Chelsea secured another away win, offering more positive signs for Enzo Maresca, and the sight of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali seated together in the London Stadium stands. If everything seemed harmonious at Chelsea, then perhaps it's time to discuss West Ham. After two consecutive home defeats, the East End crowd was already skeptical about Julen Lopetegui. Many Hammers fans were in favor of replacing David Moyes, who had provided years of commendable but often unexciting football, with an adventurous continental coach. The Basque's lack of European football liberalism has already been noted. Can he organize a defense? Certainly not against Chelsea. Their goals came through significant gaps in his team. There was no defensive discipline in Nicolas Jackson's early goal, and those that followed were similar, with the game essentially decided by its casual nature.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the right-back, was looking elsewhere as Jackson was released by a quick free-kick from Jadon Sancho, with Edson Álvarez not much more alert, futilely chasing as the striker beat Alphonse Areola. Two games, two assists for Sancho, though like last week at Bournemouth, the scorer was left with plenty to do, even if Areola might have done better. Christopher Nkunku, despite his goal at Bournemouth, remained on the bench until the second half, but Sancho, his fellow substitute at the Vitality, was given a first start. Chelsea, with their eye for a deal, believe they have pulled off a coup in his loan and cut-price transfer fee from Manchester United. Perhaps the chaos at Chelsea suits Sancho more than the dysfunction at United. Footballers can be unpredictable like that.

In Jackson, Chelsea may have a decent striker, or at least an asset who can be sold for more than he cost, which is the priority at Stamford Bridge these days. Toothless at Bournemouth, he was excellent in east London, his second goal beautifully taken with the outside of his boot. Moisés Caicedo had – and far too easily – split Álvarez and Maximilian Kilman with a quick through ball. Just 18 minutes in and already boos and whistles from the home fans while Lopetegui raged on the sidelines. Chelsea are still far from watertight. As at Bournemouth and even when dominating at Wolves last month, they remain vulnerable to opponents running beyond their midfield. They were fortunate, too. PGMOL chief Howard Webb has some explaining to do after VAR Stuart Attwell ruled Wesley Fofana’s manhandling of Crysencio Summerville was “fleeting”.

Injustice briefly fired up the Hammers, Lopetegui looking just as red-faced as Moyes, covering the match as a pundit in Doha, ever could be. With eight minutes of the first half still remaining, he’d seen enough. Tomas Soucek replaced the anonymous Guido Rodríguez, a tactical change aiming to add muscle, and the new arrival’s low, unchallenging shot was the first save Robert Sánchez was asked to make. Within 70 seconds of the restart, the three points were headed westwards down the District Line, Jackson again sent through, and as Kilman back-pedalled, he was outfoxed by the striker’s intelligent pass. Cole Palmer is too good a finisher to let such an opportunity pass up, and his shot rattled off a post. As Maresca celebrated, Lopetegui seethed. For all the attacking talent Chelsea have stockpiled, each goal was wholly preventable. Once Mohammed Kudus had lost the ball in midfield, no protection had been offered to Kilman or Areola.

As Summerville was removed for Michail Antonio, there were boos, though another malfunction in the new Hammers’ setup is that the best of Jarrod Bowen comes off the flanks, and not as a centre-forward asked to hold up the ball. Sancho and Palmer meanwhile departed to applause from the home fans, Nkunku and João Felix arriving, the former showing his eye for goal with a header that forced a fine save from Areola. Lopetegui replaced Lucas Paquetá, a disappointment under the new regime, with Andy Irving, a Scot signed from Austria Klagenfurt almost a year ago, making his Hammers bow. Irving arrived into a zombified contest. That West Ham’s season was beginning with three straight home league defeats, an unwelcome club record, had long been decided.