes an instant impact as the ball falls to him about 12 yards out in the Chelsea box. He thumps a low shot through various legs but it’s straight at Sanchez. 39 min Paqueta is bundled over by Cucurella as the Brazilian tries to skip down the right. No foul though and the Spaniard takes a throw-in before hoofing clear. It’s gone very silent in the London Stadium, if you don’t count the manic screeching of Lopetegui. 38 min Can the blue collar work of Soucek get West Ham motoring a bit? He’s an extra aerial threat in the box as well. 37 min Lopetegui isn’t having it and calls for Tomas Soucek. Guido Rodriguez will be the one to sheepishly make way. Before the change can take place, Madueke angles a shot wide of the West Ham post. Kind of embarrassed applause as the Real Betis man goes off. 34 min Jackson, with a hat-trick on his mind, cuts in from the left but Mavropanos gets a good foot in. Looks like West Ham are going to make a tactical change. 33 min Krishnamoorthy reminds me on email that AI predicted Jackson opening the scoring! The bit about Alvarez making it 1-1 from distance has malfunctioned though. 32 min Kudus has the ball in the Chelsea net but he’s clearly offside and knows it. An easy one for VAR. Still, West Ham are coming back into this. 31 min West Ham are racking up the corner count but nothing is coming from them. Some pressure now at least and Paqueta’s left-foot shot is blocked before having the chance to fly goalbound. VAR – NO PENALTY! The hold on Summerville is considered “fleeting” by VAR man Stuart Atwell and the onfield decision by Sam Bennett stands. 28 min Lopetegui is going mad again but this time it’s due to a penalty appeal as Summerville goes to ground after being pulled back by Fofana in the area. It’s being looked at. 27 min Chelsea really haven’t had to do much to get this 2-0 lead. Kudus has looked the most lively West Ham attacker and he cuts in from the left and shoots from just inside the box but his shot deflects up and into the waiting arms of Sanchez.
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