Chelsea vs. West Ham: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
Chelsea got their 2016-17 Premier League season off to a winning start, as Diego Costa scored a late goal to beat West Ham United 2-1.
Eden Hazard opened the scoring early in the second half from the penalty spot, but despite persistent pressure from the Blues, they couldn't double their lead. James Collins bagged an equaliser with 13 minutes left to play.
A draw seemed inevitable, but Costa struck late to hand his team three points and the perfect start to the new campaign.
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As shared by the club's official Twitter account, head coach Antonio Conte decided against fielding Cesc Fabregas in his first Premier League starting XI:
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic also made a bold decision, not starting Dimitri Payet.
The Blues began the match sitting deep inside their own half and giving West Ham the chance to play the ball around. It took just two minutes for N'Golo Kante to run into his first booking for taking out Andy Carroll.
Bleacher Report's Garry Hayes thought the yellow card was harsh:
Thibaut Courtois just about managed to deal with a free-kick into the box but was aided by the official, who signaled a foul. Hazard and Nemanja Matic tried to set up a combination after a poor pass from Adrian.
The scrappy start didn't lead to many chances, although Branislav Ivanovic went close after a good run from Hazard. The full-back turned inside the box before unleashing a hard shot toward the near corner, but Adrian did well to palm the ball out of his goal.
Chelsea improved as the half wore on and started pressing higher up the pitch, troubling the Hammers. Oscar went down inside the box after 19 minutes under a challenge of Winston Reid, and while the Stamford Bridge fans screamed for a penalty, the official waved to play on.
Replays confirmed there was definite contact, but Oscar tried to sell it too much. Sport Witness weighed in on the matter:
Costa was cautioned for complaining about the non-call, before Collins followed him into the book for a foul on Oscar.
Hazard was lively early on, and after a typical weaving run through the box, he nearly opened the scoring with a beautiful curling shot that just missed the target. ESPN FC's Alex Shaw liked what he saw from the Belgian:
Andre Ayew's night came to an end due to an injury after just 35 minutes. Gokhan Tore made his way onto the pitch as a replacement, before Costa fired wide of Adrian's goal. Oscar just failed to pick out Willian, and West Ham were unable to deal with the persistent pressure as the first half wore down.
But despite a surging run from Gary Cahill and another fine dribbling move from Hazard, the visitors held firm until half-time, denying the Blues an opener. The last chance of the half fell to Willian, who lifted a free-kick over the wall but couldn't beat Adrian.
The Blues grabbed the lead early in the second half, however, as Michail Antonio took down Cesar Azpilicueta inside the box after Costa's shot rebounded right into his lap. Hazard took the penalty and fired it high into the roof of the goal, opening his scoring account for the season.
Per Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard, the 2016-17 campaign got off to a far better start for the former Lille OSC man than last season did:
Chelsea pushed their advantage, and Hazard almost doubled their lead after a poor giveaway by Havard Nordtveit, who failed to convince in his first Premier League match for the Hammers.
Cahill did well to intercept a sharp pass from Enner Valencia, one of the few West Ham players seemingly capable of creating any danger, while Payet furiously warmed up on the sidelines.
But in anticipation of his arrival, Chelsea remained the better team. Willian fired an excellent cross into the box that Adrian only just managed to clear, and the resulting corner almost saw John Terry find the target.
West Ham sacrificed Nordtveit for Payet after 69 minutes, but Chelsea remained in charge. Costa invited controversy shortly after the Frenchman entered the game, as he went in on Adrian and made contact with the goalkeeper while already on a yellow card.
ESPN FC's Liam Twomey couldn't believe he didn't get sent off:
A second goal for Chelsea seemed more likely than an equaliser, but Collins had other ideas, firing a fantastic volley past Courtois to score West Ham's first goal of the season with their first shot on goal.
Bleacher Report UK couldn't help themselves:
Suddenly, momentum was with the Hammers, and Terry had to make a last-ditch clearance to deny Andy Carroll after a wonderful cross from Payet.
Pedro replaced Willian as Chelsea went looking for a winner, but the Hammers clamped down defensively, with Reid denying Oscar. Michy Batshuayi also entered the fray with five minutes left to play, but shockingly, Conte took off Hazard to introduce Victor Moses.
Pedro missed the target with a volley, and Azpilicueta almost got to the end of a cross before Costa scored the second goal, producing a fine finish after Batshuayi knocked the ball down into his path.
Chelsea will face Watford in Week 2 of the Premier League season, while West Ham will go up against Astra Giurgiu with a ticket for the Europa League group stage on the line, before hosting Bournemouth.
Post-Match Reaction
As reported by Miguel Delaney of ESPN FC, Conte was absolutely delighted with the reception he got from the fans:
Monday's showing was far from perfect, but the work rate Conte demands from his players was already on full display, and his energy was felt throughout the stadium.
It was a good start for Conte and the Blues, who will be chasing UEFA Champions League football in 2016-17.
