CHELSEA have beaten West Ham 2-1 to claim the bragging rights over their London rivals.
Jarrod Bowen gave the Hammers the lead after pouncing on a poor back pass from Levi Colwill to open the scoring just before the half-time.
Pedro Neto came off the bench to draw Chelsea level in the 64th minute, despite a lengthy VAR check.
10 minutes later, Cole Palmer’s cross deflected off Aaron Wan Bissaka and looped past Alphonse Areola to give the Blues the lead.
Chelsea held on to secure three precious points and move back into the top four.
- Match result: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
- Chelsea team: Jorgensen, James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson.
- West Ham team: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Coufal, Kilman, Cresswell, Emerson, Soucek, Irving, Soler, Bowen, Kudus.
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Tough run ahead for Hammers
Points will not come any easier for West Ham.
They have some challenging fixtures over their next five games.
Potter will be hoping he has a full compliment to pick from, to give them the best chance of picking up some much-needed points.
Hammers still in transition under Potter
We have seen glimpses of changes under the leadership of Graham Potter as West Ham manager.
There seems to be more of a cohesiveness in defence, making themselves difficult to break down.
The fans know it will take time for him to put his stamp on this squad but already things are looking a lot more positive than they were under Julen Lopetegui.
Credit: Reuters Tricky away trips for Blues
Maresca’s side have some difficult away fixtures coming up in the Premier League to keep hold of fourth spot.
They have the perfect preparation for a trip to the Amex Stadium, with an identical FA Cup tie before that encounter.
Then they travel to Villa Park to face another side who have their eyes on that top four also.
Chelsea with European advantage
Victory against West Ham this evening puts The Blues back into fourth spot in the Premier League.
The focus for the club now will be to ensure they stay there.
With all the signings Todd Boehly has made since taking over at the club, it is key that they get the revenues the Champions League brings back to Stamford Bridge.
As things stand, it is all in their own hands.
Boss full of smiles after win
Speaking with Sky Sports after the game, Maresca gave an honest opinion on what his side did well and how they need to improve:
It was a tough game, especially mentally. There is no space, you need to be patient. They scored first and then it is not easy. We need to improve, they were just waiting for our mistake for the counter-attack. We did enough to deserve to win the game like we did. It is always about players and not about the manager. First-half we had four or five very good chances that we missed. We need to be more clinical.
Enzo Maresca
Moises crucial to engine room
While the focus often seems to be on Fernandez and Palmer to make things happen for Chelsea, one player often overlooked is Caicedo.
He does the simple things well and offers himself as a link between defence and attack.
Add to that the breaking up of the opponent’s midfield and preventing them from being able to play through this team.
Cracks need filling in West London
If Enzo Maresca thinks he has a tight defensive unit at Chelsea, he must be seeing something very different in training.
This team never seems capable of keeping their opponents out and their best form of defence seems to be to attack.
That said, when playing better sides, that could prove costly.
Maresca knows this is a project he has undertaken in West London, he just needs to hope the owners are on the same page and give him the time he needs.
Boss unable to work his magic
Speaking with Sky Sports after the match, Potter gave his overview on tonight’s performance:
The team was fantastic, they gave everything. We could have nicked something in the end with Mo. You look at the second-half, the first goal was a bit of a turning point for us, we felt it was a foul on Jarrod. We have to focus on what we did well, the fans appreciated the effort from the team. You need a bit of luck, we have to accept our defeat, it wasn’t to be.
Graham Potter
Manager’s relief with equaliser
It was looking like it was going to be another one of those days for Chelsea for the majority of this game.
They were struggling to create clear-cut chances and you wondered whether the visitors were going to take all three points.
Once Neto scored, you could see just how much it meant to Enzo Maresca on the touchline.
Credit: PA
Maresca change grabs win for Blues
The introduction of Pedro Neto seemed to change the flow of the game at Stamford Bridge this evening.
His direct style of taking on players and always looking for that killer pass or cross disrupted the visitors defensively.
It was his goal that drew The Blues’ level before Palmer’s deflected cross sealed the victory for Chelsea.
FT: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
West Ham will consider themselves hard done by there.
They certainly played well enough to get something from this game.
Not that Chelsea will care, this victory takes them into fourth place.
FT: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
The referee brings the game to a close.
No one is more relieved to hear that whistle than Maresca.
His side take all three points at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
90+6. Big chance for a West Ham equaliser.
The ball is played to Kudus on the edge of the six yard box in the middle of the goal.
He turns and looks to get a shot away but it is well blocked by Tosin.
Moments later a poor clearance from Jorgensen goes straight to Ings on the halfway line.
With the keeper in no man’s land, the striker tries a first-time shot.
Sadly, it ends up going out for a throw-in.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
90+4. The home fans start to sing as the game enters added time.
‘Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea’ can be heard from the stands.
Where do they get these ideas, I wonder who thinks up the lyrics.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
90+2. Chelsea are still trying to find that third goal.
It seems the best way for them to defend to be honest.
You never fancy this team as a defensive entity.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
90. Well, you can see the manager’s mindset with this change.
Palmer comes off for Chalobah for The Blues.
Maresca wants to see this game out now.
We are going to have seven added minutes.
Credit: AP Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
88. Neto wins a free kick deep in his own half.
It takes the pressure off the Chelsea defence as the visitors try and throw players forward in search of a goal.
Time is running out for Graham Potter’s side now.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
86. Neto has added something different to this Chelsea team since joining the game.
He is a very different player to both Sancho and Madueke.
Constantly looking for the best delivery to a teammate rather than looking to get a shot away himself.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
84. Wan-Bissaka is penalised for a foul out wide.
It has been a nightmare evening for the former Man Utd defender.
As things stand, it will be his own goal that wins this game for Chelsea.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
82. You kind of feel this game was there to be won for the visitors.
While Potter will no doubt lament the performance of his team tonight, that means nothing, when you are beaten.
For Chelsea, it is all about game management now and seeing this one out.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
80. Palmer almost puts the game to bed for Chelsea.
He receives the ball just outside of the box and looks to bend one in the far corner.
Areola was beaten but his effort goes narrowly wide, hitting the stansion behind the goal.
Credit: Reuters
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
78. Orford and Ings come on for the visitors.
They replace Soler and Irving.
Areola is called into action as Mavropanos gets a flick on Fernandez’s cross, almost putting it into the back of his own net.
Great reactions from the West Ham keeper.
Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
76. There were no celebrations from Palmer there.
He knew he was crossing the ball before the wild deflection off Wan-Bissaka sent it into The Hammers’ goal.
This has all gone pear-shaped for Potter’s side.
Own goal – Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)
Chelsea 1-1 West Ham
74. Neto cuts out a poor pass and motors forward.
The momentum of the attack is lost as he waits for support to join him.
Palmer eventually tries a shot from just inside the box but it is well blocked by The Hammers.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
