West Ham vs Chelsea result: Player ratings as Andriy Yarmolenko snatches victory
Substitute scored at the death to significantly boost the Hammers' hopes of survival
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Your support makes all the difference.West Ham stunned Chelsea at the death to secure a vital three points in the club’s bid for Premier League survival.
David Moyes’s side were unlucky to be denied an opener when Tomas Soucek’s scruffy goal was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check. Moments later, to rub salt in the wound, Christian Pulisic was brought down in the box by Issa Diop, with Willian giving the Blues the lead from the penalty spot.
West Ham fought back bravely, though, with Soucek leaping highest at the corner to equalise and avenge his disallowed goal. However, the glee was short-lived as Willian beat Lukasz Fabianski at the far post with a brilliant free-kick.
But West Ham battled valiantly again, with Michail Antonio finishing a brilliant attacking move to draw the Hammers level before Andriy Yarmolenko burst forwards unchallenged in the final seconds, cut inside on his favoured left foot, and beat Kepa Arrizabalaga to clinch a fantastic victory.
Check out our ratings from the game below:
West Ham
Fabianski – 5: Was helpless to stop Willian’s perfect penalty but was beaten on his side of the wall from the Brazilian's free-kick.
Fredericks – 5: Faced a torrid test against Pulisic, who would have been a tricky task for any full-back in the world to handle on tonight’s form.
Diop – 5: Clumsy tackle conceded the penalty that allowed Chelsea to take a somewhat undeserved lead.
Ogbonna – 6: Was solid in defence and provided an intelligence and presence that West Ham have lacked defensively in his absence.
Cresswell – 5: Also struggled at times with the threat of Willian on the opposite wing, but was typically reliable overall.
Soucek – 7: Was denied by VAR before repeating the feat at the corner to score West Ham’s equaliser. Impressed at the base of midfield.
Rice – 7: Another mature performance from a player whose qualities standout in this West Ham side. Strong in defence and one of few able to play clinical balls through the lines.
Bowen – 7: A tireless performance on the flank, tracking back without complaint and one of West Ham’s few constant threats, providing both assists.
Lanzini – 5: Showed flashes of skill but drifted out of the game for periods and was brought off in the second half.
Fornals – 5: Another hit-and-miss display from the Spaniard, who clearly has the ability but can’t quite yet translate it into any type of consistency.
Antonio – 8: Missed a brilliant chance of his own making early on but made amends by tapping in the equaliser, and played a perfect ball for Yarmolenko’s winner. His pace provided a constant threat running in behind Chelsea’s centre-backs.
Chelsea
Kepa – 4: Another questionable performance from the Chelsea keeper, who seemed to disappear at both corners when Soucek scored and saw another effort ruled out.
Azipilicueta – 5: Lost concentration at the first corner that led to Soucek’s denied goal.
Christensen – 5: Was troubled by the pace of Antonio far more than Lampard would feel comfortable with and was guilty of switching off at key moments.
Rudiger – 5: Was also caught out by Antonio in a central defensive performance that will cause further question marks.
Alonso – 4: Completely neglected his defensive duties in the final moments, allowing Yarmolenko to sprint through unmarked and score the winner.
Kante – 6: Covered all corners of the pitch in typical fashion, tackling and creating, but often couldn’t pick out a decisive final ball.
Kovacic – 6: A reliable metronome in midfield and made more tackles than any other player on the pitch.
Barkley – 6: Struggled to build on last week’s impressive performance, despite seeing a lot of the ball and was replaced in the second half.
Pulisic – 7: A constant menace with his direct dribbling, drawing a foul from Diop to win the penalty.
Willian – 8: Scored from the spot with a pinpoint penalty before a fabulous free-kick beat Fabianski at the far post.
Abraham – 5: Struggled to leave an impression on the game despite his best efforts – a concerning theme since the league’s resumption.
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