West Ham United vs. Chelsea: Score, Grades, Reaction from 2015 Premier League

It wasn't pretty for Chelsea. At times, West Ham appeared
the better side. But, the Blues wasted golden opportunities
that could have blown the game wide open. Perhaps the
Blues were still a bit hungover from their Capital One Cup
triumph.

But in the end, a win is a win, and that's just what Chelsea
came away with on Wednesday evening, beating West Ham
at Boleyn Ground, 1-0, in an exciting contest that featured a
number of chances, fouls and drama. Eden Hazard scored
the lone goal of the contest in the first half.
Squawka Football provides the key stats from the match:
The game ebbed and flowed in the early stages, as Chelsea
looked dominant and likely to control the possession
throughout in the opening 10 minutes. It appeared West
Ham had gathered a bit of momentum after that, however,
threatening the goal several times themselves.
And that's when Chelsea struck.

After a counter-attack fizzled out, Cesc Fabregas played a
ball down the right side of the box to Ramires, who calmly
curled a cross into the box. Hazard was left uncovered to get
his head on the ball, easily putting it past the 'keeper to give
the Blues the lead in the 22nd minute.
It wasn't West Ham's finest moment, as Gabriele Market of
ESPN noted:

Chelsea nearly doubled their lead in the 34th minute, as
Diego Costa was set free on goal all by himself, but the
striker hesitated just enough for Carl Jenkinson to catch him
and make a brilliant tackle on the ball. It was a risky play, as
he could have fouled Costa in the box and seen red, but he
timed it perfectly and got all ball on his tackle.

Hazard's goal may have been the key moment from the first
45, but Gary Cahill was arguably Chelsea's finest player in
that span, as this stat from WhoScored.com suggests:
West Ham continued to keep a one-goal deficit by the skin of
their teeth early in the second half. Hazard set Ramires free
on a galloping run down the right side of the pitch, but his
effort on goal hit the pitch. Moments later, a Hazard cross
into the box found Ramires' head, but West Ham's Adrian
made a brilliant kick-save to keep his side in the game.

West Ham nearly equalised in the 71st minute. Enner
Valencia's shot was fumbled by Thibaut Courtois, and the
rebound lay dangerously in front of the goal. But Cahill was
able to beat the West Ham attackers and clear the ball out of
danger. It was the rare misstep from the normally brilliant
Courtois.

West Ham continued to press for the equalising goal,
throwing everything at Chelsea in the waning moments, but
the Chelsea defense stood sturdy. They certainly kept the
Blues on their toes, however, as Miguel Delaney of ESPN
noted:

Chelsea also had their chances, as a lovely pullback from
Hazard to Willian should have resulted in a second goal, but
the winger put his shot at the wide-open goal right in the
path of Aaron Cresswell, who cleared to safety.

Stoppage time was indeed thrilling, but West Ham couldn't
cap the excitement with a game-tying goal. Max Bretos of
ESPN felt for the Hammers:
Dominic Fifield of The Guardian offered a different
perspective:
Either way, a win is a win, and Chelsea will certainly take the
three points.

Grades
Eden Hazard, Chelsea: A
Hazard wouldn't allow you to take your eyes off of him in
this game. His driving runs and pinpoint precision were
splendid to see. He set up his teammates.

He scored
himself. He kept West Ham's defense on their heels. He
appeared a threat to score every time he touched the ball.
Marcotti certainly enjoyed the show:

Few players in the world are quite as dynamic as Hazard
when he's on his game, and he certainly was against West
Ham.

Adrian and the West Ham Back Four: B+
Chelsea easily could have had several goals in this contest.

But Adrian made several key saves, and the defense in front
of him always seemed to recover in time to stymie the
Blues, even when they had brilliantly passed and weaved
themselves into clear scoring chances.

The four defenders need to take some blame for allowing
Chelsea so many scoring opportunities, yes, but the fight
and grit they showed in recovering to come up with a key
tackle or block shouldn't be overshadowed. It wasn't always
a pretty performance from this unit, but it was a proud,
passionate one.

Gary Cahill, Chelsea: A-
West Ham really pressed in the end, reeling Cahill and
Company at times, but the veteran defender always seemed
to have an answer. He made crucial clearances, several
incredibly important blocks and was a huge reason why a
deserving West Ham team couldn't equalise.
For a Chelsea side that prides itself on its defensive prowess,
Cahill was a force.

Post-Match Reaction
After the hard-fought win, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho
spoke about the contest.

"These are the matches that sometimes can define a
season," he said in his post-match interview, via the NBCSN
broadcast. "West Ham are very difficult to play, very
adventurous. You have to adapt. My players were brilliant."

He added, "We couldn't kill the game. If you don't kill the
game or put yourself in a position to defend, you'll lose
here. These three points are massive to us."
The Blues remain five points clear of second-place
Manchester City with a game in hand, while West Ham find
themselves in 10th.

The Blues now prepare for a Champions League clash
against Paris Saint-Germain and a tough Premier League
contest against Southampton after that, while West Ham
next get Arsenal.

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 4, 2015
" West Ham 0-1 Chelsea FT: Possession: 49%-51% Shots:
18-12 Tackles won: 12-15 Crosses: 28-15
pic.twitter.com/aV

More reports @ bleacherreports.com