Chelsea return to top four with a comeback victory over West Ham

Graham Potter has experienced nothing but disappointment at Stamford Bridge. Back to the club that fired him after less than seven agonizing months in command, Potter watched Chelsea deny his new team with two scrappy goals in a tense second half. West Ham, who played well and took the lead when Jarrod Bowen punished Levi Colwill's error, could take solace in giving competitors with more resources a scare.

Despite rising into the top four courtesy of an equaliser from the brilliant Pedro Neto and an Aaron Wan-Bissaka own goal inspired by Cole Palmer, Chelsea did not impress. Enzo Maresca's team struggled for a while, causing frustration, but a surprising surge overpowered an injured West; Ham still mustered enough effort to rally and almost force an equaliser when Tosin Adarabioyo denied Mohammed Kudus in extra time.

"I was thrilled because I consider tonight the toughest game mentally," said Maresca, astonished to learn that Chelsea won a home game after trailing at halftime for the first time since 2013. "You should be patient. We admitted to our mistake. That's when you need to be psychologically challenging. We got more room in the second half, and the substitute players performed admirably.

Perhaps the transfer window's end will bring tranquillity to Chelsea, quieting the clamour around their squad. On deadline day, João Félix left for Milan, a loan was planned, and Aston Villa agreed to borrow Axel Disasi for the season. West Ham, however, was left counting the cost of two years of failed recruitment.

The visitors missed Lucas Paquetá and Edson Álvarez due to injuries, while Evan Ferguson, who was on loan from Brighton, did not register. The team included two full-backs and two goalkeepers on the bench, and Andy Irving, a 24-year-old Scot who was signed quietly, made his first start in midfield. Last year, SK Austria Klagenfurt generated a lot of attention.

West Ham continue to impress. Potter's ideas appeared to be taking hold as a 3-4-2-1 system limited Chelsea. Their most excellent opportunity came on a counterattack, which ended with Noni Madueke firing barely wide.

Chelsea struggled to pick up the tempo, with Palmer well-marked. Marc Cucurella missed a free header, Enzo Fernández shot wide, Jadon Sancho curled over, and Nicolas Jackson went down holding his hamstring, raising concerns.

West Ham, who lacked firepower due to the absences of Michail Antonio, Crysencio Summerville, and Niclas Füllkrug, gained confidence. Kudus threatened, and Irving volleyed over. Bowen, who led the line with force and dedication after recovering from a broken foot, had two attempts at turning in a corner. Filip Jörgensen refused the West Ham captain.

Jörgensen was greeted enthusiastically by supporters who were happy to see him replace Robert Sánchez. However, the Swedish goalie was unconvincing, spilling Irving's early cross. Chelsea's sleepiness and vagueness were a recipe for disaster.

Kudus forced Colwill into a sloppy backpass in the 42nd minute, which was no surprise. The ball found Bowen, who sprinted precisely to hit a beautiful shot past Jörgensen.

Chelsea deserved to be behind. They almost equalized through Palmer, whose free-kick prompted an excellent stop from Alphonse Areola, but they needed to be more aggressive in the second half. West Ham had more to offer than a steady stream of mocking chants regarding Irving from the away end.

Maresca quickly substituted Neto for the unproductive Sancho and introduced Marc Guiu for Jackson, who had gone eight games without scoring. Potter, on the other hand, was held back on the sideline. It was left to Bruno Saltor, Chelsea's caretaker coach for one game following Potter's dismissal, to complain about Colwill tripping Bowen in the buildup to the equaliser. "We feel it was a foul on Jarrod," Potter said. "If we could have waited longer, we could have sustained something."

Chelsea levelled the mood. Neto crossed from the right, Cucurella returned the ball, and Fernández's attempt was blocked. Neto, hungry and vigilant, arrived ready to score. West Ham, hoping in vain that a VAR review would rule Guiu had touched the ball before it reached an offside Cucurella, prepared to launch a siege.

Neto's dynamism had an impact. He fought hard with Bowen and won possession before Chelsea took the lead. Palmer received the ball, swerved past Tomas Soucek, and his cross bounced off Wan-Bissaka into the net.

West Ham signed three untested teenagers: Luis Guilherme, Oliver Charles, and Lewis Orford. Chelsea were boosted by the £60 million Neto and France attacker Christopher Nkunku. Even so, there was anxiety over Jackson's hamstring and Guiu limping down the tunnel at full-time. Maresca hoped both forwards were okay, but he had work to do.