Chelsea: Three lessons learnt as Hammers do league double over Blues

Chelsea put together one of the worst performances of its turbulent season so far, at one of the worst times. Here’s three lessons learnt.

Chelsea took on West Ham away from home in what was an enthralling 90 minutes of football. With Leicester City having lost earlier in the day, the Blues were well aware that three points at the London Stadium would take them third and three points could likewise solidify the Hammer’s position just outside the relegation zone. Ultimately though, goals from Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio and Andriy Yarmolenko secured a West Ham victory. Here are three lessons learnt from the match at the London Stadium.

1. Willian is the ultimate professional

Willian’s opener against West Ham on Wednesday meant the soon-to-be 32-year-old Brazilian has now recorded nine goals and seven assists across all competitions this season. As much as Chelsea fans love to slant Willian for his limited output in terms of goals and assists, it is undeniable just how important the winger has been. His nine goals make him the second-highest scorer in the squad while his seven assists remain unparalleled within the team.

With all the hype surrounding Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, it is important that fans pay Willian the proper respect he deserves following seven trophy-laden seasons at the Bridge. Yes, Willian will not quite be remembered in the same bracket as the likes of Eden Hazard or Didier Drogba. However, this is a man who has not only kept himself in top shape consistently across the years, but also willingly put a future transfer in jeopardy by signing the short-term extension with the Blues.

Against West Ham, Willian’s work rate in terms of tracking opposition runners into his own half was once again on display. Despite the injury risks involved, the Brazilian once again gave his 100 percent for every single minute he spent on the pitch. This—in addition to the well-taken penalty in the first half and his sublime second-half free-kick—makes Wednesday’s performance against the Hammers as typically Willian as it could possibly get. At the end of the day, when the month of July comes to an end and the 32-year-old winger says his final farewells, Chelsea fans would do well to remember him for all the good that he has done and all the things he has won for the club.

2. Defensive issues remain Chelsea’s Achilles heel

At this stage of the campaign, it is starting to become painfully repetitive to find ourselves talking about Chelsea’s constant issues at the back yet again. As much as Chelsea looks exciting going forward, the fact is that the Blues conceded thrice to a West Ham team that has struggled for goals all season long.

The Hammers have been poor more often than not this season and it is absolutely shocking that the 17th-placed team in the league has completed the league double over the Blues. The defending from set-pieces was horrendous and all of Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kepa Arrizabalaga had equal parts to play in the build-up to the three goals conceded by the team.

In a week which saw Chelsea beat the defending champions Manchester City, it is difficult to shake off the feeling that all the good work done prior to this 3-2 loss has been left undone. With both Manchester United and Wolves now just two points back of the Blues, the following fixtures against Watford, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Norwich City now become critical in deciding the team’s Champions League aspirations next season. Only time will tell if Lampard can bring the Champions League football back to the Bridge for 2020/21.

3. Jorginho’s future at Chelsea

Wednesday’s game against the Hammers marks the sixth consecutive game in which the Italian midfielder has failed to feature either from the start or off the bench. As much as the initial absences could be attributed to his own suspension, as well as the phenomenal rise of Billy Gilmour in a similar role, his continued absence after the restart has been odd, to say the least.

This could, of course, be purely tactical with Lampard preferring the increased defensive cover that N’Golo Kante could provide. Nonetheless, even in games against ball-shy opposition such as Aston Villa and West Ham, it is worrying that the possession-centred Jorginho was not called upon by the manager.

As incredibly influential as the Italian regista can be with the ball at his feet, the truth remains that there is no room in Lampard’s system for a midfielder as nuanced as Jorginho is. Considering the pace at which the game is played at these days, Jorginho’s 12 accumulated yellow cards thus far highlights just how hamstrung he is by his own lack of mobility or speed.

Moreover, with Barkley having seemingly been deployed as more of a No. 6 these days, rather than a No. 10, it seems that the Englishman has taken Jorginho’s place in the starting rotation. The continued links to Kai Harvertz and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic spell even bigger trouble for Chelsea’s vice-captain and should things not start to look up soon, Jorginho could find himself on the transfer list after just two seasons in London.

What lessons did you learn from the West Ham match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!