Eden Hazard and Diego Costa strike as leaders Chelsea coast to victory at West Ham
Updated 06/03/2017 at 22:31 GMT
Premier League, London Stadium – Chelsea 2 (Hazard 25, Costa 50) West Ham 1 (Lanzini 90+3)
Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scored either side of half-time as Chelsea restored their 10-point lead at the top of the table with a 2-1 win over West Ham.
It was the home side who actually started the better, dominating the early possession and putting pressure on the Chelsea defence without carving out any clear cut chances.
And Chelsea punished the home side’s failure to turn their early pressure into anything more significant, the excellent Eden Hazard rounding Darren Randolph after a swift counter to put the league leaders ahead midway through the first half.
The keeper prevented Chelsea going further ahead by saving from Pedro just before the break but shortly after the interval, Gary Cahill flicked on from the corner for Costa to prod home with his knee.
Randolph again kept his side in the game with another fine save from Costa before Manuel Lanzini grabbed a late, late consolation. Slaven Bilic's West Ham remain in 11th spot in the standings.
TALKING POINT
Chelsea march on. It wasn’t a vintage performance but the classic example of how to win away. Soak up the early pressure, hit the opposition on the counter and close the game down. Can anyone stop them?
MAN OF THE MATCH
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Looks to be back to his form of a couple of seasons ago. An excellent finish got the ball rolling.
PLAYER RATINGS
WEST HAM: Randolph 6, Kouyate 6, Fonte 6, Reid 6, Cresswell 6, Noble 6, Obiang 6, Feghouli 6, Snodgrass 6, Lanzini 7, Carroll 6. SUBS: Ayew 6, Byram 6, Fernandes 6.
CHELSEA: Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6, David Luiz 6, Cahill 7; Moses 7, Fabregas 6, Kante 7, Alonso 7; Pedro 7, Diego Costa 7, Hazard 8. SUBS: Zouma 6, Willian 6, Matic 6.
KEY MOMENTS
25’ – GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Chelsea: How quickly Chelsea break and Pedro feeds Hazard, who nips around Randolph and passes into the net. One chance, one goal!
42’ – CHANCE CHELSEA: Fonte Loses out and Hazard slides it to Costa but it’s just behind him. Pedro follows up but it’s a good block by Randolph to prevent Chelsea going further ahead.
50’ – GOAL! West Ham 0-2 Chelsea: So simple direct from the corner. Cahill touches it to Costa and he knees it home in front of goal.
67’ – RANDOLPH SAVE: Brilliantly done from the keeper to save Costa’s shot on the turn with an outstretched palm.
90+3’ – GOAL! West Ham 1-2 Chelsea: Ayew lays it off to Lanzini and he rifles home a consolation past Courtois.
KEY STATS
Chelsea become the second club, after Arsenal (51), to win 50 PL away London derbies.
Manuel Lanzini scores his sixth goal of the season, equalling his total tally of last season.
Chelsea concede a goal in five consecutive PL matches for the first time this season.
Diego Costa has now scored in 16 of his 25 PL appearances this season, but in the previous 15 he went on to net multiple goals only once, a double in the 2-2 draw at Swansea on 11 September.
Eden Hazard scores his 11th goal of the season.
West Ham become the second club, after Tottenham Hotspur (313), to concede 300 PL London derby goals
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