Chelsea 3-0 West Ham United
After back-to-back Premier League defeats at the hands of Everton and Wolves, Chelsea were in need of a morale-booster.
Standing in the way of the west Londoners were the archetypal cheeky chappies from east London, West Ham.
To so many, Chelsea have always been the rich aristocrats in contrast to the Hammers who play the role of the streetwise pie and jellied-eel eating cockney boys.
So, which end of London would prevail?
What’s more, in both his games as a top-flight manager, Frank Lampard had tasted defeat against the club where he made his name as a player before opting for greater riches.
Could lightning really strike again at Stamford Bridge?
Highlights of the game
If it could, West Ham were going to have to achieve it without arguably their best player with Michail Antonio – fresh from signing a contract extension – not yet fit to return from a hamstring problem.
On a brighter note, defender Fabian Balbuena was able to return after missing last week’s draw with Crystal Palace.
For Chelsea, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi had returned to training after hamstring injuries of their own but only the latter was declared fit enough to make the bench.
Chelsea would receive a further blow on the injury front after just 10 minutes of this encounter – but by then they already had scored the decisive goal.
In fact, it was a dramatic start to the game as Ben Chilwell appeared to hurt his ankle and had to leave the fray, while West Ham’s Declan Rice saw a well-worked goal ruled out for offside by the narrowest of margins.
If the offside flag spared Chelsea from not being alert, West Ham were not afforded the same fortune moments later as Thiago Silva was left completely unmarked to run into the box and rise unchallenged to power home a header from a Mason Mount delivery.
An often error-strewn first half continued with Aaron Creswell, the matchwinner in this fixture last season, wasting a chance to cross following a mistake by the returning Cesar Azpilicueta.
West Ham had the ball in the net again on the half-hour, only this time for Jarrod Bowen to be denied after it was ruled Silva had been clipped in the build-up.
Had Timo Werner converted instead of shooting straight at Lukasz Fabianski towards the end of the first half, Chelsea may have been afforded a more relaxing second period.
Brave defending from home captain Azpilicueta twice came to Chelsea’s rescue as David Moyes’ side, aiming for a third consecutive away win in the league, grew in the belief they could take something from the contest.
Yet their failure to muster an effort on target was always going to be a hindrance, and so the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds proved reliable once again as Chelsea added a second 13 minutes from time.
In fact, it was two quickfire goals as Tammy Abraham netted twice in as many minutes to make the game safe and put a one-sided gloss on the scoreline which flattered the hosts.
The first would not have made any Premier League highlights as Werner cut in from the left and actually miskicked a shot which ran into the path of Abraham.
Then the same player fired home the third after Fabianski had pushed away an effort from Christian Pulisic.
It would have been four had Werner not struck the crossbar in the final minute, although that would have been even harsher.
The fact Edouard Mendy did not have a single save to make, however, showed where West Ham’s problems lay.
Key statistics
West Ham were the 20th and final side to concede from a set-piece in the Premier League this season.
Chelsea have scored more goals from corners than any other team in the Premier League this season (eight), with three of these goals being headers from Mount assists.
This was Mount’s 50th Premier League appearance for Chelsea, becoming the youngest English player (21 years 346 days) to reach this milestone for the club since John Terry in January 2002 (21 years 36 days).
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 84 Premier League home matches in which they had the lead at half-time (won 69, drawn 15). The last time the Blues lost at Stamford Bridge after leading at the break was against Arsenal in October 2011.
The Hammers haven’t won three in a row against Chelsea in the top flight since a run of four between September 1972 and March 1974.
Chelsea have lost just one of their past 15 Premier League home games against West Ham.
Chelsea have lost their final league match before Christmas in just two of the past 31 seasons, against Leeds in 1999 and Leicester in 2018 (won 20, drawn nine).
Moyes has not won any of his 16 Premier League matches as a manager at Stamford Bridge (drawn seven, lost nine).
This was Mendy’s 10th clean sheet in his 16th competitive appearance for Chelsea under Lampard, equalling Kepa Arrizabalaga, who kept 10 clean sheets in 45 appearances under Lampard.
West Ham have played more Premier League fixtures on a Monday than any other team. This was their 79th.
What’s next?
The festive rush now really begins with Chelsea facing two matches – away to Arsenal and home to Aston Villa – in little over 48 hours on Boxing Day and December 28.
West Ham, meanwhile, entertain Brighton on Sunday (December 27) before travelling to Southampton just two days later.
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