"Worst debut in prem history", "He's getting cooked" - Rival fans call out Chelsea star Moises Caicedo as he gives away penalty on debut
Rival fans criticized Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo after the 21-year-old had a torrid debut against West Ham United on Sunday, August 20, at the London Stadium. The Ecuadorian midfielder gave away a penalty in the 94th minute, which Lucas Paqueta converted to secure a 3-1 victory for the Hammers.
Caicedo joined Chelsea on August 14 from Brighton & Hove Albion for a total package of £115 million, breaking the British transfer fee record in the process. The Stamford Bridge faithful expected the defensive midfielder to make an impact on his debut today as Mauricio Pochettino included him on the bench.
The Blues got off to a nightmare start. Nayef Aguerd headed the ball into the back of the net in the seventh minute to give the hosts the lead. However, Carney Chukwuemeka leveled the scores in the 28th minute with a sharp curler from inside the box.
Michail Antonio gave West Ham the lead in the 53rd minute with a brilliant finish into the bottom left corner. Pochettino substituted Ben Chilwell for Moises Caicedo in the 61st minute, giving the latter the opportunity to change the trajectory of the game.
Aguerd was sent off for a two-footed tackle just six minutes later. But Chelsea struggled to break down a resilient Hammers defence. West Ham hit the Blues with a counter-attack in the 94th minute. Lucas Paqueta found Emerson, only for Caicedo to bundle the latter in the box.
Paqueta dispatched his penalty to secure a famous 3-1 win for the Hammers.
It was a debut to forget for Caicedo. The former Brighton star struggled to have any real control of the game as the Blues' pivot. He only won 57% of his ground duels, 67% of his aerial duels, and conceded a poor penalty.
Fans on Twitter called out the 21-year-old for his shocking debut. Some of their reactions can be viewed below:
Chelsea are currently 15th in the table with just one point, having drawn 1-1 against Liverpool on August 13.
West Ham vs Chelsea: Exploring the stats as Moises Caicedo disappoints on debut
Moises Caicedo had a debut to forget after conceding a penalty during Chelsea's 3-1 loss to West Ham today. But let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.
The Blues had 65 percent possession against Liverpool last weekend. They followed that up with 76 percent possession against West Ham, completing 622 passes (with an accuracy of 88 percent). In contrast, David Moyes' side could only muster 24 percent possession and completed just 157 passes (with an accuracy of 69 percent).
Chelsea also had a total of 17 shots but only four were on target. West Ham had 12 shots, with six being on target. The latter were far more prolific with their opportunities and were able to secure an integral three points on the day.