Chelsea's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the English League Cup were dashed after losing to West Ham.

West Ham put up a sharp, resilient performance and secured a thrilling victory against a high-spirited Chelsea in the fourth round of the English League Cup.

Oscar is ready to impress coach Conte. Photo: Internet.

Both teams got off to a good start, creating numerous chances at each other's goal. Off the pitch, manager Antonio Conte appeared unaffected by Mourinho's criticism last week. He continued to work with enthusiasm and diligently instructed his players. This allowed the Blues to play slightly better than their opponents.

However, Chelsea's efforts could not prevent them from conceding the first goal. In the 11th minute, Kouyate headed the ball past goalkeeper Begovic, sending the Boleyn Ground into a frenzy. Kouyate's goal was Chelsea's first in their last four matches.

Having scored a crucial goal, West Ham continued to dominate Conte's team. Meanwhile, Chelsea resisted with more purposeful counter-attacks. However, Chalobah, the key player in Chelsea's play, failed to create sharpness in attack.

From the 27th minute onwards, Chelsea completely dominated the game. West Ham also played defensively, creating constant pressure whenever the visitors had possession. Leicester's signing, N'Golo Kante, proved his worth. But it seemed that wasn't enough for Chelsea to score. Despite attacking, they failed to find the net and nearly paid the price for conceding three dangerous chances to West Ham. Fortunately for Chelsea, they only conceded one goal by the end of the first half.

Entering the second half, Chelsea players hadn't even had time to warm up before receiving a second blow. This time, Fernandes' powerful shot in the 48th minute left goalkeeper Begovic with no chance. Trailing quickly, Chelsea frantically pushed forward in search of an equalizer. Conte also showed his impatience by bringing Diego Costa onto the field in the 54th minute. With Costa on the pitch, the Chelsea players seemed to find their footing, and the Brazilian striker immediately created dangerous opportunities.

On the other side, manager Bilic was equally determined, bringing on Sofiane Feghouli. The midfielder's efforts to contain the opposition were met with enthusiastic cheers from the home fans. Bringing Pedro on as well, Chelsea continued to press their opponents. They constantly created dangerous opportunities and even played as if accepting all the risks from West Ham's frustratingly fast counter-attacking style.

Their efforts were finally rewarded with a goal from Gary Cahill in the 90+4th minute. However, there was too little time left for The Blues to cling to their dream. Losing narrowly to West Ham, Chelsea's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the English League Cup were dashed.

Final result:West Ham 2-1 Chelsea

Goals:

West Ham: Cheikhou Kouyaté (11') Edimilson Fernandes (48')

Chelsea: Gary Cahill (90+4')

According to Bongda.com.vn