Jackson leads Chelsea past West Ham United

Chelsea secured their second consecutive Premier League victory on Saturday, cruising to a 3-0 win against West Ham United. Following last week's late triumph over Bournemouth, Chelsea appeared far more in control this time around, with Nicolas Jackson emerging as the star of the match.

Early lead sets the tone

Chelsea, under the guidance of manager Enzo Maresca, wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Within just five minutes, Jackson opened the scoring with a well-executed finish. After being sent down the left wing, the forward sprinted into the box and calmly slotted the ball home, putting Chelsea on the front foot from the start. From that point on, Chelsea controlled the tempo of the match, pushing West Ham back into their own half. They had several chances to double their lead early, and Jackson, who was at the center of Chelsea’s attacking efforts, continued to pose a threat. Cole Palmer missed a golden opportunity to make it 2-0, but Jackson quickly followed up with his second goal of the afternoon, further solidifying Chelsea’s control.

West Ham struggles to respond

West Ham, who seemed sluggish in the face of Chelsea’s pressure, began to show signs of life after the second goal. They nearly won a penalty when Crycensio Summerville was fouled just outside the box, and former Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus saw his goal ruled out for offside. These moments provided West Ham with a brief window of hope, but they failed to capitalize. In the final stages of the first half, West Ham looked more dangerous, but any aspirations of a comeback were crushed early in the second half. Jackson turned provider, setting up Palmer for Chelsea’s third goal, which effectively ended the contest. With a clear 3-0 lead, Chelsea were able to take control of the game, and Maresca used the opportunity to rest key players.

Comfortable finish for Chelsea

Christopher Nkunku, who had scored the late winner against Bournemouth last week, came off the bench in the second half and nearly added a fourth goal for Chelsea. However, West Ham’s goalkeeper Alphonse Areola denied him in the closing stages. Despite this, Chelsea comfortably saw out the match and secured a well-deserved victory. The win puts Chelsea in a strong position ahead of their upcoming League Cup match against League Two side Barrow, followed by a Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. Meanwhile, West Ham faces a tough road ahead, having now lost three consecutive home games and needing to regroup quickly. Nicolas Jackson’s standout performance, with two goals and an assist, has been a significant boost for Chelsea as they build momentum in their Premier League campaign.