Chelsea come back from two down to clinch dramatic win
Chelsea 3Joao Pedro (57′)
Cucurella (70′)
Fernandez (90’+2)
West Ham 2Bowen (7′)
Summerville (36′)
Enzo Fernandez scored a stoppage-time winner as Chelsea came back from two down to clinch a dramatic victory at Stamford Bridge.
They were booed off at the interval after a dismal first-half showing, with goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville scoring for West Ham, who were then overrun by a second-half Blues comeback and ended the match with 10 men after Jean-Clair Todibo was sent off in the final moments.
Liam Rosenior brought on three substitutes at half-time – and all three were involved in the goals that hauled the hosts level.
Wesley Fofana crossed for fellow substitute Joao Pedro to head home, and Marc Cucurella, who also came on, netted the equaliser.
And Joao Pedro set up the winner, finding space on the right and picking out Fernandez, who fired home.
It made it five wins in a row – and six in seven matches since Rosenior was installed as head coach.
Relegation-threatened West Ham went ahead when Bowen’s cross went in at the far post without striker Pablo getting a touch.
Summerville doubled the lead with a superb first-time strike after Aaron Wan-Bissaka had pulled the ball back from the right.
Chelsea turned it around after the break, with Joao Pedro’s ninth Premier League goal of the season giving them the boost they needed.
And after Fernandez’s cross was headed back across goal by Malo Gusto, Hammers defender Max Kilman headed against the bar while preventing Liam Delap scoring from close range, but Cucurella pounced on the loose ball with a diving header to make it 2-2.
The winner came after Todibo had missed a sitter, shooting wide of the target from a few yards out after Trevoh Chalobah had been unable to clear Tomas Soucek’s low cross.
Todibo was shown the red card right at the end following a melee involving players from both sides. VAR established that he grabbed Joao Pedro’s face during the chaos.
Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto (James 81), Chalobah, Badiashile (Fofana 46), Hato (Cucurella 46); Caicedo, Fernandez; Garnacho (Joao Pedro 46), Palmer, Gittens (Pedro Neto 26); Delap
Subs not used: Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Andrey Santos, Neto, Guiu.
