Mexico's Edson Alvarez makes West Ham debut in 3-1 triumph over Chelsea

Mexico national team figure Edson Alvarez made his first appearance for West Ham United in their 3-1 victory over London rivals Chelsea.

After a transfer saga that dragged on for large parts of the summer, Alvarez finally put on the West Ham shirt and did so at London Stadium in front of an energized crowd.

The 25-year-old was brought on not only to make his club debut in front of the home fans, but also to provide extra insurance in the middle of the park as the Hammers were trying to close out an impressive win over the Blues, hanigng on to a 2-1 lead with under 10 minutes left in regulation.

It was only a nine minute cameo, but West Ham didn't concede with Alvarez on the pitch and even added a third goal via a converted penalty from Lucas Paqueta.

As Declan Rice departed the club for Arsenal, the Hammers sought to bring in midfield reinforcements, hence the arrival of Alvarez. While it would be quite difficult to find a like-for-like player to replace Rice, Alvarez is still one of the best players in North America/Concacaf and will bring much needed quality to West Ham's midfield.

After drawing away at Bournemouth and putting three past Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea, West Ham now turn their sights to an August 26 clash at the Amex Stadium against the high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion.