Chelsea win seals early top spot

Estevao Willian becomes the youngest Chelsea player to assist in a Premier League match during Chelsea's 5-1 victory at West Ham.

Estevao Willian makes history with Chelsea assist in 5 1 win over West Ham

West Ham United hosted Chelsea at the London Stadium on Friday as they sought to rebound from a 3-0 loss to Sunderland. Chelsea, the Club World Cup winners, cruised to a 5-1 victory with goals from Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah. Estevao Willian did not start but was drafted into the team after Cole Palmer picked up an injury in the warm up and later squared the ball to Enzo Fernandez for Chelsea's third, making the 18-year-old the youngest Chelsea player to record a Premier League assist.

Before this match Chelsea had not topped the table since 2021, but the result moved them to the top for the night. The next fixture is a London derby against Fulham at Stamford Bridge before the international break. Former Ipswich Town forward and TalkSport pundit Alan Brazil has backed Chelsea to compete with the Premier League's elite this season.

Chelsea are showing a deliberate shift toward youth and flexibility under their current setup, with Willian’s impact off the bench underscoring a broader talent pipeline. The result suggests the squad is capable of turning depth into decisive performances in big games.

For West Ham, the heavy defeat exposes gaps in form and depth as the schedule tightens. The result adds to pressure on staff and players to balance momentum with stability, especially in the run-up to the next set of league fixtures and derbies.

Highlights

Momentum now hinges on sustaining focus after the break.