Chelsea climbed to the top of the Premier League by winning a London derby 3-0 at West Ham, an opponent overtaken by Nicolas Jackson’s double and an assist on Saturday.
The “Blues” move into second place with 10 points while waiting for the nine other matches of the 5th day of the championship.
Beyond the standings, Chelsea put in a fine offensive performance, thanks both to their multiple talents up front and to West Ham’s worrying weakness at the back.
The inattentive “Hammers” defense let Nicolas Jackson slip through the net twice, who was impeccable in beating Alphonse Areola between the legs (4th, 1-0) then wiping out the Frenchman with the outside of his foot (18th, 2-0).
After the break, the Senegalese striker improved a counter-attack with a pass at the right tempo for Cole Palmer (47th, 3-0).
Saturday’s performance confirms new coach Enzo Maresca’s decision to start Jackson at number 9 at the expense of Christopher Nkunku, who has been a substitute at kick-off as he has been since the start of the season.
The presence on the bench of the French international, who came on in the 64th minute, illustrates Chelsea’s wealth in attack. At 3-0 in their favour, the “Blues” also launched Pedro Neto and João Félix, two major recruits of the summer.
Chelsea recorded their third win in three away games at the London Stadium and will look to finally secure a win of the season at Stamford Bridge next weekend when they take on Brighton.
