Chelsea fans left Stamford Bridge with smiles on their faces after a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over West Ham United last night.
West Ham initially frustrated Chelsea with their deep defensive set-up, and when Jarrod Bowen put the visitors ahead before half-time, it felt like another frustrating night was unfolding.
However, Chelsea found a way to win. Enzo Maresca’s second-half substitutions made an immediate impact, with Pedro Neto coming off the bench to grab the equaliser.
Cole Palmer then helped complete the turnaround as his cross deflected in off Aaron Wan-Bissaka to secure the win.
Chelsea took full advantage of Manchester City and Newcastle United losing over the weekend to leapfrog them into fourth place.
It was the perfect way to bounce back from a poor run of form that had seen them slide from second to sixth in just six weeks.
Maresca was delighted, calling the result ‘huge’ and praising his players for showing patience against a team that sat deep and waited for mistakes.
Those mistakes remain a concern. Levi Colwill’s misplaced backpass gifted Bowen his goal, adding to Chelsea’s growing list of errors leading to goals.
Despite dominating possession, Chelsea lacked a cutting edge in the first half. Noni Madueke, Enzo Fernandez and Jadon Sancho all missed good chances before Palmer had a free-kick brilliantly saved.
It was only after Maresca’s tactical tweaks that Chelsea looked more fluid and threatening.
Graham Potter felt his side were unfortunate. He believed there was a foul on Bowen in the build-up to Chelsea’s equaliser and that his team deserved something from the game.
Chelsea will not care. They are back in the top four, and this win should give them confidence. But with Brentford and Arsenal up next, they cannot afford to slip up again.
This needs to be the start of a consistent run, not just another brief high in a season of ups and downs.
