West Ham 0-1 Chelsea: Player ratings as Timo Werner scores & VAR has a shocker

Chelsea boosted their chances of securing a top four Premier League finish after narrowly beating rivals West Ham 1-0 at the London Stadium.

The first half was a high-tempo encounter, with both teams breaking at pace but lacking the final ball to hurt their opponents. But as half-time approached, the Blues broke the deadlock when Timo Werner started and rounded off a lovely flowing move that saw Ben Chilwell chalk up a useful assist.

Chelsea should have doubled their advantage early in the second half, but Werner somehow contrived to poke the ball wide after Lukasz Fabianski spilled Mason Mount's shot from distance. West Ham then pushed to draw level, and Jesse Lingard almost caught out Edouard Mendy with a looping strike from distance that just drifted wide.

The home side's comeback hopes were all but ended on 82 minutes when Fabian Balbuena was astonishingly sent off for 'violent conduct' - having innocuously caught Chilwell with his follow through after clearing the ball.

That allowed Chelsea to see out the game, handing Thomas Tuchel's side a valuable three points.
Right, let's get on with the player ratings.

West Ham player ratings

1. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Lukasz Fabianski (GK) - 6/10 - Got down smartly to stop Mount and Pulisic but was left helplessly exposed for the opener. Got lucky when Werner missed a sitter as he really should have pushed Mount's shot further from danger.

Fabian Balbuena (CB) - 6/10 - Hesitated when he should have hammered the ball clear and paid the price - a disappointing mistake to make so close to the end of the half. Extremely unlucky to be sent off after a terrible piece of officiating.

Angelo Ogbonna (CB) - 7/10 - A fearsome presence at the heart of the defence. Dealt with Werner excellently, although he allowed the German to roll him and score the opener.

Issa Diop (CB) - 6/10 - Was an absolute mile off the play when Werner slotted home just before half-time. Not what Moyes would have wanted to see.

2. Wing-Backs & Midfielders

Vladmir Coufal (RWB) - 7/10 - Always available on that right flank to receive possession and look to cross. Caught out by Chelsea's rapid counter for the opener.

Mark Noble (CM) - 6/10 - Broke up play to disturb the Chelsea midfield. Supported on the inside right channel, and rarely put a teammate in danger. Gave his all and made way for the final 20 minutes.

Tomas Soucek (CM) - 6/10 - Nipped in to win a couple of vital tackles in and around his own penalty area. Used his height as a lethal weapon in the latter stages.

Pablo Fornals (AM) - 6/10 - A tireless worker, tearing around the pitch to put the pressure on. Struggled to stick his foot on the ball when the Hammers most needed a breather. Subbed as David Moyes rolled the dice.

Ryan Fredericks (LWB) - 6/10 - Lightning across the ground, although final ball was lacking on that left peg. Had a crack at goal in the second half, but his strike was well blocked.

3. Forwards

Jarrod Bowen (ST) - 7/10 - So aggressive from the front, forcing the Chelsea defence into surrendering possession. Pulled the backline about with his movement and ability to pop up in different areas of the pitch.

Jesse Lingard (ST) - 6/10 - Always looking for the faintest of touches or cheekiest of flicks to spark the counter-attack. Hard to stop when charging at the defence. Didn't quite happen for him, though.

4. Substitutes

Manuel Lanzini (CM) - 6/10

Said Benrahma (AM) - 6/10

Ben Johnson (RWB) - N/A

Chelsea player ratings

5. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Edouard Mendy (GK) - 6/10 - Often hung around the edge of his box to sweep up and stop West Ham from breaking over the top. Played his teammates into trouble with some loose and lazy distribution.

Andreas Christensen (CB) - 8/10 - Joined in the attacks down the right-hand side to good effect, and controlled proceedings defensively. Growing with every performance.

Thiago Silva (CB) - 8/10 - Dominant in the air, winning header after header against a barrage of crosses into the box. Acrobatically threw his body in the line of fire to block Soucek's clever ball.

Antonio Rudiger (CB) - 7/10 - A tough job against Bowen, but matched the forward step for step in the first half. Strode forward with the ball and kept a careful eye on any movement behind him.

6. Wing-Backs & Midfielders

Cesar Azpilicueta (RWB) - 7/10 - Outpaced a few times by the lightning Fredericks, showing his age. Played his part in the winner by feeding Kante.

N'Golo Kante (CM) - 8/10 - Couldn't compete with the physical superiority of Soucek, but that didn't stop him getting stuck in. Got Chelsea moving for the winner with a quick, vertical pass.

Jorginho (CM) - 6/10 - Tidy on the ball, and kept the Blues ticking. Not much forward passing, though. Lacked much influence as Chelsea sank deeper and West Ham grew in confidence.

Ben Chilwell (LWB) - 7/10 - Lost the ball in midfield early on allowing West Ham to counter, but picked out Werner superbly for the goal.

7. Forwards

Mason Mount (RW) - 8/10 - Produced a stunning turn and shot to create an opening from nothing early on, before bringing down a high ball with a stunning touch later. A superstar showing.

Timo Werner (ST) - 7/10 - Did brilliantly to turn Ogbonna and dart back into the box to tap home the winner. Lovely forward play. Missed a sitter to kill the game early in the second half. Where do these disasters come from?

Christian Pulisic (LW) - 6/10 - Should have tested Fabianski with a strike from inside the box, but drifted around causing problems between the lines.

8. Substitutes

Hakim Ziyech (RW) - 6/10

Reece James (RWB) - N/A

Tammy Abraham (ST) - N/A