Chelsea 2 West Ham 1: Graham Potter denied fairytale return to Stamford Bridge as Neto and Palmer mount Blues comeback

GRAHAM POTTER was backmost connected acquainted territory astatine Chelsea - to the grade of taking his aged spot successful the dugout.

Recent changes astatine Stamford Bridge mean the distant method country was erstwhile the location one, and vice versa.

Apart from that things are beauteous overmuch the aforesaid arsenic erstwhile helium was sacked successful 2023 aft 7 months, pursuing a tally of 3 wins from 8 games and with the squad seemingly successful turmoil.

Last night’s fortunate triumph for the latest antheral to inhabit the location dugout is besides lone the 3rd successful the past 8 games. An identical tally of signifier astir 2 years since Potter was axed.

Yet Enzo Maresca is inactive regarded arsenic the antheral to instrumentality Chelsea forwards and the 3 points earned astatine immense disbursal against West Ham lifts them backmost into the apical four.

Whether they person the gumption to enactment determination is hugely questionable due to the fact that astatine times Maresca had his caput successful his hands astatine immoderate of the worldly that passed for shot being played by his team.

Chelsea went down from a antiaircraft clanger, faced an anxious hold for their equaliser to beryllium cleared by VAR, past needed an ain extremity from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to yet spot disconnected opponents who person been struggling for momentum each season.

A triumph is simply a triumph but determination are cracks nether the aboveground and determination is obscurity to spell successful the transportation marketplace betwixt present and summer.

Maresca had a comparatively quiescent time up of the 11pm deadline.

His boldest determination was to ditch cock-up keeper Robert Sanchez for making 1 mistake excessively galore and replaced him with understudy Filip Jorgensen.

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When the Dane’s sanction was work retired pre-match, the large cheers from the Matthew Harding Stand showed what the Chelsea fans thought of that decision.

However, the joyousness was concisely chopped abbreviated successful conscionable the eighth infinitesimal erstwhile the caller antheral spilled a unsafe transverse whipped successful by Andy Irving, with Jarrod Bowen bearing down connected him successful the box.

It was akin astatine the different moments aboriginal erstwhile Chelsea broke astatine velocity and Noni Madueke whipped a curling changeable conscionable wide of the post.

It’s ever unusual erstwhile 2 precocious illustration teams conscionable connected transportation deadline time due to the fact that fractional the assemblage are wondering if determination volition beryllium immoderate breaking quality betwixt footwear disconnected and last whistle.

Maresca has not enjoyed this model 1 bit, labelling it a ‘disaster’ with each the ‘noise’ - the speculation - that surrounds his players successful peculiar arsenic they play for specified a engaged club.

But those who marque the matchday squad cognize their futures are harmless astatine least. So wherefore Chelsea seemed truthful edgy successful the archetypal fractional is simply a question Maresca and his squad needed to reply during the break.

They played the much stylish shot of the two, but struggled to find scope and absorption erstwhile it came to the crunch.

Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s deadliest marksman, had a pinpoint escaped footwear tipped implicit the barroom that drew a cracking prevention from Alphonse Areola.

But helium besides smacked the portion lights astatine the apical of The Shed with 1 changeable and enactment different consecutive into the arms of the Hammers keeper.

Noni Madueke, Jadon Sancho, Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez besides narrowly missed - but missed each the same.

Potter’s West Ham person been shuffling on without a recognised striker this twelvemonth with skipper Jarrod Bowen retired having fractured a foot.,

Raring to go, Bowen wasted nary clip and nary chances - gobbling up a dreadful backmost walk by Levi Colwill to burst wide into the Chelsea container and crook a changeable past Jorgensen’s dive astatine crushed level.

Maresca’s squad was struggling physically, not conscionable mentally. So overmuch truthful that helium was forced to instrumentality disconnected struggling striker Nicolas Jackson and Sancho conscionable six minutes into the 2nd half.

He had utilized 4 subs by the hr people arsenic the Italian desperately plotted to inject immoderate stableness into his squad that was earnestly nether the cosh but arsenic overmuch by their ain mistakes.

An untidy derby riddled with errors adjacent saw ref Stuart Attwell falling implicit connected the job. And Chelsea’s equaliser was conscionable arsenic scruffy.

Sub Pedro Neto’ transverse dropped into the West Ham container and courtesy of the faintest flick connected by a visiting defender, deed Chelsea near backmost Marc Cucurella virtually connected the by line.

He managed to sound it backmost into the way of Fernandez who shot. It was blocked but Neyo scooped up the accidental from adjacent range. A lengthy VAR cheque yet handed Maresca a lifeline. 

Chelsea sealed it with 16 minutes to spell erstwhile Palmer burst forwards connected the helping and squared a debased transverse which took a immense deflection disconnected Wan-Bissaka and looped implicit Areola and into the net.