West Ham United vs. Chelsea: Score, Grades, Reaction from 2015 Premier League

It wasn't pretty for Chelsea. At times, West Ham appeared the better side. But, the Blues wasted golden opportunities that could have blown the game wide open. Perhaps the Blues were still a bit hungover from their Capital One Cup triumph.    

But in the end, a win is a win, and that's just what Chelsea came away with on Wednesday evening, beating West Ham at Boleyn Ground, 1-0, in an exciting contest that featured a number of chances, fouls and drama. Eden Hazard scored the lone goal of the contest in the first half.

Squawka Football provides the key stats from the match:

The game ebbed and flowed in the early stages, as Chelsea looked dominant and likely to control the possession throughout in the opening 10 minutes. It appeared West Ham had gathered a bit of momentum after that, however, threatening the goal several times themselves.

And that's when Chelsea struck. 

After a counter-attack fizzled out, Cesc Fabregas played a ball down the right side of the box to Ramires, who calmly curled a cross into the box. Hazard was left uncovered to get his head on the ball, easily putting it past the 'keeper to give the Blues the lead in the 22nd minute.

It wasn't West Ham's finest moment, as Gabriele Marcotti of ESPN noted:

Chelsea nearly doubled their lead in the 34th minute, as Diego Costa was set free on goal all by himself, but the striker hesitated just enough for Carl Jenkinson to catch him and make a brilliant tackle on the ball. It was a risky play, as he could have fouled Costa in the box and seen red, but he timed it perfectly and got all ball on his tackle.

Hazard's goal may have been the key moment from the first 45, but Gary Cahill was arguably Chelsea's finest player in that span, as this stat from WhoScored.com suggests:

West Ham continued to keep a one-goal deficit by the skin of their teeth early in the second half. Hazard set Ramires free on a galloping run down the right side of the pitch, but his effort on goal hit the pitch. Moments later, a Hazard cross into the box found Ramires' head, but West Ham's Adrian made a brilliant kick-save to keep his side in the game. 

West Ham nearly equalised in the 71st minute. Enner Valencia's shot was fumbled by Thibaut Courtois, and the rebound lay dangerously in front of the goal. But Cahill was able to beat the West Ham attackers and clear the ball out of danger. It was the rare misstep from the normally brilliant Courtois.

West Ham continued to press for the equalising goal, throwing everything at Chelsea in the waning moments, but the Chelsea defense stood sturdy. They certainly kept the Blues on their toes, however, as Miguel Delaney of ESPN noted:

Chelsea also had their chances, as a lovely pullback from Hazard to Willian should have resulted in a second goal, but the winger put his shot at the wide-open goal right in the path of Aaron Cresswell, who cleared to safety. 

Stoppage time was indeed thrilling, but West Ham couldn't cap the excitement with a game-tying goal. Max Bretos of ESPN felt for the Hammers:

Dominic Fifield of The Guardian offered a different perspective:

Either way, a win is a win, and Chelsea will certainly take the three points.

Grades 

Eden Hazard, Chelsea: A

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Hazard wouldn't allow you to take your eyes off of him in this game. His driving runs and pinpoint precision were splendid to see. He set up his teammates. He scored himself. He kept West Ham's defense on their heels. He appeared a threat to score every time he touched the ball.

Marcotti certainly enjoyed the show:

Few players in the world are quite as dynamic as Hazard when he's on his game, and he certainly was against West Ham.

Adrian and the West Ham Back Four: B+

Chelsea easily could have had several goals in this contest. But Adrian made several key saves, and the defense in front of him always seemed to recover in time to stymie the Blues, even when they had brilliantly passed and weaved themselves into clear scoring chances. 

The four defenders need to take some blame for allowing Chelsea so many scoring opportunities, yes, but the fight and grit they showed in recovering to come up with a key tackle or block shouldn't be overshadowed. It wasn't always a pretty performance from this unit, but it was a proud, passionate one.

Gary Cahill, Chelsea: A-

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

West Ham really pressed in the end, reeling Cahill and Company at times, but the veteran defender always seemed to have an answer. He made crucial clearances, several incredibly important blocks and was a huge reason why a deserving West Ham team couldn't equalise. 

For a Chelsea side that prides itself on its defensive prowess, Cahill was a force. 

Post-Match Reaction

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

After the hard-fought win, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho spoke about the contest.

"These are the matches that sometimes can define a season," he said in his post-match interview, via the NBCSN broadcast. "West Ham are very difficult to play, very adventurous. You have to adapt. My players were brilliant."

He added, "We couldn't kill the game. If you don't kill the game or put yourself in a position to defend, you'll lose here. These three points are massive to us."

The Blues remain five points clear of second-place Manchester City with a game in hand, while West Ham find themselves in 10th.

The Blues now prepare for a Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain and a tough Premier League contest against Southampton after that, while West Ham next get Arsenal.