Chelsea 2-1 West Ham United: Blues' Player Ratings as Kai Havertz scores late winner in controversial victory | Premier League 2022-23

Chelsea managed to secure all three points at Stamford Bridge as Kai Havertz secured a late winner in their Premier League fixture against West Ham United on Saturday (September 3).

The Blues started strong in front of their home crowd as they dominated the majority of possession in the first half. However, Thomas Tuchel's men only managed to create half chances against a compact low-block presented by West Ham. This resulted in a fairly tame first half for the London derby.

The game opened up in the second half as the Hammers came out all guns blazing. David Moyes clearly instilled a fighting spirit when he addressed his players during the break, as West Ham emphatically pressed Chelsea.

The Hammers finally managed to break the tie when Michail Antonio scored in the 62nd minute. The Jamaica international scrambled to find the back of the net when Jarrod Bowen's corner kick bounced around the box.

Ben Chilwell manifested an equalizer out of nothing just 14 minutes later, receiving a difficult long ball that Thiago Silva catapulted into the box. Finally, Kai Havertz sealed the victory for Chelsea by scoring a cross whipped in from the left by Chilwell.

While the result did seem inevitable, the Hammers thought they had managed to find a very late equalizer, causing drama at the Bridge. However, the goal was ruled out by the referee following a review of a foul on Edouard Mendy on the pitchside monitor.

On that note, let's take a look at Chelsea's player ratings against West Ham.

Edouard Mendy - 5/10

Mendy had little to do in the first half of the derby. However, the Senegalese goalkeeper's confidence dwindled as the second half progressed. He looked sloppy while defending against corners, making errors that cost the Blues.

Thiago Silva - 7.5/10

Silva was comfortable at the heart of Chelsea's defensive back-three. Apart from mispasses on a few occasions, the veteran centre-half was solid at the back for the Blues.

Wesley Fofana - 8/10

Fofana performed well on his debut for the Blues, effortlessly slotting into the right side of Chelsea's back-three. The defender linked up well with Blues right-back Reece James and made offensive runs on multiple occasions.

Kalidou Koulibaly - 8/10

Koulibaly featured on the left-hand side of Tuchel's back three in a strong display against the Hammers. The Senegalese showed his maturity and experience in a comfortable performance as a left centre-half for the Blues.

Reece James - 8.5/10

The English full-back finally returned to his natural position after the arrival of new signing Wesley Fofana. James was very active up and down the right flank. He was one of the few creators during the game, whipping in dangerous crosses from the right.

Marc Cucurella - 7/10

Cucurella held his own against West Ham's attackers in a decent performance for the Blues. However, the Spanish defender failed to offer much going forward as the west London outfit desperately needed chance creators in a relatively tame first-half performance.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 6.5/10

Loftus-Cheek played as a holding midfielder in the derby. Although the Blues enjoyed a majority of the possession with him at the centre of the pitch, they were susceptible to counter-attacks from West Ham.

Overall, it was an average performance from the midfielder.

Conor Gallagher - 5/10

Gallagher featured in an underwhelming display against West Ham. The Cobham academy graduate seemed to be quite tame and failed to make a meaningful impact on the game.

Mateo Kovacic - 6/10

Kovacic lined up as a central midfielder against the Hammers. The Croatian was able to showcase his ability to carry the ball forward and his dribbling prowess.

Kovacic was unable to create any major chances in an average performance for Chelsea, which was a rare sight. However, this could be chalked up to knee issues that he is currently recovering from.

Christian Pulisic - 5/10

The American forward played alongside Raheem Sterling in an offensive two. Pulisic started the first half well, dropping into pockets of space to receive the ball. However, as the game progressed, the US international gradually faded.

Raheem Sterling - 8/10

Sterling had a very good performance against the Hammers. He was a menace while playing on both flanks, making attacking runs and creating chances.

Substitutes

Ben Chilwell - 9.5/10

Chilwell came on in the 72nd minute to replace Cucurella. The Englishman proved to be a game-changer for the Blues as he scored the equalizer to bring Chelsea level. He beautifully controlled a difficult pass from Thiago Silva and finessed it through the keeper's legs to hit the back of the net.

Chilwell also provided the assist for Havert'z match-winning goal in the 88th minute.

Kai Havertz - 9/10

After coming on in the latter stages of the second half, Havertz put on an emphatic performance as he relentlessly pressed West Ham's defenders. The German forward sealed the victory for the Blues, scoring the winner as the Blues won 2-1.

Armando Broja - 7/10

Broja was a pair of fresh legs for the Blues after coming on in the second half. He lined up as a 9 and was the leader of the press against West Ham.

Mason Mount - 6/10

Mount played as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea. He had a decent performance overall.

Jorghino - N/A

Jorghino replaced Loftus-Cheek in the 83rd minute. He played too few minutes to warrant a rating.

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