West Ham 1-1 Chelsea (Emerson 28′ | Felix 16′)
It was in those first exchanges, as Enzo Fernandez stopped the ball dead and lifted it onto the inside boot of Joao Felix, that for a moment Chelsea found their identity. All too briefly, but flickerings were there as Todd Boehly grinned down from the stands at the London Stadium. Vindicated for all but 12 minutes by his new additions.
Whatever is said about VAR’s failure to give a penalty for a clear handball – or as Chelsea’s Twitter admin put it, as “Soucek made a great save from Conor Gallagher” – for long periods this was much of the same dirge from Graham Potter’s men. They did not drop two points only because of the officials.
On a more positive note, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not in the squad, here was the moment five new signings briefly hinted at gelling. The reality soon set in, that there is not enough coherence about this Chelsea side and whatever good players they have are not capable of consistently scoring goals. Aubameyang’s exile is not totally unjustifiable, yet it would take the heat off Potter considerably if he had a proven goalscorer delivering elsewhere.
The same problems ring true at West Ham, except on a budget. David Moyes has clung on, but his players sleepwalk towards survival, to the point where they will not stay up by inherent quality but because there are numerous worse teams below them.
Michail Antonio had moments of liveliness, turning with a flick away from Benoit Badiashile and producing a yellow card from the £32m defender. Jarrod Bowen’s role in the goal was typically inventive, a glancing header finding Emerson Palmieri at the far post against his old club.
Yet Said Benhrahma could not cut through; Danny Ings must hit the ground running soon; Lucas Paqueta faces time on the sidelines. It would perhaps look different if Soucek’s goal had stood, had Declan Rice not strayed offside in the build-up.
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Neco Williams: Everything I do on the pitch is for my grandad, I can still hear his voice11 February, 2023Chelsea, though, were preparing for the ominous West Ham of two years ago. Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s inclusion was a telling sign Chelsea feared being undone from set pieces. That didn’t work, and Mason Mount continued to look fatigued after his introduction. Reece James has returned to fitness – officially – but is still off the pace. Mykhailo Mudryk’s through balls were at times searching and he is at least looking closer to full sharpness.
Potter’s sides are not goal machines, whether at Ostersunds, Brighton or at Chelsea. That is typically because he has lacked top-level forwards, which cannot be said here. Felix at least looked closer to his best, returning from suspension following his red card on debut at Fulham, but the Portuguese international is a temporary fix nonetheless.
Moyes had insisted earlier this week that he would not want a spending spree at West Ham like the one sanctioned by Boehly. No danger. All it has given Potter so far is a slightly finessed version of sides like West Ham, albeit Fernandez and Felix have the power to change that.
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