Chelsea travelled to the London stadium to face relegation contenders West Ham United in the hope of securing three points and getting on the comeback trail. Potter made three changes from his last goalless draw against Fulham.
Joao Felix came back from suspension and was deployed straight into the playing XI, Noni Madueke got his first start in Blue colours and Ruben Loftus-cheek replaced the inconsistent Conor Gallagher.
CFC didn’t waste any time in building momentum as the new signings took control of the game early on and managed to impress Todd Boehly present in the stands. The West Londeners put the ball in the back of the net thrice within the first 25 minutes, however only one of them did count as the other two were ruled offside.
Chelsea did look like the dominant side until the former Blue Emerson Palmieri got to the end of a redirected cross and brought the Hammers back into the game. After which, the supporters enjoyed end to end football with both the sides playing with a more attacking approach. The Blues deserved a half time lead, but the Fabianski’s heroics kept West Ham in the game.
The home team came into the second half with a lot more promise in the attack. Chelsea had the lion’s share of possession but made little out of it. Soucek was the centre of attention late in the second half, managing to get the ball in the back of the net which was fractionally offside. And then the game deciding moment, when Conor Gallagher released a long range shot. Soucek clearly used his hand to prevent a goal, but VAR favored the Hammers and the Blues weren’t awarded a penalty which ultimately led to the game ending with scores even.
Chelsea Player Ratings vs West Ham United
Kepa Arrizabalaga (Goalkeeper): 6/10
The Spaniard came into this game keeping four consecutive clean sheets. However, his streak was put to an end today with a very average performance overall. Although there wasn’t much he could do to prevent the goal, his distribution wasn’t the best either. Kepa will try and forget about this game, considering the UCL RO16 fixture against Borussia Dortmund approaching soon.
Reece James (Right back): 7/10
The English right back started his second consecutive game as he returns from injury trying to gain match sharpness. James kept it simple and did not try anything extra-ordinary. However, his passing was on point and was also involved in some crucial interventions in the second half of the game.
Thiago Silva (Center back): 7/10
The veteran stepped onto the field having signed a contract extension earlier this week. Yet again, the Brazilian put on a decent performance. His backline did suffer a bit this time around, but Thiago Silva did well with his performance involving a last-ditch tackle.
Benoit Badiashile (Centre back): 7/10
The French International has started three games consecutive games since joining CFC in January and managed to keep a clean sheet in all of them. The streak ends but Benoit Badiashile still remains one of the best signings of the January transfer window. The Frenchman could’ve done better to get onto the scoresheet when attacking corners but he did play well overall.
Marc Cucurella (Left back): 5/10
Cucurella yet again was caught out of position on multiple occasions and let Jarrod Bowen and Vladmir Coufal exploit the right flank. The Spaniard clearly needs to do better to warrant a starting position in the near future. He was replaced by Benjamin Chilwell in the 67th minute.
Enzo Fernandez (Central midfield): 8/10
CFC’s marquee signing has managed to impress the supporters again. He took control of the midfield and was sharp with bis passing. He did try to get on the scoresheet taking multiple shots but was unlucky. Enzo completed the most number of passes and won possession back more than any other player on the pitch.
He completed 29 passes into the final third which again was more than any other player. The highlight of his performance was his assist to Joao Felix, which is exactly what the Chelsea fanbase wanted to watch. The duo combined well for most parts of the game and with increasing familiarity, it could only get better.
Ruben Loftus-cheek (Central midfield): 7/10
Loftus-cheek got back into the squad and made his 200th club appearance. However he managed to put on a strong display and didn’t look like a player who hasn’t played in months. If he manages to stay fit, he could prove to be a useful asset to side. He was replaced by Conor Gallagher in the 79th minute.
Joao Felix (Attacking midfield): 9/10
The Atletico Madrid loanee returned from suspension and was named in the starting XI straight away. Potter handed Felix a free role and he did use it to the best of his abilities. He did get in behind the defence early into the game, however his goal was ruled offside.
Within a few minutes, the Portuguese star man managed to get through the West Ham defence again with a perfectly timed run finding the precisely lofted through ball by Enzo Fernandez. That was certainly an electric performance.
Noni Madueke (Right wing): 7/10
The former PSV Eindhoven player made his first start in a Chelsea outfit. He threatened the opposition defence with his quick feet and also managed to release an unexpected shot which was denied brilliantly. Mason Mount replaced him in the 68th minute of the game.
Mykhailo Mudryk (Left wing): 6/10
Mudryk wasn’t at his best, but he did try and unsettle the opposition defence when played the ball. While combining with Felix and contributing to the attack, the Ukraine international was also heavily involved in the defence. Whilst his teammate Cucurella struggled for most parts of the game, Mudryk worked hard and covered up for him on numerous occasions. The Moroccan replaced him in the 67th minute of the game.
Kai Havertz (Striker): 4/10
The former club record signing yet again gets the nod despite his lack of firepower, as Potter ignores the supporters who urged him to start David Datro Fofana instead. Kai Havertz once again was the worst Chelsea attacker on the pitch and was caught offside on multiple occasions.
He looked slugglish on the ball and was the reason CFC lost possession most of times, yet again proving why he deserves to be benched. If Potter plans on winning the game against Borussia Dortmund, he will have to try and experiment in this area.
Substitutes
Hakim Ziyech (Right wing): 5/10
Ziyech replaced Mykhailo Mudryk in the 67th minute of the game. He was rarely found on the ball, and his crossing ability was curbed with his teammates not making their runs to the home team’s box.
Benjamin Chilwell (Left back): 7/10
The English left back continues to make his comeback from a long term injury. He replaced the out of form and out of place Cucurella, and was an instant upgrade over the Spaniard. He seemed to be in control of the left flank and contributed effectively. The supporters will hope to watch him start the next game.
Mason Mount (Left wing): 6/10
Mount was benched after his recent struggles. The Englishman came on for Noni Madueke. Manager’s delight Mount created a few chances but did not have enough time to influence the game.
Conor Gallagher (Central Midfield): 6/10
Loftus-cheek went off in the 79th minute which saw Conor Gallagher step onto the field. The hard working midfielder did try to get a late winner, however Soucek made great use of his hands and blocked the shot. VAR opted to not award CFC a penalty which was indeed a very shocking decision for the travelling fans.
In spite of a few controversial decisions, there’s no excuse to not winning this match. Potter has got to roll up his sleeves and sort things before it’s to late. With every passing game, CFC’s top four hopes diminish and from now on Chelsea will have to treat every game as a must win.