10-man West Ham too strong for stunned Chelsea

    West Ham were too good for Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday as they secured a 3-1 win with 10 players.

    West Ham United. West Ham United.

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    James Ward-Prowse set up two goals on his West Ham debut and Lucas Paqueta scored a late penalty as the 10-man Hammers somehow secured a 3-1 win over Chelsea. </p>

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    Ward-Prowse, the £30million signing from Southampton, created goals for Nayef Aguerd and Michail Antonio, either side Carney Chukwuemeka's equaliser. </p>

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    But Mauricio Pochettino's expensively-assembled side will wonder how on earth they came away from the London Stadium empty-handed. </p>

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    Enzo Fernandez missed a penalty and West Ham had to play the final 25 minutes a player down after Aguerd saw red. </p>

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    Yet not only did David Moyes' side cling on for a first win of the season, they wrapped it up in stoppage time with Paqueta's spot-kick. </p>

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    Ward-Prowse is renowned for his ability from set-pieces but surely not even Moyes could have expected such an immediate impact. </p>

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    Seven minutes in and from his second corner in a claret and blue shirt, Ward-Prowse swung in a cross which Aguerd nodded in unmarked at the far post. </p>

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    Chelsea have now conceded a goal in each of their last 13 matches, their worst run since 1996. </p>

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    But they were making inroads at the other end with Nicolas Jackson eager to get in behind West Ham's back line. </p>

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    One such run and cut-back was hacked away but when Ben Chilwell drove back in to the area, his cross was cleared by Kurt Zouma only as far as Chukwuemeka. </p>

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    The 19-year-old steadied himself before lashing the loose ball past Alphonse Areola for his first Chelsea goal. </p>

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    Paqueta was in the West Ham line-up despite being reportedly investigated by the Football Association for potential betting rule breaches. </p>

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    The Brazil midfielder is said to be shocked by the probe, which is believed to centre around bets placed in his homeland on yellow cards awarded against him. </p>

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    Paqueta did pick up a first-half booking for dissent after complaining about the award of a corner, but moments later he was inches away from scoring, dragging the ball down in a crowded penalty area only to clip a post. </p>

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    Chelsea were gifted the chance to go ahead before half-time after Tomas Soucek tripped Raheem Sterling in the area, but Fernandez's penalty was saved by Areola. </p>

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    Instead Antonio fired West Ham back into the lead eight minutes into the second half when he raced on to Ward-Prowse's cute ball over the top. </p>

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    Pochettino turned to Chelsea's latest record signing, Moises Caicedo, for his debut on the hour mark, the Ecuadorian immediately sending a long-range shot wide. </p>

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    West Ham were then reduced to 10 in the 68th minute after Aguerd was shown a second yellow card for needlessly fouling Jackson. </p>

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    But Chelsea, it seemed, had run out of ideas and could only muster a deflected Noni Madueke shot which was tipped wide by Areola. </p>

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    And the away fans left en masse even before Paqueta rubber-stamped the victory from the spot after Caicedo fouled Emerson Palmieri. </p>

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    <p>The article <a href="https://www.planetsport.com/soccer/news/10-man-west-ham-strong-stunned-chelsea">10-man West Ham too strong for stunned Chelsea </a> appeared first on Planetsport.com.</p>