Graham Potter knows nothing but disappointment at Stamford Bridge. Back at the club that sacked him after less than seven painful months in charge, Potter endured Chelsea denying his new team with two scrappy goals in a tight second half. West Ham, who played well and edged in front when Jarrod Bowen punished an error from Levi Colwill, had the meagre consolation of knowing they had given rivals with greater resources a scare.
This was not convincing from Chelsea, even if they rose into the top four thanks to an equaliser from the excellent Pedro Neto and a Cole Palmer-inspired own goal from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Enzo Maresca’s team were pallid for long spells and irritation was rising before a sudden surge overwhelmed an injury‑hit West Ham, who still summoned sufficient effort to rally and almost force an equaliser when Tosin Adarabioyo thwarted Mohammed Kudus in added time.
“I was very happy because I consider tonight the toughest game mentally,” said Maresca, who was surprised to hear this was the first time since 2013 that Chelsea had won a home game after trailing at half-time. “You need to be patient. We conceded from our mistake. That’s when you need to be mentally strong. Second half we found more space and the guys from the bench were very good.”
Perhaps the closure of the transfer window will restore calm to Chelsea, quietening the noise around their squad. There has been a weird vibe and deadline day had rolled on with João Félix flying to Milan, a loan in the offing, and Aston Villa agreeing to borrow Axel Disasi for the rest of the season. West Ham, meanwhile, were left counting the cost of two years of botched recruitment.
The visitors had a threadbare feel with Lucas Paquetá and Edson Álvarez joining the injured contingent and Evan Ferguson not registered after joining on loan from Brighton. There were two full-backs in their back three, two goalkeepers on a light bench and a first start in midfield for Andy Irving, a 24‑year‑old Scot signed without fanfare from SK Austria Klagenfurt last year.
West Ham still impressed. There were signs of Potter’s ideas taking hold, and a 3-4-2-1 system restricted Chelsea. Their best opening came from a counterattack which ended with Noni Madueke shooting narrowly wide.
Chelsea strained to raise the tempo, with Palmer heavily marked. Marc Cucurella missed with a free header, Enzo Fernández dragged a shot wide, Jadon Sancho curled over and there was concern when Nicolas Jackson went down clutching his hamstring.
Jörgensen had received a huge cheer by fans delighted to see him replace Robert Sánchez. The Swedish goalkeeper was not entirely convincing, though, spilling an early cross from Irving. Chelsea, sleepy and vague, were asking for trouble.
It was not a surprise when Kudus forced Colwill into a wayward backpass in the 42nd minute. The ball ran to Bowen, who raced clear to caress a lovely shot beyond Jörgensen.
