Chelsea vs West Ham Review
Chelsea came from behind after being two goals down at halftime to secure their first-ever Premier League victory after trailing by two goals, defeating West Ham United 3-2 in an exciting London derby and moving up into the top four. The first 15 minutes of West Ham’s Premier League matches this season had already seen a league-high 14 goals, and they continued that trend here as the visitors capitalized on their strong start. Jarrod Bowen’s cross from the inside right slipped past the outstretched Pablo but had just enough curve to go inside the far post, marking the West Ham captain’s fourth consecutive goal within the first half-hour of matches.
Chelsea, led by the returning Cole Palmer, struggled throughout a poor first half for the home team. West Ham clearly focused on exploiting the Blues’ left side, with Jorrel Hato and Alejandro Garnacho repeatedly unable to deal with the threats posed by Bowen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad deservedly extended their lead in the 36th minute when the duo combined, with Bowen finding Wan-Bissaka, who cut the ball back for Crysencio Summerville to score his fourth goal in as many matches.
The home fans frequently expressed their frustration with boos towards the end of the first half, culminating in a loud chorus at halftime. In response, Rosenior made changes by bringing on João Pedro, Wesley Fofana, and Marc Cucurella. After Robert Sánchez saved attempts from Mateus Fernandes and Bowen, these substitutions paid off as Fofana advanced and delivered a perfect cross, which João Pedro headed down to reduce Chelsea’s deficit, marking his fourth goal contribution against West Ham this season.
The visitors’ goal was under intense threat when Alphonse Areola made an exceptional save, tipping Moisés Caicedo’s long-range shot away from the top corner. However, the French goalkeeper was helpless as Chelsea equalized, his fellow Frenchman Malo Gusto’s header fooled him, and after Max Kilman’s header hit the crossbar, Cucurella headed in the rebound. The home team then pushed for a winning goal but were nearly caught out when Jean-Clair Todibo struck the post from close range.
Rosenior’s side stayed composed and ultimately scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, with Pedro finding space on the right flank and setting up Enzo Fernández, who scored the winner on the third anniversary of his signing. As a result, Chelsea moved into the top four, while West Ham, who had Todibo sent off late for grabbing Pedro by the neck, suffered their seventh loss in eight Premier League London derbies.
