Nicolas Jackson secured a brace as Chelsea humiliated West Ham 0-3 at the London Stadium in the Premier League.
Two goals in the first 20 minutes from the Senegalese forward gave the Blues a demanding lead early in the game. 4 minutes after kick-off, Jadon Sancho gave the ball to Jackson just over the halfway line who preceded to run into the Iron’s box with no resistance before he slotted the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper.
Enzo Maresca’s side doubled their lead in the 18th minute after some slick combination play from Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo led to a perfectly weighted through-ball to put Jackson one-on-one. The 23-year-old confidently dispatched the ball into the back of the net with an outside-the-boot finish.
It was game, set and match two minutes into the second half as another Chelsea counter-attack led by Jackson fell into the path of Cole Palmer who curved the ball around Alphonse Areola and gave the Blues comfortable breathing space.
Julian Lopetegui would be most disappointed with how his side defended against Chelsea. They were too open at the back and allowed a talented front four to capitalise on the ample space in West Ham’s half.
Lopetegui’s side set an unfortunate new record as his team is the first West Ham team to lose the first three home games in the League. A record that had stood for 129 years, it is safe to say Chelsea did not face a team in good form. However, that should take away from the overall performance of the Blues.
In the previous 20 Premier League games, Chelsea have lost two games, against Arsenal and Man City. Maresca’s side is still rough around the edges but it seems that things are starting to gel together for the owner’s ambitious project.
Moises Caicedo’s performance on Saturday personified the project so far. Last year, Caicedo famously had a horror show of a debut against West Ham, as he gave away a penalty a few minutes after he came on. However, as the Ecuadorian midfielder has settled in with time, his performances have significantly improved and yesterday we saw the player that Chelsea spent so much money to get. Not every player signed by Chelsea under these owners has succeeded, but with time, players can improve towards their potential like Caicedo has.
Jackson is another player who looks to have found his feet for Chelsea, the forward has scored 4 goals in his last 5 games. Since May 2024, only Erling Haaland has scored more goals in the Premier League than the Senegalese striker.
Besides Wesley Fofana who struggled as Axel Disasi did at right-back, the defence was solid with Levi Colwill the standout player. Colwill has started the season tremendously and has cemented himself as an important asset of Maresca’s defence. The 21-year-old had a frustrating season last year as he struggled with injuries late on and was used out of position as a left back. This season, he has been deployed in his preferred centre-back role where his technical ability has shined in a system that values playing out from the back.
Chelsea’s win has placed them 4th in the table, however with a long way left to go in the season table placement is not overly relevant. Blues fans will be happy to see their team among the top four again. Hopefully, these results can help build a positive and inspiring atmosphere at Stamford Bridge compared to the toxic environment in recent years.
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