From The Boardroom - David Sullivan

Manuel Lanzini

It's always a disappointment to lose at home but I think we can safely say that we were beaten by this season’s likely Premier League champions at London Stadium last night.

Chelsea are 10 points clear at the top of the table for a good reason – they are a well-organised, well-drilled outfit who take their chances ruthlessly and defend a lead better than any other side in the country.

Despite that, there were some positives to take from our performance that will give us confidence going into the weekend’s trip to Bournemouth.

We actually had more shots on goal than Chelsea (11 to their nine), more possession (52% to their 48%) and more corners (six to their four), while the late surge that saw Manuel Lanzini grab a consolation showed that Slaven’s team keep fighting until the end.

Of course, the key statistic is that Chelsea took more chances than us, but our ability to compete with them is a sign that the gap is closing and we are not far away from beating the top sides.

I believe we are only a couple of players short of having a very, very good side, and I can promise that we will be working extremely hard again in the summer to achieve that objective.

The other big positive for me last night was you, our supporters, who were magnificent again, getting behind the team throughout and desperately trying to lift the players even after Chelsea had scored their second goal.

It was also pleasing to see so many take advantage of some of the new matchday features that we have introduced recently, including the free buy and collect service and golden ticket promotion in the Stadium Store, and the new flag initiative that really has been embraced.

We now head to Bournemouth on Saturday, and there is no reason to believe that we won’t bounce back and enjoy a repeat of our memorable victory at the Vitality Stadium last season.  

Our away record since Christmas has been excellent, with three wins and a draw from five matches on our travels, and 11 goals scored.

We also have Michail Antonio available again after suspension and a victory will take us back into the top half of the table above Southampton, who are not in action.

I’m sure our fans will be in great voice again, and I wish those travelling to the south coast a safe journey.

Finally, if you haven’t already, I would urge you to visit our Official Online Store and grab your copy of the Iron Men DVD. It is a captivating and emotional film that brilliantly captures our unforgettable final game at the Boleyn Ground, and shows exactly why West Ham fans will make London Stadium an equally special place.