[West Ham](https://www.claretandhugh.info/chelsea-vs-west-ham-preview-team-news-predicted-line-ups/) came out of the blocks fast with an electric 45 minutes that saw them two-nil up at half time: Wan Bissaka and Bowen running riot and the Hammers storming into the lead courtesy of Bowen and Summerville. Chelsea made three changes at half time and the game was transformed.
Suddenly the Chelsea weakness had become their strength as wave after wave came down the left side, and West Ham hearts were broken in the 93rd minute as the Blues came from 2-0 down to win in added time.
**Player Ratings**
**Areola 5** Easy first half with one save and a couple of punches from corners. Stranded for the first Chelsea goal and hopelessly out of position for the second. One finger tip shot-stop in between the Blues’ goals.
**Wan Bissaka 6** Storming first half going forward and involved in both the Hammers goals and kept Garnacho quiet looking solid in defence too. Second half on the back foot and looked spent by the time Chelsea’s third went in.
**Mavropanos 6** Solid in the air but hardly tested in the first half. Second half reverted to normal and out of position, unable to even get a jump in for Chelsea’s first.
**Todibo 6-**before the red mist.. One good covering tackle in the first half and stood up well to Delap’s challenges. Second half stayed solid and looked fitter as the game progressed. Hit the post in the 86 th minute with what would have been an unlikely first goal. Failed to get a block on Chelsea’s winner. Utterly pointless red card at the end for losing his head completely.
**Diouf 5** Solid enough first ’45 proving that he can defend too. Anonymous in the second half as Chelsea’s left-sided assault began. Replaced by Scarles for last 10.
**Fernandes 6** Quiet first half sitting in front of the defence: One good combination with Summerville going forward. Clever free kick routine with Bowen should have led to a third. Crucial block to stop a Chelsea goal in the last seconds.
**Soucek 5** Hardworking enough first half alongside Fernandes, anonymous in the second half as Chelsea took back control. Almost combined with Todibo for a winner after some fleet footed wing work (yes, really) in the 85 th minute.
**Summerville 8** Storming first half continuing where he left off last week: brilliantly taken second goal and almost had another: Terrified the Blues’ defence. Ran in from the left wing about 50 yards to meet the cross for the Hammers’ second. Quiet second half but rallied in the last 10. Man of the match for that first half performance.
**Taty 7** Hardworking and understated, lots of closing down doing what he does best “defending from the front’. Ran
**Pablo 7** Distracted Sanchez’ eye getting in the way of the flight of the ball for Bowen’s opener and didn’t stop running all half. Blew himself out by about 65 minutes and was replaced by Wilson.
**Bowen 8** Electric first half combining with AWB and destroying Chelsea’s (second string) left- sided defence. Sterner test in the second half awaited with introduction of Cucurella. gB’s Goal was a cross that Sanchez failed to deal with, thanks to Pablo’s flailing boot running interference. Believed to be carrying a knock anyway and replaced on 80′ by Traore.
Substitutes
Kilman for Pablo: Almost – but not quite – did enough to stop Chelsea’s equaliser.
Wilson for Taty : Anonynmous 5
Scarles for Diouf 4
Traore for Bowen : 3 A Pointless yellow card and three step overs.
Harsh realities of Premier League life. ” A game of two halves.” never was it more true. The fact that Chelsea celebrated like it was a cup final tells you how hard they were pushed in that game.