Another away win for Chelsea, more positive signs for Enzo Maresca and the sight of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali sitting together in the stands at the London Stadium. If everything seemed harmonious at Chelsea, maybe we should be talking about West Ham.

After two previous home defeats, the East End jury was already in agreement about Julen Lopetegui. Many Hammers fans supported the replacement of David Moyes after years of respectable, if often not particularly exciting, performances in order to get an adventurous continental replacement. It has already been noticed that the Basque is not one of Europe’s great football liberals.

Can he organize a defense? Certainly not against Chelsea. Their goals came through large, painful gaps in his team. Nicolas Jackson’s early goal showed no defensive strength and the goals that followed were similar, the dice cast by the almost casual nature of the goal.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the right-back, was looking the other way as Jackson was sent off by a quick free-kick from Jadon Sancho. Edson Álvarez was not much more alert, chasing the striker in vain as he beat Alphonse Areola.

Two games, two assists for Sancho, but like last week at Bournemouth, the goalscorer still had plenty to do, although Areola could perhaps have done better. Christopher Nkunku remained on the bench until the second half despite his goal at Bournemouth, but Sancho, his fellow substitute at Vitality, was given his first start. Chelsea, who are looking to make a deal, believe they have pulled off a coup with his loan and reduced transfer fee from Manchester United. Perhaps the chaos at Chelsea suits Sancho better than the dysfunction at United. Footballers can be weird like that.

And in Jackson, the brute, Chelsea may have a good striker, or at least a player who can bring in more than he costs, as is currently the case at Stamford Bridge. Toothless at Bournemouth, he was outstanding in east London, scoring his second goal beautifully with the outside of his foot. Moisés Caicedo had played through Álvarez and Maximilian Kilman with a through ball down the middle – and far too easily. Just 18 minutes had been played and there were already boos and whistles from the home fans, while Lopetegui raged on the sidelines.

Chelsea themselves are still far from watertight. As they were at Bournemouth and even when they ran riot at Wolves last month, they remain vulnerable to opponents who overrun their midfield. But they have also been lucky. PGMOL chief Howard Webb has some explaining to do after VAR Stuart Attwell ruled that Wesley Fofana’s rough handling of Crysencio Summerville was “fleeting”.

The injustice briefly inflamed the Hammers, Lopetegui looking as red-faced as Moyes, who was commenting on the game like an expert in Doha. Eight minutes before the end of the first half, he had seen enough. Tomas Soucek replaced the anonymous Guido Rodríguez, a tactical change aimed at gaining more muscle, and the new signing’s low, uncontested shot was the first save Robert Sánchez had to make.

Within 70 seconds of the restart, the three points were heading west along the District Line, Jackson was sent through again and as Kilman backed away he was caught off guard by the striker’s intelligent pass. Cole Palmer is too good an finisher to miss such an opportunity and his shot ricocheted against a post. While Maresca celebrated, Lopetegui was seething. For all the attacking talent Chelsea have amassed, each goal was entirely avoidable. Once Mohammed Kudus lost the ball in midfield, there was no protection for Kilman or Areola.

There were boos when Summerville was replaced by Michail Antonio, but another flaw in the Hammers’ new formation is that Jarrod Bowen’s strengths lie mainly on the flanks, rather than as a ball-holding centre-forward.

Meanwhile, Sancho and Palmer left the pitch to the applause of the home fans, and Nkunku and João Felix arrived. The former showed his goal-scoring instinct with a header that forced Areola into a brilliant save.

Lopetegui replaced Lucas Paquetá, who had been a disappointment under the new regime, with Andy Irving, a Scot signed from Austria Klagenfurt almost a year ago who made his debut for the Hammers. Irving came into a zombified contest. That West Ham’s season would begin with three consecutive home defeats, an unwelcome club record, was long a foregone conclusion.