Victor Ezeja
By Valerian Ejem
Chelsea defeated West Ham United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Monday in a very tough Premier League fixture.
The London derby match saw West Ham take the lead through Jarrod Bowen in the first half, but Chelsea equalised in the second half with goals from substitute Pedro Neto and Chelsea star man, Cole Palmer.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe victory lifted Chelsea into the league’s top four, while West Ham remains mid-table.
West Ham struck first when Bowen capitalised on a defensive error by Levi Colwill in the 22nd minute. The visitors controlled much of the first half. However, the Blues came out stronger in the second half, after some tactical changes were made by their manager Enzo Marecsa.
The bringing in of Pedro Neto proved decisive, as he netted the equaliser in the 61st minute. Chelsea completed their comeback in the 78th minute when Palmer’s shot took a deflection off Aaron Wan-Bissaka and found the back of the net.
Chelsea’s head coach, Enzo Maresca, emphasised the mental resilience required to overcome West Ham’s defensive approach. He stated, “It was a mentally challenging game, but the players showed patience and resilience to break down a well-organised defence.”
With this victory, Chelsea has now climbed into fourth place in the Premier League standings, strengthening their chances of securing a Champions League spot. The Blues have shown improved form in recent weeks, and this win extends their unbeaten run to five matches. Their next fixture is a crucial away match against Aston Villa.
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Meanwhile, West Ham remains in ninth place following the defeat. The Hammers have struggled to maintain consistency this season and have now won just one of their last five league matches. Manager Graham Potter will be looking for a response from his side when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next match.
Ejem is an intern at Prime Business Africa.
