Chelsea finally got their campaign up and running with a ruthless 5-1 demolition of West Ham, condemning the Hammers to a record-equalling ninth Premier League season of back-to-back opening defeats.
Lucas Paqueta’s thunderous sixth-minute strike gave the home fans brief hope, but Chelsea struck back through Joao Pedro before Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez turned the game on its head before half-time.
Teenager Estevao, who replaced the injured Cole Palmer in the warm-up, set up Fernandez’s goal to become the youngest player in Premier League history to register an assist for Chelsea.
The visitors did not relent after the break, with Moises Caicedo punishing a goalkeeping error and Trevoh Chalobah adding a fifth, sparking early exits from frustrated home supporters.
West Ham rallied late through substitute Kyle Walker-Peters, but Chelsea comfortably saw out the contest to claim their 33rd league win over the Hammers, a tally bettered only against Tottenham.
For Graham Potter, the defeat extended his winless managerial record against Chelsea to eight matches, while pressure mounts after equalling another unwanted club record for points gained in his first 10 home league games.
