West Ham conceded three early goals in a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea
- West Ham faced a 3-0 home defeat against Chelsea.
- Nicolas Jackson scored a first-half brace to give the Blues a 3-0 win.
By Rahul Das
Coming on the back of two consecutive home defeats in the Premier League, this Chelsea fixture was an important game for Julen Lopetegui's side to return to winning ways after the international break. A few lineup changes were expected in this match, and Cryscencio Summerville came into the starting lineup alongside Lucas Paqueta, Emerson started the match as well despite his injury in the 1-1 draw with Fulham. However, Lopetegui made a surprising decision as he changed the formation and played three central defenders, Kilman, Mavropanos, and Alvarez.
West Ham conceded three early goals in a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea
Todibo again started as a substitute but wasn't brought in the second half this time as the Blues had already taken a brilliant 2-0 lead before halftime. In the first half, West Ham tried to advance the ball forward in the Chelsea half; however, Enzo Maresca's side found a lot of empty spaces behind the Hammers midfield, and Nicolas Jackson made a great run to score the first goal within five minutes. Ten minutes later, West Ham again gave away possession in their build-up play, and Enzo Fernandez gave another key pass to Jackson, who made it 2-0 with another brilliant finish.
Before halftime, Kudus found the back of the net; however, the goal was disallowed due to offside. After the second half, Chelsea again created a huge chance, and Cole Palmer scored the third goal to extend Chelsea's lead. Although West Ham kept more possession and tried to create a lot of chances, the Blues defended well to keep the clean sheet, and Julen Lopetegui's side faced another home defeat and are yet to take a win after the international break.
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While changes were made to bolster the attack with a front three of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, and Cryscencio Summerville, the defense allowed a lot of empty space for Chelsea in the first half. Further, several West Ham fans have been left wondering as to why Jean-Clair Todibo wasn't in the starting lineup, as well as the decision to start Edson Alvarez in the central defense. West Ham needs to make some tactical changes, and it remains to be seen whether Fullkrug will be available for the next match.
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