Chelsea travelled to the London Stadium looking to extend its seven-match winning streak in London derbies away from home. However, the Blues were instead soundly beaten by their rivals on the day, conceding thrice in a match for the first time under Thomas Tuchel since the 5-2 loss to West Bromwich Albion in the league last season. This defeat also ended the impressive unbeaten run put together by the side who sat atop the Premier League going into the matchweek.
Here are the lessons learnt from West Ham‘s impressive win over a flustered Chelsea team:
1. Defensive mishaps
If the expected goal numbers behind Chelsea’s defence thus far have not painted a clear enough picture of just how much the Blues are over-performing defensively, Saturday’s game against the Irons should have laid that fact out bare. On paper, Chelsea is expected to have conceded 14 goals already this season. Expected goals (xG) more often than not evens out over the course of the season and the Blues conceding in back-to-back-to-back matches against Manchester United, Watford and West Ham United points toward this eventuality.
The point to be made here is that Chelsea’s defensive record is something that can be difficult to maintain over the course of a season. As squad rotation and injuries come into play, Tuchel’s defenders will most likely experience, at an increasing frequency, the disappointment of conceding goals. However, what is simultaneously true is that each of the three goals Chelsea conceded against West Ham were entirely preventable. The host’s first goal, for example, was entirely self-inflicted. Jorginho’s underhit backpass placed Eduoard Mendy under immense, unnecessary pressure that ultimately resulted in the Senegalese keeper sliding in clumsily on Jarrod Bowen to concede the penalty. Clearly rattled, Mendy was uncharacteristically caught out by Arthur Masuaku’s cross-shot for West Ham’s third—a shot which he undoubtedly should have saved.
These lapses in concentration have become a recurring theme across Chelsea’s past few matches and unlike Watford and Manchester United, the Hammers made the Blues pay. There are still 23 matches to go in the league and Chelsea has to pull together now or risk its title charge disintegrating before the turn of the year.