Chelsea Sink West Ham with Comeback Win

Comeback at the Bridge! Chelsea overturn a first-half deficit to edge past West Ham 2-1. A crucial win, late drama, and a big impact from the bench.

February 4, 2025
12:01 am

Chelsea came from behind to snag a hard-fought 2-1 victory over West Ham United, making sure no former Blues manager has ever won a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on their return. The Hammers gave up a first-half lead to a fired-up Chelsea.

Desperate for a win after just one victory in their last seven league games, the hosts started strong but lacked urgency in front of goal. Noni Madueke was buzzing on the wing, bending a shot just wide before setting up Enzo Fernández, who couldn’t get past Alphonse Areola. Chelsea kept pushing, but Jadon Sancho’s dipping shot went off target, showing the hosts’ struggle with precision.

Even with Chelsea dominating, a slip-up let West Ham score first. Levi Colwill’s bad pass was picked up by the returning Jarrod Bowen, who calmly slotted it into the bottom corner. The visitors almost doubled their lead before halftime, but Cole Palmer’s wicked free-kick forced Areola into a fantastic fingertip save to keep West Ham ahead.

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Chelsea came out for the second half needing a spark, but it was West Ham who started strong, putting pressure on Chelsea’s defense. Enzo Maresca quickly made four substitutions within the first 15 minutes of the half, and it paid off. Pedro Neto, scoring for the first time since November, took advantage of a deflection to slot home after his dangerous cross caused chaos in the West Ham box.

With the match heating up, Mohammed Kudus hit the post with a close-range header, though he was offside. Chelsea, however, had the momentum and made it count. Palmer’s tricky delivery forced Aaron Wan-Bissaka into a clumsy clearance that looped over Areola, giving Chelsea the lead.

The Blues could have added to their score late on, with Areola stopping Konstantinos Mavropanos from scoring an own goal before Palmer curled a shot just past the post. But those missed chances didn’t matter much as Tosin Adarabioyo’s last-minute block denied Kudus an equalizer, ensuring Chelsea grabbed a crucial three points.

This win lifts Maresca’s team back into the top four, extending their impressive home record to just one loss in 17 matches across all competitions. For West Ham, a third straight league defeat to their London rivals leaves them stuck in 15th place, now seven points away from the top half.