Ben: West Ham should learn to attack with sharp and steel without Antonio.. the irons just aren't doing it today

It's catching. This time it's Jarrod Bowen with the 50p head, guiding his header almost behind him after a good ball in from Aaron Cresswell.

Got it all wrong.

Fulham are bossing this now and perhaps should be ahead. A fine move ends with Tom Cairney finding Antonee Robinson out wide, it comes back inside, the ball is whipped in to the far post and that man Aleksandar Mitrovic rises well.

His header is powerful, he just gets his angles all wrong and slams it well wide.

Fulham are looking to secure back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since April 2019. However, away from home the Cottagers have won just one of their last 24 Premier League matches (D3 L20).

That is close though - Tom Cairney turns just inside the area and hits a low left-footer, it's always going wide but it's right across the danger zone and perhaps Aleksandar Mitrovic should have got there? I'll let you tell him.

We may have peaked too soon with that flurry of very early chances. It's gone a bit stagnant since.

Good ball in by Harrison Reed, to the back stick, but Aleksandar Mitrovic can't quite get a size 11 on it. Close though.

The pattern of play is set, West Ham dominating the ball but Fulham posing a real threat down either flank on the break. Ademola Lookman has already toasted a defender twice.

Aleksandar Mitrovic now toepunts a free-kick into the wall at the other end. It's been a very engaging opening at the London Stadium and yes, I am surprised.

West Ham have had more chances in seven minutes than in about the last seven times I've watched them play combined.

Seb Haller meets the latest corner with a thumping header and sees it flash back off the crossbar. Unlucky big man.

Blimey that is a cracking save! Three already for Alphonse Areola!

A West Ham corner is cleared out but only to Jarrod Bowen, who cracks in a volley. It's flying into the roof of the net but the on-loan PSG keeper makes a fine stop to push it over.

Image source, Getty Images

Almost the dream start for West Ham! Pablo Fornals snakes a cross in from the right wing, birthday boy Arthur Masuaku arrives on it at the far post but sees Alphonse Areola make a scrambling save. He then gets up well to push over a follow-up from Aaron Cresswell. Unfortunately for the Hammers there isn't a third left-back there to sweep up.

Sheffield United

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder speaking to BBC: "I think at times my teams are naive. It's irrelevent. We have given away some poor goals. I think we have to look at ourselves. If you give handouts to world-class players, they will take their opportunities which they did. It's no good opening up then as it could be any score.

"We have to plug a few gaps at the moment and Max Lowe has to learn the hard way and I'm sure he will.

"For any promoted team to come up you have to have the balance of the ball and consistency in selection. We haven't had that this season through injuries and form as well. You have to have everything really to go for you. You have to have players who know the system to a heartbeat and have that attitude going into the games and unfortunately at the moment that's not the case.

"We have to fight through. Nobody is going to give us anything. Now it's a little bit on top for us and it's the big test. Our season won't be decided on games against the likes of Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea. It will be against the teams around us and that's what we need to focus on.

"We aren't coming in here with a defeatist attitude but I don't like to be nearly and we can't afford to be in the next 10 games."

West Ham can go level on points with Manchester City with a win here, while three points for Fulham would send them above Brighton.

And we're off in the final game of another marathon day.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard speaking to Sky Sports: "Sheffield United are a really strong team. They are really good at putting you under pressure. We didn't deal with it brilliantly but the reaction from the team for the rest of the game was spot on.

"It's something we have to get consistently better at. Everybody expected it to come on day one of the season but it doesn't. We saw a lot of it today against a difficult team. Great signs so let's keep going.

"We played against [Hakim Ziyech] in the Champions League last year. He's a top class player. He impresses you even more when you work with him. The Dutch league finished a long time ago then he had an injury so to hit the ground running like he has had been remarkable. He will be a big player for us. I need players who can come in and lift the level. That's hard. The midfield were great with their driving runs.

"We are third. Now we are seeing some of the work. Some of the work today was really encouraging for me to see those signs. I am the first to keep my feet on the ground. Every game is challenging.

"The players are the ones who deliver and deserve that first credit. They were amazing, all of them today. The balance of the team was good and it's nice to see. We must continue. I really enjoyed watching it but I know how football is."

Fire up the bubble machine! Here come the sides.

Chelsea

Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell speaking to Sky Sports: "We've come into this game on the back of a few clean sheets so it would've been nice to have another but the way we reacted after the first goal showed character. Going 1-0 down against Sheffield United can be difficult, they're resilient and it was going to be a challenge but going down so soon and to win like that shows good character."

On fitting in with the team: "I couldn't ask for more, it’s a dream playing for Chelsea at the moment. Running forward having Reece James and Hakim Ziyech who want to come in and cross like that is perfect for me. I'm always being told to get on the back post so hopefully I can get a few more goals from there."

On his goal: "We’ve worked on that a lot Hakim [Ziyech] cutting in and me or Timo Werner being there, I didn’t know much about it at the time but I’ll take it and its another goal so I’m happy. I didn’t have my bearings, I just got in at the back post and hoped it would hit me and go across goal or go in so I was lucky it went in - I didn’t know it had gone in until I looked at Tammy [Abraham] and then I copied his celebration.

"At half-time the boys said to me when you get in at the back post you make your own luck. I’ve had a few this season from that spot that haven’t gone in so I’m lucky to get this one."

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech speaking to Sky Sports: "I think we played a good game, the first 10 minutes was difficult - we started a bit sloppy but after 1-0 we could control the game and couldn't score more goals at that point but we played a good game."

On Sheffield Utd's goal: "They come in with power on corners - you think they'll put it in the box but they took it short and scored for 1-0 but after that we did well and created a lot of chances and scored a lot of goals."

On first goal: "They like when you play the ball to your feet and I saw Mateo Kovacic running into space - sometimes you have to get those balls then they don't know what to do and then the first time we did that I scored. I always look at my team mate before I take the ball, we understand, only eye contact is enough for us."

On why he's settled in at Chelsea so quickly: "I feel comfortable here in the team and with the squad and all my team-mates so I think that's why I feel comfortable here."

We've now had David Bowie's Heroes on again. Great track, sure, but twice in 20 minutes?