Chelsea come unstuck as Marko Arnautovic secures West Ham's first victory under David Moyes

West Ham United 1 Chelsea 0: Rejuvenated Hammers claim local bragging rights but result not enough to lift them out of the bottom three

Marko Arnautovic celebrates after scoring his winning goal against Chelsea (Getty)

There’s something about a local derby that will often bring out the best - or worst - in a side. In the case of this encounter, a meeting between east and west London, it was David Moyes’ West Ham who made the most of the big occasion, claiming a spirited, and much-needed, 1-0 win here at the London Stadium.

With Marko Arnautovic’s early strike proving the difference, the hosts picked up their first win in nine league games - and only their third over Chelsea in 23 meetings. More significantly, though, it was a first victory under Moyes, who has instilled West Ham with a new sense of purpose and hope. More disciplined, more energised and simply more entertaining to watch today, this was a well-deserved three points for a side that is continuing to make small steps of progress under the Scot.

It started off as the perfect day for a game of football. A crisp chill in the air, a winter sun above and clear blue skies. It was appropriate, then, that West Ham put on a show.

It took only six minutes for Moyes’ men to channel their energy into something tangible - namely an Arnautovic goal, his first of the season for the Hammers.

After a neat exchange of passes between Pablo Zabaleta, Manuel Lanzini and Arnautovic in and around the Chelsea box, the Austrian showed his worth. Taking the ball on his left, he dropped his shoulder, veered past Cesar Azpilicueta and curled home the opener from 10 yards out. It was the simplest of finishes to cap off the slickest of moments from a West Ham side that looks to have rediscovered its confidence.

For Chelsea, the fear before the match had been getting dragged into a dog-fight. The reality of the matter made for somewhat of a surprise as their London rivals set about controlling the game for the next 30 minutes.

With a spring in their step, and dynamism in their press and forward moment, West Ham looked the far superior team as they attempted to build upon their lead while doing their best to disrupt a muted Chelsea.

Ogbonna tussles for possession with Morata (Getty)

In contrast to the hosts, the Blues looked off the mark. Touches were sloppy, passes were misplaced and possession was squandered far too easily. This made for a stark contrast to the technical trickery of Arthur Masuaku, whose numerous step-overs and smart turns left the West Ham faithful roaring with delight, or the sleek, polished interchanges of the home side’s front men. Indeed, at times it was hard to tell which side has spent most of the season in the relegation zone and which side earlier this year lifted the title.

Still, Chelsea made their presence felt, enjoying a probing period of possession 15 minutes before the break which saw them enjoy two chances in front of goal. After an off-target Alvaro Morata header, Eden Hazard came close with a close-range half-volley that fizzed dangerously across the goal mouth. N’Golo Kante later put Adrian to good use, sending a dipping effort to the goalkeeper’s far-right post which was assuredly pushed away.

West Ham remained undeterred, though, buoyed by an emboldened home crowd, and had the chance to double their lead on the 37-minute mark. Intercepting a cross-field pass inside Chelsea’s own third, Masuaku charged into space before letting loose from outside the visitors’ box with a speculative, off-target shot.

The second half continued in a similar vein and, knowing their lead to be slender, West Ham pushed on. In the minutes after the restart, Arnautovic was threaded through on goal, only for the flag to go up for offside, while a penalty appeal for a Andreas Christensen handball was dismissed moments later.

Courtois is beaten at his far post by Arnautovic (Getty)

But if the first half had been an indictor of West Ham’s talents, the second 45 minutes showcased the side’s new-found resilience.

With Chelsea dominating possession in the final 35 minutes, the West Ham defence was subject to wave after wave of attack. It was at this point that destruction, rather than construction, became the name of the game for Moyes’ men.

Morata reacts after missing a late chance to equalise (Getty)

Both Aaron Cresswell and Pedro Obiang were shown yellow for tackles, on substitute Willian and Kante respectively, as Chelsea kept their foot on the peddle. But West Ham’s players held strong, putting their bodies between the ball and the goal on multiple occasions - as memorably exemplified by Mark Noble throwing himself head first into one particular tackle.

It was clearly meant to be West Ham’s day, though, with Alvaro Morata missing a clear chance on goal eight minutes from time, sending his close-range effort into the side netting eight yards out. West Ham had held on.

Teams

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Adrian; Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Reid, Cresswell; Noble, Obiang; Arnautovic, Lanzini, Masuaku; Antonio.

Substitutes: Hart, Rice, Chicharito, Ayew, Sakho, Fernandes, Carroll.

Chelsea (3-5-1-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Zappacosta, Fabregas, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Hazard; Morata.

Substitutes: Caballero, Rudiger, Ampadu, Willian, Moses, Batshuayi, Pedro.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.