Chelsea staged a stunning second-half turnaround to secure a 3-2 victory over West Ham United in a chaotic Premier League London derby, coming back from a two-goal halftime deficit for the first time in the club’s league history.
The dramatic win at Stamford Bridge propels the Blues into the top four, following a breathless contest marked by wild momentum swings and late controversy.
Buoyed by a midweek win against Napoli, Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior opted to rotate his squad heavily, making seven changes to the starting XI. The decision nearly proved costly as West Ham burst into life early, continuing their trend of fast starts this season.
The visitors took the lead inside the opening 15 minutes when Jarrod Bowen’s dangerous delivery from the right flank evaded Pablo and curled into the far corner. The goal marked Bowen’s fourth straight strike inside the first 30 minutes of a match.
Chelsea laboured through a disjointed first half. Cole Palmer spearheaded an attack that struggled to test West Ham’s defence, while the Hammers repeatedly exploited the left side of Chelsea’s back line. Bowen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka caused constant problems, with Jorrel Hato and Alejandro Garnacho unable to cope with their pace and movement.
West Ham doubled their advantage in the 36th minute as Bowen again linked up with Wan-Bissaka, whose cut-back found Crysencio Summerville, allowing the winger to smash home his fourth goal in as many games.
Loud boos greeted Chelsea at halftime, prompting Rosenior to respond with a triple substitution, introducing João Pedro, Wesley Fofana, and Marc Cucurella.
The changes had an immediate impact. After Robert Sánchez kept Chelsea in the contest with key saves from Mateus Fernandes and Bowen, Fofana surged forward and delivered a precise cross for João Pedro, who headed home to reduce the deficit.
Chelsea ramped up the pressure in search of an equaliser. Alphonse Areola produced an excellent save to deny Moisés Caicedo’s long-range effort, but sustained pressure eventually paid off. Malo Gusto’s header was deflected onto the crossbar by Max Kilman, and Cucurella reacted quickest to slot in the rebound and level the score.
West Ham came close to restoring their lead when Jean-Clair Todibo struck the post from close range, but Chelsea continued to push forward with confidence.
The decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time. João Pedro found space down the right before cutting the ball back for Enzo Fernández, who calmly turned home the winner on the third anniversary of his signing for the club.
Tensions boiled over in the closing moments as a confrontation erupted following a clash between Marc Cucurella and Adama Traoré near the touchline. After a VAR review, West Ham defender Jean-Clair Todibo was shown a red card for grabbing João Pedro around the neck.
The dramatic comeback lifts Chelsea into the Premier League’s top four, while West Ham slump to a seventh defeat in their last eight London derby matches.
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