3 positive and 2 negative takes from Chelsea's performance against West Ham United
Chelsea secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home over West Ham United in a thrilling London derby fixture.
The win ensured that Thomas Tuchel's team got back to winning ways after losing by 2-1 away to Southampton in their previous league game.
Goals from Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz ensured back-to-back home wins for the Blues in the current 2022-23 Premier League campaign.
The result means that Chelsea is currently on 10 points in the league after six fixtures so far, winning three, drawing one, and losing two games.
As expected, the London derby between Chelsea and West Ham United had a couple of major talking points. As such, this article will look at three positive and a couple of negative takes from the Blues' performance.
Postivies from the game for Chelsea
Despite being a hard fought victory for the Blues, there were a couple of positive notes from the teams' performance.
#1 Character
One major positive from Chelsea's 2-1 win against West Ham United was their show of character to turn the game around.
The Blues went behind in the 63rd minute after Michail Antonio opened the scoring for the Hammers against the run of play.
While it looked as though Tuchel's team would drop yet another crucial point this season, the Blues were able to put on a strong fight.
Back to Back 2-1 wins at Stamford Bridge in front of Todd Boehly, let’s make winning a regular occurrence again at home, something I never thought I’d say. https://t.co/JRlSBMbb0r
Unlike previous games where Chelsea lost momentum after going behind, the Blues showed more than enough character against West Ham United.
#2 Bench to the rescue
Another positive draw from Chelsea's hard fought victory against the Hammers at Stamford Bridge was the evidence of their strong bench.
The Blues are currently one of the few teams in the league with huge squad depth. This played a key role in helping the team win three points.
The game changers for Tuchel's team were substitutes Chilwell and Havertz, with both players getting on the scoresheet for the West London club.
Both our subs turned this game around!!! Well done to both of them & especially Kai Havertz who some fans have been giving a hard time of late. Final score we win 2-1!!! Give me your thoughts on the game!!! #CHEWHU https://t.co/JKwv6KpTi8
This could be a huge factor for Tuchel this season. The German tactician has a huge amount of options to call upon when needed to change the outcome of the game.
#3 Decent debut for Wesley Fofana
Another positive from Chelsea's victory against West Ham United was the decent debut performance of Wesley Fofana.
The Blues' new signing made his first official appearance for Tuchel's team after securing a big-money move from Leicester City.
Despite not being able to help his team keep a clean sheet against the Hammers, Fofana was decent in the back three position.
Wesley Fofana vs West Ham :
2 Clearances
3 tackles
6/8 totals duels won
6 ball recoveries
5 passes into final 3rd
102 Touches
90% pass accuracy
Solid debut, @Wesley_Fofanaa 💙 https://t.co/9TuktN9XXf
The 21-year-old defender made two clearances, three tackles, six ball recoveries, and also had a 90% pass accuracy on his Blues debut.
Negatives from the game
There were still a few concerns for Tuchel's team against West Ham United and here are two of them.
#1 Defense exposed once again
Chelsea haven't really looked defensively solid this season, which seems to be a major concern considering how well they have faired under Tuchel.
The Blues have so far kept just one clean sheet this campaign, conceding a whopping nine goals in six league games.
Against West Ham United, their defensive fragilities were once again exposed as the Blues conceded yet again.
OFFICIAL: Wesley Fofana joins Chelsea from Leicester on a seven-year deal.
Their defense has a new look 🔵 https://t.co/gt4yMrpruJ
Tuchel's team's inability to deal with set-pieces this season was on display against the Hammers. The East London club scored from a corner kick which the Blues failed to deal with properly.
Despite spending a combined total of £159 million this summer on defensive reinforcements, the Blues haven't had much insurance in the department.
#2 Edouard Mendy makes another big mistake
The Senegalese shot-stopper was guilty for Chelsea conceding their first goal against West Ham United after he failed to deal with the lost ball properly.
His error allowed Antonio to open the scoring for the Hammers in the 63rd minute, thus depriving the Blues of a clean sheet.
Edouard Mendy’s falloff has been drastic, his form has been poor of lately and some say he hasn’t been the same since AFCON. He’s making too many mistakes and his distribution was never the best but he gets in trouble with it more often now. Could be benched soon. https://t.co/0i1rzWEkvL
This isn't the first time that Edouard Mendy has made a costly mistake in goal this season. Recall that he made a blunder against Leeds at Elland Road.
Mendy's recent performances in goal haven't been encouraging enough and he has been without a clean sheet in his last five league outings.