Chelsea will have left the London Stadium delighted on Friday night with an important three points.
The Blues produced an impressive away performance to win 5-1 against rivals West Ham in the Premier League fixture.
Even though Cole Palmer was absent for Chelsea against West Ham because he felt something in the warm-up, they still managed to shine as an attacking force without their talisman.
Next, Enzo Maresca’s side host Fulham in their final game before the first international break of the season.
West Ham manager Graham Potter and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca interact during the Premier League match between the two sides.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Winners
On a really positive evening for Chelsea against West Ham, there were plenty of individuals who should be delighted with their contributions.
Joao Pedro: Yet again, Joao Pedro proved in his latest performance that he’s going to be one of the signings of the summer.
The versatile 23-year-old star, who joined from Brighton, hasn’t put a foot wrong since he joined. In the comfortable win against West Ham, he scored one and assisted two more goals as part of an epic display.
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João Pedro's game by numbers vs. West Ham:
21/25 passes completed
9 duels won
6 aerial duels won
4 touches in opp. box
3 shots
2 chances created
2 assists
1 goal
His first goal and his first assists in the PL for Chelsea. ⚽🅰️ pic.twitter.com/sS4zgLm92R
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 22, 2025
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Brazilian media hailed Pedro as the best player on the pitch during Friday’s London derby, and we certainly agree with them.
Estevao Willian: It was an entertaining display from Estevao Willian during his first-ever Premier League start.
If people had doubts about whether the 18-year-old right-winger is ready for the Blues first team, yesterday’s contribution may ease any concerns. The teenager was electric during 77 minutes on the pitch, producing a devastating assist to create Enzo Fernandez’s goal. In fact, Estevao became Chelsea’s youngest assist maker in Premier League history.
He only came into the starting line-up at the last minute because of Palmer’s injury absence, but he’s done his chances of starting the next league match no harm.
Wesley Fofana: The positive news for Wesley Fofana, 24, is that he just made his first Chelsea appearance since March.
It was fantastic to see the central defender finally return to action in the game against West Ham, playing the final 20 minutes as a substitute.
Of course, Fofana’s poor injury record recently means that supporters are sceptical about his fitness. Hopefully he can keep himself available and play a key role this season because we know how good he can be.
Liam Delap: Liam Delap was a real positive from Chelsea’s win against West Ham despite the fact he failed to get on the scoresheet.
We’re sure that the 22-year-old centre-forward would have been gutted not to score on Friday night, especially because five of his teammates did find the back of the net. However, that definitely shouldn’t take away from his eye-catching contribution.
The Englishman led the line superbly well for just over an hour, holding the ball up intelligently and bringing others into play.
If he replicates last night’s display, we think Maresca will include him in the team a lot more often than he will leave him on the bench.
Liam Delap playing for Chelsea against West Ham in the Premier League.
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Losers
Robert Sanchez: Nearly every player in Chelsea colours impressed against West Ham, which is what made the dodgy performance of their goalkeeper Robert Sanchez stand out for the wrong reasons.
The 27-year-old shot-stopper may have done better with the West Ham goal, even though Lucas Paqueta’s shot did deviate a lot in the air. On top of that, he had some shaky moments on and off the ball, so fans will continue to put pressure on his starting position.
Minutes played Saves Goals conceded Accurate passes Accurate long balls High claim Match rating
90 3 1 25/35 (66%) 9/21 (43%) 1 6.4
Robert Sanchez statistics during Chelsea vs West Ham via FOTMOB
Chelsea would have to sell Sanchez or Filip Jorgensen in order to sign a new keeper before the end of the summer window.
Josh Acheampong: It must have been a real body blow for Blues youngster Josh Acheampong when he was dropped from the starting line-up against West Ham.
Acheampong was brilliant against Crystal Palace last week in Chelsea’s league opener, starting in defence and keeping a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw. However, he was an unused substitute in the West Ham contest.
The 19-year-old defender barely puts a foot wrong when he’s called upon, but it’s another reminder that he’s behind plenty of senior first-team players in the pecking order.
Chelsea players in a huddle before the Premier League match against West Ham at the London Stadium.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Jamie Gittens: It must have been a tough watch for Jamie Gittens from the Chelsea bench against West Ham.
The 21-year-old winger, who joined from Borussia Dortmund this summer, started the first game of the season. However, he was dropped on Friday night, receiving just a late cameo in the final 15 minutes.
With the way that Estevao and Pedro Neto performed on the wings, it feels like Gittens may need to bide his time for a bit as he may face a spell out of the strongest starting XI.