Chelsea ruthlessly ripped a lackluster West Ham to shreds as Nicolas Jackson scored twice and claimed an assist in a commanding 3-0 win that moves the Blues, if only temporarily, into second in the table.
The Hammers, it must be said, were way off the pace and Chelsea smelt blood. Jackson duly took his tally to four for the season inside a dreadful opening 18 minutes for the hosts – first escaping clear on the left channel and slotting through Alphonse Areola’s legs before he again raced through and slid the ball home with the outside of his right foot.
It didn’t get much better for an exasperated Julen Lopetegui in the second half, with his side conceding within moments of the restart – Cole Palmer this time doing the damage as he expertly slotted into the far corner of the net.
The three-goal cushion allowed Enzo Maresca to make some early changes as he attempts to keep a somewhat bloated squad of players content with their playing time but there was no way back for West Ham here, with the Blues continuing their early-season progress.
GOAL rates Chelsea’s players from the London Stadium…