The wait is finally over - football is back at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea kick-off their Premier League campaign at home to West Ham United under the lights in west London this evening.
We’ll be bringing you LIVE coverage of every minute of the Blues’ season opener against Slaven Bilic’s Hammers, right here on GetWestLondon.
New Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte will be looking to make a positive start in his first competitive game in charge at the Bridge.
It was a disastrous season for the Blues in 2015/16 as Jose Mourinho was sacked and interim boss Guus Hiddink was unable to reach the top four.
No Champions League distractions, not to mention the appointment of Conte, have given the Chelsea faithful hope of a return to the pinnacle of English football.
That quest for glory begins tonight. Stay tuned for all the action from what promises to be an exciting London derby !
Key Events
Chelsea played like 'tigers', insists Hazard
Eden Hazard is starting to show the sort of form that saw him become the PFA Player of the Year in 2015.
This was another example of just how good he can be as he opened the scoring against the Hammers,
The Belgian felt Chelsea played liked ‘tigers’ tonight...
It’s good to be back on the pitch and winning for our supporters. We did very well and played 90 minutes like tigers.
It’s not very often I score in my first games. Oscar asked me if he could shoot but I said no it was my turn.
Last season is finished. We’re looking forward to the future and we want to bring the fans a lot of emotion.
Terry says Chelsea have set the standard
John Terry felt it was vital to get off to a winning start today.
The skipper has been speaking to Sky after the 2-1 win.
Here’s what the captain, leader, legend made of that performance...
It was very important to get off to a good start.
The way we ended last season wasn’t good enough by our standards so it was very important today.
Win, lose, or draw that’s the commitment we want to see. It’s a big London derby and it means a lot to the players and the supporters.
It’s great for the management to get off to a good start. Hopefully we can build upon this now this season.
Conte makes winning start
That’s it - it’s all over at Stamford Bridge!
Antonio Conte has the winning start he so desperately desired and he takes to the field to celebrate with the players.
Well, he’s already jumped in with the fans to share the moment, so why not?!
He has Diego Costa and Eden Hazard to thank for this maiden win, although the fiery forward was perhaps fortunate to have remained on the field.
But he took full advantage and made his mark with a superb low drive to secure all three points.
Chelsea deserved this win on chances created but they so nearly paid for all those missed opportunities.
Absolute scenes at the Bridge
Conte enjoyed that goal!
Look at him getting in with the fans to celebrate what looks to be the winner.
Costa restores Chelsea's lead
Chelsea have done it!
Diego Costa looks to have won it at the death with a superb finish from outside the box.
He found the very far corner with a low drive that gave the keeper no chance.
Conte’s celebration with the fans was something to behold!
Fantastic stuff
Batman begins
Michy Batshuayi is on for his Chelsea debut.
The summer signing from Marseille is looking to make an instant impact off the bench.
Also on is forgotten man Victor Moses as he replaces goalscorer Hazard.
Conte is looking for a winner here.
Hammers are level
Well, we said Chelsea’s lead was slender.
Conte’s side have had more than enough chances to put this game to bed and they’ve been punished.
James Collins showed all of the poise of a striker to smash home the loose ball after Chelsea failed to clear their lines.
“There’s only one ginger Pele,” chant the Hammers fans.
Chelsea holding slender advantage
Chelsea are in complete control here.
They have chalked up 14 attempts to West Ham’s single effort.
Courtois has not even had a save to make while Adrian has been busy, making five stops.
This is a dangerous scoreline for Chelsea though and Payet can punish teams with set-pieces.
Costa dodges a bullet
Costa was perhaps a touch fortunate to escape without a booking after that clash with Adrian.
He lunged in heavily and made contact with the keeper’s ankle.
Here’s what people are making of it on Twitter...
Payet enters the fray
Dimitri Payet is stripped and ready to come on.
The French superstar is certainly capable of making an impact on this game and it remains jut 1-0 here.
Nordtveit makes way for the West Ham hero.
All the while, Costah has clashed with Adrian but escapes further punishment.
Willian and Terry denied
Chelsea are really turning the screw now in search of a second.
They just came very close to getting it through Willian.
The Brazilian made good progress down the right and got his shot away cleanly.
Adrian was up to the challenge though and tipped it wide.
Terry heads the resulting corner over.
Matic the machine
One player we’ve not seen much of tonight is Nemanja Matic.
The big Serbian was another one of Chelsea’s players linked with an exit.
Juventus were interested but Conte is said to have intervened to keep him with the Blues.
He’s started to get a little more involved in this second half and is beginning to move into dangerous areas on the edge of the box.
You can sense another Chelsea goal is coming.
Landmark Chelsea strike
That Hazard strike was a landmark one for Chelsea.
They’ve now scored 5,000 goals in the top flight - not bad at all!
Hazard puts Chelsea in front
Some fans are still taking their seats for the second half as Chelsea take the lead.
It’s Eden Hazard with the goal and it came from the penalty spot.
Almost straight from the kick-off, Costa forced a decent save and then Antonio hauled down Azpilicueta.
Chelsea wanted a penalty earlier but they got the decision this time.
Hazard took full advantage and Conte goes crazy on the touchline! The Blues lead 1-0.
Special guest at the Bridge
We saw Essien earlier but he’s not the only Chelsea old boy here tonight.
Ricardo Carvalho is at the Bridge too.
He’s just been presented to the crowd and received a warm welcome.
All square at the break
The referee draws the first half to a close and it remains goalless.
Willian had a late effort with a free-kick but it was tipped over superbly by Adrian.
Hazard and Costa have made promising starts to this game but neither has been able to find a way through.
West Ham had begun brightly but soon found themselves on the back foot and have not been able to keep possession.
Conte has provided much of the entertainment with his touchline antics!
One-way traffic in west London
It’s one-way traffic at Stamford Bridge.
West Ham are struggling to keep the ball now as Chelsea dominate possession.
Kante, as you would expect, is tireless in midfield while Costa is causing problems up top.
Adrian has been the busier of the two keepers but even he hasn’t been really tested yet.
Chelsea need to find their cutting edge.
Hazard scrapes the post
What a run by Hazard but he couldn’t quite find the far corner with a superb effort.
That was more like the Belgian superstar who won the PFA Player of the Year award in 2015 and not the one who struggled so badly last season.
Abramovich was out of his seat in the stands and thought that was in!
Meanwhile, Ayew’s debut is over as he appears to have been forced off with a hamstring problem.
Conte is wild on the touchline
Chelsea fans got to know their new manager during his time as Italy manager at Euro 2016.
One thing became clear very quickly about the boss - he won’t be dull.
We’ve already seen the 47-year-old waving his arms wildly and giving his players a piece of his mind.
He certainly won’t be spending too much time in his seat in the dugout this year!
Costa and Collins booked
We said there was something brewing between these two.
They are both now in the referee’s notebook and will have to tone it down for the rest of the game.
Costa was shown a yellow for protesting at the challenge on Oscar.
Collins, a real brute of a defender, got his for a challenge on Chelsea’s striker.
Blues want a penalty
Chelsea are screaming for a penalty.
Oscar went down under a challenge from Reid but the referee shook his head.
The Brazilian was advancing on goal and there was certainly contact.
It’s not the decision the home fans wanted.
Costa looking sharp
His manager has been full of praise for him and Costa already looks sharper than last season.
The fiery Spaniard made the headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2015/16 but is talent has never been in question.
He needs to keep his head down this term and rediscover the golden tough.
Early signs here are that he has turned over a new leaf and wants to impress the new man at the helm.
A battle with Collins is already brewing!
Abramovich keeps an eye on Conte
Roman Abramovich is at Stamford Bridge this evening.
Watching from the luxury of his executive box, the Russian billionaire is taking a look at his latest investments on the field and in the dugout.
He has entrusted Conte with his cash and wants some repayment from the Italian manager this year.
Chelsea are growing into this game and Ivanovic has just forced a fine save from the West Ham keeper.
Carroll getting stuck in
Chelsea’s defenders will know they have been in a game tonight against Andy Carroll.
The Geordie striker is looking a real handful in the early stages.
He’s fighting for every ball and winning headers against Gary Cahill in the opening minutes.
Blues fans will hope their defenders heed the early warning signs.
Early booking for Kante
Well that didn’t take long.
Debutante Kante is already in the book.
Conte wanted a bit of bite in his midfield and the Frenchman certainly adds that.
But it will be a long night for the midfielder now as he walks a tightrope for the rest of the game.
Reminder of the line ups
A reminder of this evening’s line-ups
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Kante, Willian, Matic, Oscar, Hazard, Costa
Subs: Begovic, Aina, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Moses, Pedro, Batshuayi
West Ham: Adrian, Antonio, Reid, Collins, Masuaku, Nordtveit, Ayew, Noble, Kouyate, Valencia, Carroll
Subs: Subs: Randolph, Obiang, Tore, Ogbonna, Byram, Payet, Oxford.
Kick-off!
The teams have entered the field and the formalities are complete.
It’s time to kick-off the new Premier League season at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea vs West Ham is Conte’s first game in charge of the Blues and full coverage of the London derby follows here.
The Blues kick us off.
Cause for Chelsea optimism
Worried about tonight’s game?
West Ham were something of a menace to the Blues last season.
However, this stat should settle some Chelsea nerves!
Warming up
The players have been out on the pitch completing their warm ups.
It’s a warm evening in west London and the conditions are perfect for football.
N’Golo Kante looks right at home at the Bridge already.
Costa leading the line
Diego Costa leads the Chelsea attack against West Ham.
There has been lots of talk of the striker returning to Atletico Madrid during the transfer window but Conte sees him as a key player.
The Italian boss had this to say about the Spain international this week...
I’m happy Diego stayed here to work with us.
He’s a great player and a fantastic finisher. And I like his spirit, his passion. He always shows great passion. I’m the same. I think he doesn’t want to lose this.
I want this passion in the team. I think it’s important to have this passion for your work. It helps you to overcome difficulty. I demand this from him.
The past isn’t important for me. Now I’m seeing a good attitude from Diego to work and improve in different situations.
I think Diego can give a lot to this team. I’m sure he will have a good season.”