Chelsea climbed to second place in the Premier League after a 3-0 victory at West Ham yesterday afternoon. Here are five things that we learned from the game.
1) Lampard still has it
Not only did Lampard strike twice against his old club, he showed that he still has youthfulness in his bones. His second was a typical Lampard goal – lurking on the edge of the area, he swept the ball into the far post with pace and precision.
2) Chelsea need to improve their take ons
During the derby West Ham completed 10/15 of their take ons, whereas Chelsea completed just 5/15. Jose Mourinho will be looking to sort this out before their next fixture.
3) Hammers need to improve their corners
Their crossing in general was poor, completing just four of 25, but their corners in particular was shocking. Only 2/8 met the head of a Hammer.
4) Hoof ball isn’t so hoofy
Although there is a stigma attached to Allardyce and his teams, West Ham can pop the ball around the pitch. The Hammers’ pass completion stood at 79% while Chelsea’s marginally better at 82%.
5) Allardyce needs his strikers back
The Irons had eight shots on goal, which isn’t too bad, but only one hit the target. There is no bite up top at Upton Park right now and Fat Sam will be counting down the days until Andy Carroll returns.