Overview

Chelsea put up a resolute and professional performance against perennial bogey-team West Ham United, halting our recent stretch of bad form (for now). It was by no means a fluent display but wins like these are exactly what is required for the team’s development. Most, if not all, good teams can produce results when they are playing well. The ability to win on off-days is what separates the best from the rest.

Focusing on the positives first, Chelsea showed the defensive solidity that formed the backbone of our 17-game unbeaten run. West Ham had plenty of possession in the second half but could do virtually nothing with it and had only 6 legal shots (0 on target) the whole night. Chelsea did have to deal with some tricky crosses but that is part and parcel for any game.

Offensively, the team was largely toothless and created few good openings until late in the game. Thiago Silva scored a header that would have made John Terry proud and Werner missed a chance that would have made Alvaro Morata proud but there was very little outside those two chances. West Ham losing steam and Mateo Kovacic replacing Jorginho contributed to better opportunities but that cannot be expected to happen every game.

Chelsea are not playing well but the same can be said about many other big teams, too, such is the schedule and accompanying fatigue. The most important thing is to win one way or the other, even if it is ugly.

All said and done, this is a solid result on the back of a rusty performance. The ability to defend solidly despite having second-string personnel in key defensive positions is a major plus, but the inability to fashion openings for the third game in a row is a worry.

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Match statistics

Statistics from fbref and understat.

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Frank Lampard

Picking Jorginho over Kovacic/Havertz was perhaps the only surprise considering fitness of other players. It was a bizarre call considering Gilmour’s return to fitness and the fact that Chelsea had close to a week to recharge the batteries of tired players. The selection transpired largely how we thought it would, with West Ham targeting this weaknesses and stopping Chelsea with ease.

Lampard will be concerned about the team’s inability to create major chances too. It is not a critical issue yet and might just disappear once Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi (the team’s best passers in the final third) return to fitness but Chelsea have struggled to break down teams lately outside of set-piece routines. This is where Lampard needs to show his potential as an elite offensive coach, like he did last season.

RATING: 6.5

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Édouard Mendy

Did not have to face a single (legal) shot on target, mostly thanks to Silva’s colossal performance. However, he did not cover himself in glory for either of West Ham’s disallowed goals. He misjudged and mistimed his runs off his line on both occasions.

RATING: 6

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Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

César Azpilicueta

Was very solid defensively against the dual threat of Fornals and Cresswell but the drop-off from Reece to him offensively was steep. Regardless, this was a good night’s work considering how muted West Ham’s wide players looked.

Stats of note
5 tackles - 1st among Chelsea players
2 interceptions - Joint 1st
1 shot blocked - Joint 1st
12 pressures - 2nd
3 passes into final third - Joint 2nd

RATING: 7

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Kurt Zouma

A routine performance carried out with minimal fuss or bother. While he was not as good as his partner, not every defending display needs to be eye-catching.

Stats of note
2 interceptions - Joint 1st
8 clearances - 2nd
4 progressive passes - Joint 3rd
2 aerial duels won (2 contested) - Joint 3rd

RATING: 7

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Thiago Silva

A titanic display both on the ground and in the air. After a couple of poor performances by his standards, Silva bounced back in the most emphatic manner imaginable. Winning as many aerial duels as he did against Haller and Soucek, two very accomplished players in the air, is no mean feat. When Chelsea were briefly under pressure, he was the loudest voice out there, cajoling and calming his teammates down.

Stats of note
1 goal
9 aerial duels won (12 contested) - 1st
10 clearances - 1st
4 passes into final third - 1st
1 shot blocked - Joint 1st
2 shots - Joint 2nd
10 loose-balls recovered - 3rd

RATING: 8.5

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Ben Chilwell

Suffered an ankle injury within the first 10 minutes and it remains to be seen for how long he will be sidelined.

RATING: N/A

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Photo by CLIVE ROSE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Jorginho

Looked good in the first 10-15 minutes before West Ham rejigged their midfield. He struggled massively against Soucek and Rice and his passing took a major hit as a result. While he accumulated reasonably good passing stats, his passes were slowly thought-out and underhit. His ability to find space to receive the ball, or the lack of it, hindered Chelsea’s possession play too.

Stats of note
15 loose-ball recoveries - 1st
3 passes into final third - Joint 2nd
4 progressive passes - Joint 3rd
2 interceptions - Joint 1st

RATING: 5.5

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N’Golo Kanté

Was asked to play as a more advanced midfielder and did his job well. The defensive synergy between him and Azpilicueta was good to see, with one veteran filling in for the other almost seamlessly. Played a peach of a transition pass to Werner late in the game, the type generally played only by the likes of De Bruyne.

Stats of note
2 interceptions - Joint 1st
2 shot-creating actions - 2nd
11 pressures - 3rd
4 progressive passes - Joint 3rd
2 tackles - Joint 3rd
2 aerial duels won (3 competed) - Joint 3rd

RATING: 7

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Photo by Chelsea/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Mason Mount

Looked refreshed after the 6-day break between this game and the one against Wolves. His ever-improving set-piece delivery earned him another assist and his cross to Pulisic leading to Abraham’s second goal was delightful. He was a terrier off-the-ball as he usually is.

Stats of note
4 key passes - 1st
15 pressures - 1st
2 passes into penalty box - Joint 1st
4 shot-creating actions - Joint 1st
5 progressive passes - 2nd
3 tackles - 2nd

RATING: 8

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Christian Pulisic

It was surprising to see him act as the team’s main ball progressor but he filled the role with aplomb. His sense of timing and leaping ability was a major reason behind the team’s third goal too. However, he needs to be more judicious in determining when to take defenders on.

Stats of note
7 progressive passes - 1st
2 passes into final third - Joint 1st
4 shot-creating actions - Joint 1st
2 successful dribbles (8 attempted) - Joint 1st
6 touches in the penalty box - 2nd

RATING: 7.5

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Photo by Chelsea/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Tammy Abraham

Had a great centre-forward display even before he scored his two goals. He combined excellently with his teammates and played a big part in the build-up for both his goals. He combined very well with Pulisic in particular and the team will be better off if the two build on this.

Stats of note
2 goals
2 successful dribbles (2 attempted) - Joint 1st
1 shot blocked - Joint 1st
2 shots - Joint 2nd
4 touches in the penalty box - 3rd
2 aerial duels won (6 competed) - Joint 3rd

RATING: 8

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Timo Werner

The good: he got on the end of chances before fluffing them. Inevitably, a striker of Werner’s calibre will start putting them in and goals will flow.

The bad: his poor goalscoring form seems to have affected his confidence and his general play now looks completely shot.

Lampard has a tricky task on his hands ensuring Werner’s confidence rebounds to its past levels without exposing him to a role that will result in him getting on the ball more.

Stats of note
1 assist
4 shots - 1st
7 touches in the penalty box - 1st
3 passes into final third - Joint 2nd

RATING: 5.5

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Substitutes

Photo by CLIVE ROSE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Emerson Palmieri (10th minute) — Dealt with Bowen as well as one could reasonably expect from a back-up fullback. Was active defensively, if not always switched on. Offered very little in terms of offensive intensity.

Stats of note
7 clearances - 3rd
2 tackles - Joint 3rd

RATING: 6.5

Mateo Kovačić (68th minute) — Stabilized the midfield and evaded pressure well in order to find teammates in more open positions.

Kai Havertz (84th minute) — Nothing of note.