West Ham 2 Chelsea 1 – Five Talking Points

West Ham reinforced their reputation as giant killers this season when they beat 10 man Chelsea 2-1 at Upton Park to move up to 2nd in the Premier League. Mauro Zarate connected brilliantly with a corner to give the Hammers a first half lead, before Nemanja Matic was sent off at the brink of half time. Chelsea put up a brave second half display to equalise through Gary Cahill, but substitute Andy Carroll killed off the game with a fine header late in the match. We take a look at the major talking points from the game.

Believe it or not, West Ham have now beaten 4 out last season’s top 6. An opening day demolition of Arsenal at the Emirates (0-2) was followed by a 0-3 outclassing of Liverpool at Anfield, after which they managed to beat this season’s form team Manchester City 1-2 at the Etihad. The win over Chelsea really seems par for the course after these results, given how horrible the Champions have been this season.

Nemanja Matic has been nothing short of a defensive maestro for Chelsea over the last couple of seasons. This season, however, his play has been disastrous. He’s seems to have lost his composure, and while his speed was never his strong point, he really seems to be out of breath at the moment. A desperate tug at goal scorer Zarate was followed by a terrible yanking of Kouyate near the line, and his marching orders were a natural resultant. Strangely enough, Chelsea defended better without their former defensive talisman in the second half.

Matic’s misdemeanours weren’t the only problems for Chelsea in the match. The players clearly have discipline issues, with as many as 5 yellow cards besides the double for Matic being issued. Azpilicueta, Ramires and Willian received bookings for mistimed defensive attempts, while Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas were booked for dissent following Matic’s dismissal. Maybe all this is because someone is setting a bad example? Yes, it all starts at the top. Manager Jose Mourinho was sent away to the stands at half time after he complained about the referee’s decisions. A member of the background staff was also banished, and a fine is almost certain for the club.

What struck out about West Ham’s performance today was their remarkable composure even when they were without the ball. The Hammers had less possession, but they were quick off the counter. The speed of Payet, Lanzini and Kouyate was too much for Chelsea’s defenders who were often beaten easily when it became a battle of getting to the ball first. In contrast, Willian and to a certain extent Eden Hazard in the second half were the only ones who could keep up. Chelsea put in 110% in the second half but West Ham defended stoutly and made their chance count when they got one to kill the game.

The balance of power is clearly shifting in London, as the results of this London derby showed. West Ham have also won the other two London derbies they were involved in, and Slaven Bilic has truly made them a team to beat. Can they sneak into the top four? A season ago they were content with a mid-table finish. This time around, however, it doesn’t look like the Hammers are going to settle for anything less than Europe. They have been remarkably consistent so far, but can they keep this up for the rest of the season, or will they fade away like Southampton did last season?