In a fairly one-sided encounter at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea overcame a tame West Ham side 2-1 to hand manager Antonio Conte his first Premier League victory.
Chelsea asserted themselves straight from the whistle and took charge of the game in the first half. West Ham, bereft of Dimitri Payet, who was on the bench due to a lack of match sharpness, failed to control proceedings as their London rivals dominated the match.
Eden Hazard’s well struck penalty gave the Blues a deserved lead soon after half time and they looked to build on their slender one-goal advantage. However, against the run of play, the Hammers clawed their way back into the game through a rare goal from James Collins. Despite this setback, Diego Costa rose to the occasion and scored in the 89th minute to secure three points for Antonio Conte in his first Premier League game in charge.
TheHardTackle rates the players from Monday’s London derby.
Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois: 6
Was rarely called into action as Chelsea’s back four held their line impressively. The Belgian keeper did not have a chance of saving James Collins’ effort.
Branislav Ivanovic: 7
Had a decent outing at right-back as he supplemented the attack and also played his role in keeping Enner Valencia quiet on West Ham’s left wing.
John Terry: 7
An assuring performance from the Chelsea captain. Made a number of key interceptions and was resolute at the back for the Blues.
Gary Cahill: 6
Had a decent game, but was not at his best. Conte would hope to see a bit more energy and commitment from the English defender in games to come.
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6.5
Much like Ivanovic, the Spanish full-back contributed on both ends of the pitch. Good performance by the makeshift left-back.
N’Golo Kante: 8
Despite picking up an early booking, the new signing looked impressive at the heart of Chelsea’s midfield. He was impeccable with his passing in the first half as he managed to complete all 29 of his attempted passes (via Opta).
Nemanja Matic: 6
Was an average performance by the defensive midfielder who was a surprising inclusion in the squad. Did not look like the ferocious midfield presence he was two seasons back, but looked in better shape compared to the 2015/16 campaign.
Oscar: 7
The Brazilian surprisingly justified his selection in the team. Picked over Cesc Fabregas, the attacking midfielder was efficient with his passes and kept feeding balls in and around the 18-year-area.
Willian: 6
Looked deadly going forward, but did not create a single telling chance for himself throughout the game. His well-struck first-half free-kick was probably his only highlight of the contest.
Eden Hazard: 9
The dexterous Belgian looked like he was back to his old self as he threatened the West Ham defence consistently from the left flank. Hazard also made a number of decent runs inside and delivered some dangerous crosses into the six-yard box.
Diego Costa: 6
After a fairly uneventful first 45 minutes, the Spanish international came good in the second period by grabbing a late winner.
West Ham
Adrian: 7
Was kept busy all night and there was very little he could to prevent the two goals. When called into action, the Spanish keeper looked up to the task and made a number of vital saves to keep his side in the game. Was also on the receiving end of a horrendous challenge from Costa.
Michail Antonio: 4
Was quite simply one of the worst players on the field. Made a rookie error that led to his side conceding the first goal, and was also dominated by Hazard and Azpilicueta on the right side of the Hammers’ defence.
Winston Reid: 6.5
Looked strong and sturdy in defence for West Ham and diverted most of Chelsea’s threat to the wider areas.
James Collins: 8
Scored a crucial goal to bring the game back on level terms. Was astute and assuring at the back and kept Costa quiet for most of the game.
Arthur Masuaku: 6.5
There was an added pressure on the youngster as he deputized for Aaron Cresswell. Still, the left-back rarely showed any nerves and put in an impressive performance against tough opposition.
Mark Noble: 7
Offered a fair amount of cover to the back four and was tidy in possession. Good performance by the West Ham captain.
Harvard Nordtveit: 5
The new signing did not look comfortable in midfield as he misplaced a number of passes. Was played in an advanced role to influence the game offensively, but unfortunately failed to provide any assistance to the attackers.
Cheikhou Kouyate: 7.5
Ran tirelessly and never showed any signs of stopping. Wasn’t his best performance in a West Ham shirt, but the 26-year-old gave it his all.
Andre Ayew: 5
The record-signing’s debut was short-lived as he limped off with an injury in the 35th minute.
Enner Valencia: 5.5
Was kept in check by Ivanovic and could not influence proceedings to a great extent.
Andy Carroll: 5
Struggled to find his bearings and put in a dismal performance against Chelsea. Was rarely part of the action and looked far from convincing with the ball at his feet.
