Just two games into a Premier League season, it might seem far too early for widespread pessimism. However, for West Ham supporters, watching their team in action made it incredibly difficult to avoid a sense of impending doom. Many in the London Stadium arrived already anticipating the worst, long before the referee`s whistle. While a home opener is traditionally a moment for new beginnings and optimism, even after a heavy away defeat, the cameras panning across the pre-kickoff crowd revealed only despondent faces, suggesting many attendees felt there were countless better ways to spend a Friday evening in East London.
This widespread pessimism proved to be well-founded. It wasn`t long ago that West Ham would have fiercely defended an early lead, such as the one Lucas Paqueta secured with a powerful sixth-minute strike. Historically, even stronger Chelsea teams would have found it difficult to land a knockout blow against such a resolute defense. Instead, Enzo Maresca`s Chelsea, despite seemingly losing their creative spark with Cole Palmer`s warm-up injury, effortlessly cruised to a commanding 5-1 victory. This result should undoubtedly send alarm bells ringing throughout West Ham United.
For a club that has previously experienced the bitter irony of being “too good to go down” only to slip out of the Premier League, there should be no illusions: this team is perfectly capable of plumbing dangerous depths in the top flight. Whether deploying a back five or four, their defense appeared utterly disjointed, populated by players who seemed like strangers to each other. The London Stadium pitch, already appearing larger due to its surrounding running track, felt particularly cavernous as Estevao, the Brazilian debutant, found ideal circumstances to dazzle on his debut, exploiting vast open spaces.
Everywhere on the pitch, Chelsea shirts found ample room to operate. This defensive negligence reached a peak of absurdity when Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, merely five yards apart, exchanged ten passes between themselves without a single West Ham player making an attempt to pressure the ball. A stand-off defensive approach can be effective if the box is defended with discipline; however, West Ham`s passivity extended to the most dangerous areas of the pitch. They lacked both aggression and the necessary organization to counteract it. While significant blame for their current malaise rests with the ownership and a sporting hierarchy who have seemingly squandered the millions received from the Declan Rice transfer, manager Graham Potter must also bear responsibility for these fundamental failings of spirit and structure.
Nowhere were these deficiencies more apparent than from corner kicks. Again, it wasn`t long ago that set pieces were a prime opportunity for West Ham to physically dominate their opposition. Yet, just fifteen minutes in, with a precious lead to defend, Marc Cucurella managed to reach a near-post delivery ahead of any claret and blue shirt. His flick-on was perfectly judged, allowing Joao Pedro to head home his first Premier League goal, marking a bright start for him at his new club. Niclas Fullkrug`s impressive volley briefly offered a glimmer of hope before VAR`s intervention disallowed it for an offside in the build-up. This fleeting hope was snuffed out as Aaron Wan-Bissaka allowed first Pedro Neto and then Enzo Fernandez to get ahead of him and convert low crosses. Was this merely a bad night for one of the league`s best defensive right-backs? Perhaps, but too much else suggested deeper, more systemic difficulties for this performance to be so easily dismissed.
Players were simply not executing the basics: opponents glided off their markers, and second and third balls repeatedly fell to Chelsea players, with Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah adding further damage from corners. Many fans, having hurried in early for what little half-time relief the concession stands offered, quickly concluded enough was enough. Some of those who didn`t simply make their way up the stairs found themselves leaving the ground by other means, with a clash between stewards and a small group of irate fans setting a worrying tone for the months ahead. In April, Fullkrug himself bemoaned a team that “just sinks” when they take the lead. This capitulation rivaled the most embarrassing collapses in football history.
“You`re going down,” cried the Chelsea fans as their goals continued to roll in during the second half. Their chant felt more prophetic than belligerent. Just two years prior, this West Ham team blended iron will with genuine flair on its way to European silverware. Tonight, their best idea for ball progression seemed to be Paqueta dropping deep and attempting long balls onto Fullkrug`s head.
The warning signs were evident last season when West Ham registered by far the worst non-penalty expected goal difference among the teams that avoided relegation. This season, a squad light on creativity has so far failed to effectively replace Mohamed Kudus. Furthermore, Callum Wilson hardly looks like the solution to a decade-long struggle for a prolific number 9. When Potter spoke earlier in the week about past business creating problems for him, one could be forgiven for thinking of Jean Clair-Todibo, for whom West Ham were reportedly obliged to pay nearly $50 million after a loan spell last summer. The only modest positives from this summer`s recruitment were El Hadji Malick Diouf`s energetic performance down the left wing and Hermansen`s debut, which, despite being shaky, wasn`t notably worse than some of his appearances for Leicester.
On the touchline, Graham Potter stood visibly bereft. A manager who had been so cautious in meticulously planning his return to management post-Chelsea might now find himself in an even more challenging predicament, potentially having jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Some deeply troubling truths seemed to be dawning on him, realities that West Ham supporters, however, had recognized long before him.
