In the duel between West and East London, the West got the best out of the East with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge yesterday. Chelsea dominated the match, creating chances, controlling the midfield, and staying solid at the back. Even though the Hammers managed to level the score thanks to a lucky volley from James Collins after a corner, Chelsea were still able to rebound and get the winning goal with a strike from outside the box (!) from Diego Costa.
All in all, a good result for the men in Blue. An important result.
"It was very important to get off to a good start. The way we started and ended last season wasn't good enough by our own standards. We said before the game that whether we won, lost or drew, that was the type of fight and commitment we want from everyone."
"We dug in, it was a big London derby and it means a lot to players and supporters. It was great for the management to get off to a good start, as well."
Complementing the good collective showing from the team, Eden Hazard had a day to remember as he seamlessly beat whoever dared to block his path towards West Ham's 18-yard box. For once, he didn’t have to do it all by himself either, and that will be key going forward this season.
"He's up there with the very best in the world for me. We relied on him too much last season and he can't do it all on his own even though he almost does. He's a world-class player and we're very lucky to have him."
-John Terry; source: Sky via FourFourTwo
Chelsea's current squad might not be filled with world-class players of Hazard’s standard, but yesterday's starting eleven was composed of eleven players who know what it’s like to win a Premier League title. With a world-class manager at the helm, and the optimism from last night’s match, there's plenty of reason to believe that we can reach those heights again in the near future.