Chelsea Dominate West Ham in Ruthless WSL Rout – Hammers Left Reeling at London Stadium

In a one-sided affair at the London Stadium Chelsea Women showcased their title credentials with a commanding 4-0 victory over West Ham United Women. Under the floodlights of a crisp autumn evening, the Blues dismantled their hosts with clinical efficiency, scoring three goals in the opening 15 minutes before cruising to a comfortable win. This result keeps Chelsea firmly in the hunt for another Women’s Super League crown, while West Ham’s early-season struggles deepen, leaving them vulnerable in the lower half of the table. The match was a tale of Chelsea’s relentless pressure and West Ham’s defensive frailties, amplified by a red card that turned the contest into a procession.

Match Statistics

Chelsea’s numbers paint a picture of utter control, with nearly double the passes and shots reflecting their tactical superiority.

Match Flow & key Moments

The drama ignited almost immediately, as if Chelsea had scripted a Hollywood thriller where the villains in claret and blue were doomed from the start. Just seven minutes in, tension boiled over when West Ham’s Shelina Zadorsky clipped Aggie Beever-Jones on the edge of the box, earning a yellow card and gifting Chelsea a prime free-kick opportunity. Beever-Jones dusted herself off and curled a stunning right-footed strike into the top-left corner, leaving Szemik rooted. 1-0, and the London Stadium fell into a stunned hush. The Hammers barely had time to regroup before the floodgates creaked open wider. In the 12th minute, Wieke Kaptein whipped in a pinpoint cross from the right, finding Johanna Rytting Kaneryd unmarked in the box. The Swede slotted home with her left foot, doubling the lead and exposing West Ham’s disorganized backline. The narrative shifted from competitive to catastrophic just three minutes later, as Erin Cuthbert unleashed a rocket from 25 yards out, her right-footed effort screaming into the top-right corner. 3-0 by the 15th minute Chelsea were toying with their prey, their high-intensity press suffocating any West Ham attempt to build from the back. The plot twisted darker for the hosts in the 23rd minute. Inès Belloumou, already frustrated by Chelsea’s dominance, lost her cool in a clash with Alyssa Thompson, earning a straight red for violent conduct. Down to 10 players, West Ham’s 4-3-3 morphed into a desperate survival mode, but the damage was irreversible. Chelsea, sensing blood, piled on the pressure with wave after wave of attacks. Corners rained down 13 in total for the Blues and shots peppered Szemik’s goal, with the Polish keeper making eight saves to prevent an even greater humiliation.The second half brought brief respite for West Ham, who mustered a few counter-attacks, including Viviane Asseyi’s long-range effort in the 53rd minute that sailed high. But Chelsea’s substitutions injected fresh venom Catarina Macário replaced Beever-Jones in the 61st, and soon after, in the 70th, Kaptein capped her influential display by tapping in Macário’s assist from close range, making it 4-0. The final 20 minutes played out like a training drill, with Chelsea content to manage possession at 66% while West Ham chased shadows. Late chances for Sam Kerr and Macário went begging, but the result was sealed a statement win that echoed through the WSL.

Chelsea’s 3-4-2-1 formation proved a masterstroke, allowing midfielders like Cuthbert and Walsh to dictate tempo while wide players Thompson and Kaneryd stretched West Ham’s defense. The early high press, forced turnovers high up the pitch, leading directly to the blitz of goals. West Ham’s 4-3-3, intended to counter with pace through Asseyi and Ueki, crumbled under pressure, especially after Belloumou’s dismissal, which left gaps that Chelsea exploited ruthlessly. Chelsea’s back three Björn, Bright, and Buurman maintained a high line without vulnerability, neutralizing West Ham’s rare forays forward. This tactical edge, combined with superior fitness, turned the game into a clinic on possession-based dominance.

Player of the Match: Wieke Kaptein (Chelsea). In a team full of stars, Wieke Kaptein stood out as the orchestrator of Chelsea’s midfield symphony. The young Dutch talent not only provided the assist for Kaneryd’s goal but also netted the fourth herself, while her crosses and vision created constant threats. Her ability to transition from defense to attack was pivotal, earning her the nod over Beever-Jones’ early heroics.

Lineups

West Ham United Women (4-3-3):
GK: Kinga Szemik
DEF: Anouk Denton, Eva Nyström, Amber Tysiak, Shelina Zadorsky
MID: (c) Katrina Gorry, Oona Siren, Inès Belloumou
FWD: Ffion Morgan, Riko Ueki, Viviane Asseyi

Chelsea Women (3-4-2-1):
GK: Hannah Hampton
DEF: Nathalie Björn, (c) Millie Bright, Veerle Buurman
MID: Keira Walsh, Erin Cuthbert, Oriane Jean-François, Alyssa Thompson
ATT MID: Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Wieke Kaptein
FWD: Aggie Beever-Jones

Both sides stuck to their preferred systems, but Chelsea’s setup allowed for fluid transitions and overloads in wide areas, setting the tone from the whistle.

As the final whistle blew, Chelsea celebrated a flawless performance that reinforces their status as WSL juggernauts, unbeaten and unyielding. For West Ham, this defeat their third in five games serves as a stark reminder of the gulf in class, with defensive lapses and discipline issues demanding urgent attention from manager Rehanne Skinner. In the grand narrative of the season, this was Chelsea’s declaration: the throne is theirs to lose. Fans will watch eagerly as the Blues march on, while the Hammers must regroup or risk a relegation scrap. Here we go another chapter in Chelsea’s relentless pursuit of glory.