Chelsea 3 – 2 West Ham

Liam Rosenior’s half-time substitution spurred Chelsea to an impressive 3-2 win over West Ham.

On the back of the current world champions’ stunning victory over Napoli in midweek, which saw them advance to the round of 16 of the Champions League, Rosenior made a high-profile decision to make seven changes as things backfired against the Hammers, who were struggling on the counter.

Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crisencio Somerville gave the visitors a comfortable 2-0 lead at the end of the first half, but Joao Pedro, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella came on at half-time, and the Blues fought back in stoppage time with Enzo Fernandes the hero.

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, Rosenior’s seven changes have opened up opportunities for a number of players on the fringes of Chelsea’s squad, with Cole Palmer also given the chance to return to the starting XI.

However, rather than giving the side with less minutes a chance, the hosts looked disjointed and fell behind early on when Bowen’s cross from the right evaded everyone and was sucked into the far corner.

Moments later, Bowen and Aaron Wan-Bissaka combined brilliantly, with the full-back finding Somerville in the middle to slot home his third goal of the game.

The boos at the half-time whistle were deafening, and hostility reached a fever pitch as goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez appeared to be involved in a war of words with irate supporters as he trudged off the pitch.

Mr. Rosenior answered emphatically. Having introduced Pedro Neto in place of the injured Jamie Gittens in the first half, he rolled the dice and brought on Pedro, Fofana and Cucurella, and was credited for that.

Fofana put in a well-placed cross that Pedro headed home to halve the lead. Less than 15 minutes later, Cucurella headed in the rebound after Liam Delap hit the crossbar from just one yard.

The spirit shown provoked a much more supportive response from the stands, and they were willing to stand by their side for the third goal. They got what they were looking for after Jean-Clair Todibo hit the opposite post.

Fernandes, the only player in the starting XI who looked threatening, fired the winning shot in stoppage time, sending Stamford Bridge into chaos.

The match ended in disaster, with Todibo sent off after an altercation with Pedro led to a brawl between the two teams, ending a chaotic but beautiful advertisement for the Premier League on a sour note.

Chelsea move into the top four ahead of Sunday’s match between Manchester United and Fulham, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. West Ham have played more games than 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and remain five points clear of safety.

Neville: “Chelsea were like babies in the first half”

Gary Neville from Sky Sports:

“Chelsea created unprecedented history by coming back from two points behind.

“It’s a disaster for West Ham, but they made a huge contribution to the game.

“But Chelsea, if you watch them in the same game, they will do two completely different things. For the majority of the game they look like children and babies, but suddenly they come to life and become a real force.”

“They are in the top four and go into Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal. They have bounced back in the last two games against Napoli and West Ham so we are confident.”

Rosenior: “Comeback is not a tactic”

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior told Sky Sports.

“There are a lot of emotions but I’m really happy for the players, their fight, their spirit and the commitment they showed in the second half.

“The tactics were outside the box, it was about character, quality and character and the players definitely showed that.

“Jamie Gittens was injured, so we made three changes. We felt the energy before the game. It was very difficult to go away to Italy and remembering the emotion of that game, we made changes to the team.”

“I trust my group, but the first half was far from the level of application and energy.

“I stayed calm with them and said we can turn what probably feels like our worst day of the season into our best day, and they were great in the second half.

“You have to do what you think is right for the team. There was no screaming or shouting at half-time. We changed our shape to more of a 4-4-2, with Cole Palmer free on the right and Pedro Neto free on the left.”

“The problem was not the first half, but how we won in the second half. We didn’t have time to talk about the first half.

“But that’s not my problem. We have incredibly talented young players here. What I liked was the energy in the stadium and that’s what Chelsea is all about.”

“Fight, spirit, run, effort, this was a local derby and they showed everything I want to see in a team in the second half.”

“The first half was good, the second half was bad.”

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo told Sky Sports.

“The first half was good, the second half was bad. We played really well, controlled the game and defended well. We created a lot of danger.

“At halftime I said we have to defend, do things properly, stay on the same page, control the game and manage the momentum.

“We knew Chelsea would react, but we defended poorly and should have done better.

“We were able to avoid it and the cross went into the box, but we had the bodies to control it better.

“(The setback) was a reaction, but that’s not what we should have done. We should have stuck with the same idea as in the first half.

“With a back three, control was important and we couldn’t do that with our wingers.

“I don’t talk about the players. What I have to tell the players, I will do it personally.”

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