Chelsea impress in comeback -victory over the London Rival’s West Ham
4 mins read

Chelsea impress in comeback -victory over the London Rival’s West Ham

Enzo Maresca paid tribute to Chelsea’s mental strength when they came from behind to beat West Ham 2-1 and move to fourth place in the Premier League on Monday.

Mareca’s side hit Jarrod Bowen’s strike late in the first half at Stamford Bridge and led Jeers from frustrated fans after a deadly start.

But Maresca’s decision to send on Pedro Neto during the second half turned out to be decisive as Portugal -prominent Chelsea’s equalizers.

Since he has been so often in the last two seasons, Cole Palmer was the catalyst for the Blues 74-minute winner when his cross declined in the West Ham defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

After a disappointing drive on a victory in seven league matches, Maresca was relieved to see Chelsea get back on the right track in a lively way.

“It’s huge. Today was a tough game, especially mentally. When West Ham comes here and lean back with 10 players behind the ball it’s not easy. You have to be mentally strong and you have to be patience,” he said.

“We had more than ten shots during the first half. We had clear chances during the first half but unfortunately we missed the goal.

“With some changes the game changed. Overall, we fully deserved to win.”

Maresca has been worried that his players were distracted by speculation over potential transfers in and out of Stamford Bridge until Monday’s time deadline.

Relieved that the window would be closed after 2300 GMT, the Italian can focus on leading Chelsea’s struggle to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish.

“It was a good weekend for us when it comes to results and we knew today was even better,” he said.

“We are there and hopefully we can be there to the end. Playing this type of game in February, where we are still there, is an important statement.”

Also read | 2025 Champions Trophy: India vs Pakistan Tickets until February 23 in Dubai already sold out

Turning point

Maresca had lost Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after her last costly fault in the defeat in Manchester City.

Sanchez’s replacement Filip Jorgensen delivered a solid screen and Maresca said: “At that moment Robert Vila and Filip needs to be very good.”

It was a frustrating return to the bridge for West Ham -Graham Potter, who was dismissed in 2023 after less than seven months responsible for Blues.

Almost two years after his reckless dismissal, Potter returned to the lead with Hammers last month, but he has only received one victory from his first five matches in all competitions.

“We gave everything. It was relative even when it comes to chances. We get away with nothing when it comes to the result but it was a lot to be positive about,” Potter said.

“You look at the second half. The first goal was a bit of a turning point and we felt it was a foul, you need these things to go your way. We did well but we couldn’t really hang on.”

Potter was frustrated that a potential Levi Colwill Foul at Bowen was not given in the construction of Chelseas equalizes.

But with West Ham, who is 10 points clearly from the relegation zone, the former Brighton manager has respiratory space to reshape the team in their style.

“The shape of the team was really good. You need a little luck. We felt unhappy with the construction of the first goal but it wasn’t to be,” he said.

“Understanding what we want to do is there, so we have to build on it.”

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency flow with minimal edits to follow Wions Style Guide. The heading may have been changed to better reflect the content of history or to make it more appropriate for the Wion audience.