Chelsea stages comeback to defeat West Ham and edge closer to top four
Chelsea recovered to defeat former manager Graham Potter's West Ham United 2-1 on Monday, thanks to a second-half score from substitute Pedro Neto and an own goal by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, moving them up to fourth place in the Premier League.
According to ESPN, João Félix, a Portugal international, was absent from Chelsea's squad due to a loan agreement with AC Milan before the winter transfer window ended.
Chelsea is now two points ahead of Manchester City in fifth place and Newcastle United in sixth, as well as four points ahead of Nottingham Forest in third.
In his first game after a month out with a foot injury, Jarrod Bowen gave the Hammers the lead three minutes before halftime when he seized on defender Levi Colwill's blackball and sent a left-foot shot past Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.
The goal injected life into the game after a sloppy first half in which Chelsea's Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, and Jadon Sancho missed golden opportunities.
Three minutes after the opener, West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola pushed a spinning Palmer free-kick over the bar, ensuring the team headed into the half ahead.
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca, who had lately been chastised for failing to make timely replacements, sent on Neto for Sancho and Marc Guiu for Nicolas Jackson seven minutes into the second half, and the hosts looked better for it.
Portugal winger Neto scored the equalizer in the 64th minute, grabbing onto a ricocheted attempt from teammate Fernández. Following a lengthy VAR check for offside, the goal was awarded.
Palmer scored the goal 10 minutes later, with Wan-Bissaka deflecting his cross into his net, much to the dismay of West Ham manager Potter on his return to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea's second win in their previous eight league games.
"It is huge," Maresca added. "It was a challenging game, particularly mentally. It's never simple for teams to come here and sit back. You should be patient. There is no space; manoeuvre the ball and wait for the appropriate moment.
"In the second half, we rallied back and deserved to win the game. They were waiting for our blunders, so don't become frustrated."
Chelsea tried for a third goal, with chances for Palmer and Fernández. Still, West Ham ended strongly, and Jorgensen, chosen ahead of the erratic Robert Sánchez, saved shots from Mohammed Kudus and Konstantinos Mavropanos in the last minutes.
"This triumph from behind was critical for us. We must be constant, which is the most important thing," Neto told Sky Sports.
The outcome disappointed Potter, fired in April 2023 after failing to discover a winning formula in seven months at Chelsea.
The 49-year-old has been at West Ham for less than a month, and despite two league defeats, a draw, and a win, Bowen is encouraged by the team's improvement under Potter.
"Performances have been much better since the new manager has come in," according to Bowen. "It's an excellent time to be returning to the squad. Hopefully, we will have good times ahead of us.
West Ham, who are 15th with 27 points, have won just one of their last 19 league meetings against Chelsea, drawing four and losing 14.
Maresca commented on the top-four race: "We are there, and maybe we will be there until the end.
"Playing this type of game in February, when we are still there, is a significant statement. We had a successful weekend and thought today would be even better."