Three things we learnt from Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over West Ham

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Two Of Last Season’s ‘Rats’ Look Back On Form

Following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho and Chelsea’s dreadful first half to last season, one disgruntled regular held up a crudely drawn banner condemning the ‘three rats’ in the team: Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas. All three were integral components of Chelsea’s title winning campaign in 2014-15, but their performance levels dropped dramatically last term. Fabregas did not feature last night, itself an interesting sub-plot, but Costa and Hazard were excellent.

Right from the outset when he spun James Collins just inside West Ham’s half, Costa looked to have far more vitality than we saw last year. In Mourinho’s last days at the club, Costa spent too much time sulking in a left wing position. Last night, he was a firm point of reference for Chelsea’s midfielders; always stationed between the visitor’s two centre backs. Hazard meanwhile, was a constant source of torment for West Ham’s right back Michail Antonio, who was later hooked by Slaven Bilic after gifting Chelsea a soft penalty.

The Belgian displayed his trademark dribbling ability and change of pace, and looked noticeably leaner. Gary Neville’s criticisms of Hazard remain relevant; he needs to focus more on the opposition goal than taking the mickey out of opposition players. However, if keeps up this form Chelsea are a dangerous proposition.