West Ham United 1-0 Chelsea : 5 Talking Points
Marko Arnautovic’s early strike was enough to give David Moyes his first victory as West Ham manager as they overcame champions Chelsea in an enthralling game.
Arnautovic finished off a slick team move in the 6th minute to score his first West Ham goal. Chelsea peppered their hosts throughout the second half – coming close through Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard - but West Ham’s heroic defence stood strong to hold on to their clean sheet and record their first league win since September.
We look at the talking points from an eye-catching encounter at the London Stadium:-
#5 West Ham catch Chelsea cold in the first half and deservedly go ahead
Against all odds, it was the home side that was quicker off the blocks. They moved the ball around seamlessly, attacking the right wing through right-back Pablo Zabaleta and winger Mikhail Antonio.
Chelsea, on the other hand, looked out of pace. They gave away the ball too easily for Antonio Conte’s liking and allowed the Hammers to catch them on the counter. West Ham’s positive start deservedly earned them a lead within the opening 10 minutes.
Zabaleta played an inside pass to Mikhail Antonio, who found Marko Arnautovic on the edge of the box. The Austrian played a delightful one-two with Manuel Lanzini to find space in between Chelsea’s centre-backs. His left-footed shot was rifled into the corner to send the London Stadium into raptures.
Barring a short spell of Chelsea pressure, the hosts dominated the first half both defensively and in attack. They were organized at the back and gave Chelsea numerous problems on the wings when going forward. Arthur Masuaku, in particular, had a terrific game as he galloped forward to put Chelsea on the backfoot.