Chelsea turn a derby on its head as teenage Estêvão and a set‑piece salvo overwhelm West Ham

Chelsea’s first league win of the season arrived in emphatic fashion, a 5-1 dismantling of West Ham that began with adversity and an early punch in the mouth. Cole Palmer pulled up in the warm-up and 18-year-old Estêvão Willian was thrown in; six minutes later, Estêvão’s backheel was cut out and Lucas Paquetá thumped a swerving 25-yard strike beyond Robert Sánchez. Instead of shrinking, Chelsea roared back: João Pedro levelled with a close‑range header from a corner routine, Pedro Neto volleyed them ahead after West Ham ceded possession, and Estêvão tore down the left to tee up Enzo Fernández for 3-1 by the 34th minute.

The second half exposed West Ham’s fragility at set pieces. Mads Hermansen flapped at a corner and Moisés Caicedo punished the error; moments later Trevoh Chalobah made it five from another corner as the home stands began to empty. A VAR ruling had already denied West Ham earlier hopes when Jean‑Clair Todibo was found marginally offside before crossing for Niclas Füllkrug. By the time the ironic cheers greeted a routine late catch from Hermansen, Chelsea’s authority and West Ham’s unease — eight conceded in two league games — were stark. Pressure grew on Graham Potter, while Enzo Maresca’s side showed they can thrive even without Palmer.

A thunderbolt and a teenager’s response

Palmer’s groin issue forced Enzo Maresca to shuffle his attack at the last minute, with Estêvão handed his first competitive start. It could hardly have begun worse for the youngster, whose attempted flick in traffic was picked off, allowing Paquetá to stride forward and unleash a vicious, swerving opener. For a few minutes the London Stadium sensed a turning of the tide after the Sunderland defeat.

But Estêvão steadied. Chelsea leaned into a collective response: Neto’s corner to the near post was deftly flicked on by Marc Cucurella and João Pedro buried the equaliser from close range. Confidence surged. João Pedro then turned creator for Neto’s precise volley, and Estêvão cut West Ham apart down the left before squaring for Fernández to tap home — the teenager’s early misstep eclipsed by his incision and composure.

Set‑piece frailty that turned dissent into exodus

Three of Chelsea’s five goals came from corners and each exposed a different layer of West Ham’s vulnerability. The equaliser owed much to basic organisation, with 5ft 9in Cucurella able to glance on a corner against a back five stocked with centre-backs. After the interval, the home side’s issues deepened into anxiety: Hermansen missed his claim, Caicedo finished into the exposed goal, and another corner moments later culminated in Chalobah’s header amid confusion in the six-yard box.

The consequences were immediate and visceral. The fourth and fifth goals arrived within four minutes; seats emptied, tempers frayed and the temperature of the occasion changed from derby heat to audible dissent. One of the loudest cheers for those who remained came late on when Hermansen finally held a straightforward cross — an irony that underlined the home debutant’s ordeal and the team’s wider fragility.

VAR swings and small margins

There was a moment when the home crowd believed West Ham had found a foothold again. A Todibo cross was converted by Füllkrug, only for VAR to show the defender had strayed marginally offside before delivering, scrubbing out what would have been West Ham’s last positive action of note. The call, while correct by the letter, stung a team already straining for confidence.

From there, Chelsea’s control tightened. The visitors’ midfield dictated — at one point Fernández and Caicedo exchanged a string of short passes under minimal pressure — and West Ham lacked the intensity to disrupt their rhythm. The disallowed effort became a footnote as the visitors moved the ball with assurance and kept the hosts penned in.

Chelsea’s collective answers the Palmer question

The pre‑match anxiety around Palmer’s groin problem and late withdrawal soon gave way to a demonstration that Chelsea are much more than one star. Five different scorers told the story: João Pedro’s predatory edge, Neto’s volley, Fernández’s timing, and the set‑piece threats of Caicedo and Chalobah. Estêvão’s incision brought the third goal, a fitting redemption for the teenager.

Maresca framed it succinctly. “I’m very happy, very impressed… Cole [Palmer] in the last four or five days was not 100%, so we preferred not to take any risk,” he said, stressing the reaction after conceding early. He has also acknowledged Palmer is the club’s best player, while insisting Chelsea are not a one-man team — a point reinforced here by the variety of contributors and the calm game management at 5-1.

Potter under scrutiny as West Ham’s home woes deepen

This was a bruising afternoon for West Ham. Eight goals conceded in their first two league matches — after a 3-0 loss at Sunderland — marks their worst such start in a top-flight season, and they are now six home games without a win. Discontent bubbled in every corner: owner David Sullivan was shown on camera as boos rang, while a small pitch invasion and an older fan confronting stewards captured the mood.

Potter did not shirk responsibility. “Bitterly disappointed… we have to improve a lot,” he said, adding that he must get more from his players. Captain Jarrod Bowen echoed the sentiment: “Everyone has to look in the mirror… basic football we’re not doing well enough.” For a club that once fed off its home atmosphere, rebuilding belief — and basic defensive structure — is now urgent.