Chelsea stormed to the top of the English Premier League table on Friday after a resounding 5-1 victory over West Ham United, a result that leaves ex-Blues manager Graham Potter in a precarious position just two games into the new season.

The night began brightly for West Ham when Lucas Paquetá rifled in a sensational strike from distance. His emotional celebration was a nod to his turbulent journey, recently cleared of spot-fixing allegations. But the joy was fleeting.

Joao Pedro equalized for Chelsea before turning provider for Pedro Neto, who calmly slotted home. Estevão, the 18-year-old Brazilian prodigy making his first Premier League start, sprinted past defenders to set up Enzo Fernández for Chelsea’s third.

West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, signed for £20 million from Leicester City, endured a nightmare as mistakes gifted goals to Moisés Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah. Thousands of West Ham supporters left the stadium early in frustration.

Victory marked Chelsea’s return to the summit of English football for the first time in nearly four years. Frontpagenews.ng reports that the win also highlighted the tactical brilliance of manager Enzo Maresca, who had to reshuffle after Cole Palmer pulled out of the warm-up with a muscle issue.

Potter, who previously lasted only seven months at Chelsea before being dismissed, is now under pressure to stabilize a faltering West Ham side.