Chelsea run of three successive wins ended with defeat on their first visit to the London Stadium on Wednesday night. Blues bow out of the EFL Cup at the fourth round stage following league wins against Hull, Leicester and Manchester United, but the elation of Sunday’s result in west London is replaced by dejection at defeat in the east of the capital. Pedro played the final stage of the game.
Conte’s side started brightly in Stratford but fell behind to Cheikhou Kouyate’s header, and even though we were below par for much of the first half could have gone in level had either N’Golo Kante or Michy Batshuayi taken decent opportunities.
The killer blow came just two minutes into the second half when Edimilson Fernandes struck West Ham’s second from distance, and despite the introduction of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Pedro in the later stages we could find no breakthrough against a dogged and well-drilled home side until it was too late, with Gary Cahill rifling in from close range in injury time.
- Match stats:
Chelsea (3-4-3): Begovic; David Luiz, Terry (c), Cahill; Azpilicueta, Kante, Chalobah (Hazard 64), Aina (Pedro 67); Willian, Batshuayi (Diego Costa 55), Oscar.
Unused subs: Eduardo, Alonso, Matic, Solanke.
Scorers Cahill 90+3
Booked
West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Randolph; Kouyate, Reid, Ogbonna; Fernandes (Feghouli 67), Obiang, Noble (c), Cresswell; Lanzini (Ayew 78), Antonio (Zaza 82), Payet.
Unused subs: Adrian, Nordtveit, Collins, Fletcher.
Scorers Kouyate 11, Fernandes 48
Booked Noble 65, Reid 76, Kouyate 90+3
Referee Craig Pawson
Crowd 45,957
- Match report by chelseafc.com
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