Chelsea ran riot at the London Stadium on Friday night as Mads Hermansen’s start to life at West Ham United went from bad to worse and Lucas Paqueta’s stunning opener was rendered meaningless.
Graham Potter wanted a response from the Hammers after that dismal defeat to Sunderland on the opening weekend. And as Lucas Paqueta lashed a swerving shot past Robert Sanchez with just six minutes on the clock, it was tempting to wonder if West Ham United’s season had just been given it’s lift-off moment.
It took Chelsea only nine minutes to drag the beleaguered hosts back down to earth with an almighty crash.
Joao Pedro levelled from a corner. And, after Niclas Fullkrug had a goal ruled out for offside, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez struck a quick-fire double as Enzo Maresca’s side took full control.
Hermansen’s day then took a traumatic turn as Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah put Chelsea 5-1 up before the hour mark.
Here is how Hammers News rated Potter’s players on a nightmare night.
Mads Hermansen concedes during West Ham United v Chelsea - Premier League
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
1. Mads Hermansen – 2/10
Graham Potter backed Hermansen pre-match after the new goalkeeper was criticised heavily on Wearside. One wonders if Alphonse Areola may be getting a re-call next weekend.
Hermansen was glued to his goalline for Chelsea’s first three goals before the visitors took full advantage of his non-existent penalty-box presence while deepening the misery. West Ham’s £18 million signing gifted Moises Caicedo a fourth with an awful flap and was caught in no-man’s land for the fifth.
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Chelsea clearly targeted him in dead-ball situations.
29. Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 2/10
The reigning Hammer of the Year is a fine defender in one-v-one situations but clearing danger at the back post has always been an Achilles heel. Wan-Bissaka was caught sleeping not once, not twice, but three times as Chelsea turned the game around inside 19 brutal minutes.
One heavy touch during promising attack at the end of the first-half led to howls of derision from the home fans.
5. Jean-Clair Todibo – 4/10
Unlucky to be called offside after his clever run in behind the Chelsea defence led to Fullkrug’s disallowed finish. Again, part of a backline who defended their box dreadfully.
Replaced at half-time by Freddie Potts.
3. Max Kilman – 3/10
A disastrous display. Kilman tried and failed to intercept the ball before Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea 3-1 up, taken out completely by Liam Delap’s flick-on and a quick-fire one-two.
The £40 million signing did not learn from that mistake either, constantly diving in, losing the duel, and leaving himself out of position.
5. Nayef Aguerd – 4/10
Really should have done more to block the cross just before Neto tapped in Chelsea’s second at the back-stick.
Aguerd gains a mark because it was his interception high up the pitch which laid the foundations for Paqueta’s opener.
19. El-Hadji Malick Diouf – 4/10
Bowen raved about Malick Diouf’s crossing pre-match, but his first official West Ham assist came via a simple sideways pass as Paqueta did all the hard work.
Renowned more for his attacking than his defending as a wing-back, and this display showed why. While Paqueta lost the ball for Chelsea’s second, Diouf arguably should have known better than to give him the ball in such a dangerous area.
8. James Ward-Prowse – 2/10
Completely anonymous. Just to allow Hammers News readers a peak behind the curtain, your correspondent did not put even a single note next to Ward-Prowse’s name throughout a spectral first-half display.
Did little of note when Potter shifted to a 4-2-3-1 either.
28. Tomas Soucek – 4/10
Stuart Pearce wanted Soucek to start and the former West Ham assistant got his wish. The fan favourite started pretty strongly too, though any positive impact faded as Chelsea took control. Soucek was comfortably outpaced by Estevao for third; a race he was never going to win.
Overall, his inclusion over Rodriguez made no material difference as Potter’s set-up again left the midfield exposed.
Replaced by Kyle Walker-Peters on 70 minutes.
20. Jarrod Bowen – 5/10
At least he tried. Even after Chelsea had wrapped up the win, West Ham’s talismanic captain kept plugging away in a desperate attempt to force a consolation. Bowen set up a headed chance for Callum Wilson and then another for Soucek soon after.
One of the best of among very, very bad bunch.
10. Lucas Paqueta – 6/10
Lucas Paqueta scores during West Ham United v Chelsea - Premier League
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
A truly bizarre night.
Paqueta is capable of moments of supreme quality – see his sixth minute wondergoal – but magic soon gave way to madness. He was out-jumped at the front post by Marc Cucurella before Joao Pedro levelled, but Paqueta’s biggest crime came when he mis-controlled the ball just outside his own penalty area, gifting Chelsea the lead.
11. Niclas Fullkrug – 4/10
The German did find a way past Sanchez with a fierce strike, only to see Todibo ruled offside in the build-up. Fullkrug struggled to link play or win headers against a physical Chelsea defence with Tosin dominant, and was far too ponderous when dropping deep.
Replaced by Wilson at half-time.
Substitutes
32. Freddie Potts – 5/10
Hard to fault the youngster, really.
Bowen feels Potts will be West Ham’s breakout player this season, and he surely deserves more opportunities given the abysmal performances of the more experienced midfielders in Potter’s ranks.
9. Callum Wilson – 5/10
Some good flashes from the 33-year-old striker. Wilson headed a difficult half-chance over but showed some lovely close control to set up a shot from Walker-Peters.
Arguably looked more dangerous than Fullkrug.
2. Kyle Walker-Peters – 4/10
Showed some promise following his introduction but the damage was done by that point.