PREM: West Ham 0-0 Chelsea

Andriy Yarmolenko misses a gilt-edged chance

Chelsea’s 100 per cent record in the Premier League was ended by West Ham United in a 0-0 draw on Super Sunday.

After winning their first five games under Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea's quality in the final third was severely lacking as Eden Hazard was suffocated by the Hammers' midfield.

West Ham created clear chances but missed the ruthlessness of Marko Arnautovic, who was absent with a knee injury.

 

The standout opportunity fell to Andriy Yarmolenko late on but he headed wide from six yards out.

Questions were being asked about West Ham under Manuel Pellegrini after four straight defeats, but four points in the last week and a first clean sheet has them moving in the right direction.

 

Despite bossing the ball in the early stages, Chelsea - who had made a midweek trip to Greece in the Europa League - created little as West Ham carried the bigger threat on the counter attack.

Arnautovic's replacement, Michail Antonio, squandered two chances in quick succession, blazing over from a tight angle on 31 minutes before firing straight at Kepa Arrizabalaga two minutes later.

 

David Luiz headed a great opportunity over the bar just after the break as Chelsea continued to look pretty with the ball but lacked ideas in the final third, with the axis of Hazard, Olivier Giroud and Willian struggling to find much rhythm.

Alvaro Morata replaced Giroud on 64 minutes and should have scored within two minutes of coming on. Luiz took advantage of some sloppy defending from Yarmolenko at the back post but Morata's close range finish smacked Lukasz Fabianski's face and flew to safety.

Hazard should have been greedier when bursting into the box with 15 minutes left, deciding to look for Morata rather than shoot before Yarmolenko wasted a glorious opening. Robert Snodgrass curled over a wonderful cross that put the chance on a plate for the Ukrainian, but he somehow headed wide from six yards out.

 

Ross Barkley tested Fabianski from range in stoppage time and Willian fired wide from a tight angle but a Chelsea winner never really looked likely as they failed to score in the Premier League for the first time under Sarri.