Chelsea pulled off a second-half turnaround to beat West Ham United 2-1 in a Monday night Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge. The win moved the Blues up to fourth as they took advantage of Manchester City’s defeat at Arsenal on Sunday.
Jarrod Bowen gave the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time before Pedro Neto popped with the equalizer after the hour mark. Chelsea’s persistence in the second period paid off with Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s own goal proving to be decisive on the night.
Blues fight back against former boss at Stamford Bridge
Graham Potter made his first return to West London since his Chelsea sacking in 2023. After lasting just seven months at Stamford Bridge, he now aims to guide West Ham into the top half of the table. Potter’s pursuit of the three points at the expense of his former employers was on track after Jarrod Bowen marked his return to action from a fractured foot with a goal in the 42nd minute. West Ham’s skipper pounced on Levi Colwill’s blind back-pass to take the lead. Pedro Neto came off the bench to draw level four minutes after the hour mark, setting up a grandstand finish at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer spearheaded the attack which breached West Ham’s defence when Wan-Bissaka’s attempted clearance turned Palmer’s cross over a helpless Alphonse Areola in the 74th minute.
Maresca turns to Blues bench for solutions
Enzo Maresca’s side reacted positively to going behind at home and needed some inspiration from his substitutes. The Blues boss brought Neto, Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku on in the second half hoping to add more width and creativity to his side. Those changes freed up Palmer, allowing him to play in his natural ‘roaming’ role that ultimately led to the winning goal even if it didn’t come from his own boot.
Unhappy return for Potter as Hammer’s lingers in bottom half
The defeat leaves West Ham in 15th in the Premier League on 27 points after 24 matches. While Graham Potter’s side were denied by their west London rivals, they still sit 10 points clear of the relegation zone. They’ve won just once in all competitions since Potter took charge so they’ll want to turn this around fast. A good string of results could see them re-emerge into the top half of the table and hopefully for them, a challenge for a European place.
Maresca credits Chelsea’s mentality for second-half turnaround
Enzo Maresca was pleased his side bounced back with a win after losing out to Man City in their last league outing. Maresca said, “It’s never easy when teams wait and sit back, you need to be patient” after the win over West Ham. Maresca believes the win was a massive boost in his side’s push to qualify for the Champions League, “It’s big, hopefully, we can be there until the end. It’s an important statement,” said the Chelsea boss.
Blues face back-to-back trips to Brighton
Chelsea face a tricky test in their next two fixtures. Enzo Maresca’s men will need to travel to England’s south coast for successive battles against Brighton at the Amex Stadium. The Blues take on the Seagulls in a fourth-round FA Cup clash this Saturday before they square off in the Premier League on Valentine’s Day.
