In the battle of London clubs, Chelsea emerged victorious on Monday, defeating West Ham United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. The visitors opened the scoring in the first half through Jarrod Bowen. Chelsea equalized in the second half thanks to Pedro Neto. A late own goal by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, deflecting off a Cole Palmer shot, sealed the win for the hosts. Here are the positives and negatives from the match:
Positives
1. Filip Jörgensen Starting
After growing frustrated with Robert Sánchez’s repeated mistakes, Chelsea fans were finally relieved to see Filip Jörgensen in goal. While he couldn’t keep a clean sheet, he displayed everything Sánchez lacked - calmness, control, and the ability to keep his teammates out of danger. He also handled set pieces well, keeping the ball away from risky areas during corners.
This wasn’t Jörgensen’s first Premier League start for Chelsea. But, each time he had previously played, he was replaced by Sánchez in the next game. It is crucial that the Danish goalkeeper keeps his place this time, or it will once again highlight the lack of accountability under Enzo Maresca.
2. Back in the Top Four Race
With other top-four rivals dropping points, Chelsea needed to capitalize on this opportunity, and they did just that. It wasn’t an easy game, but they got the job done. Now, the focus must be on ensuring that this victory marks the beginning of a strong run rather than being just a one-off result. This season, multiple teams are competing for a Champions League spot, so Chelsea must find consistency and start winning regularly.