Chelsea 2-1 West Ham: Match report & 3 talking points as Blues climb into fourth | OneFootball

Chelsea rose to fourth in the Premier League table on Monday evening with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over West Ham United.

Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter was looking for vengeance on his return to Stamford Bridge and his West Ham side found themselves in a commanding position at the half-time break after Jarrod Bowen's clinical strike offered them the lead.

But fortune favoured the Blues after the break as Pedro Neto produced an equaliser before Aaron Wan-Bissaka's own goal handed Chelsea a crucial victory in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.

How the game unfolded

With transfer deadline day whirring in the background, both sides turned their attention to the on-field action at Stamford Bridge. The travelling West Ham supporters were in fine voice for their trip across the capital but were almost silenced in the 15th minute as Noni Madueke flashed a shot past the post.

Chelsea had won just one of their previous seven Premier League matches and looked a team low on confidence in the opening stages. They failed to test Areola and struggled to strut their stuff as Enzo Fernandez rolled a rare opportunity wide on the half-hour mark.

The Blues were punished for their uninspiring start just three minutes before the half-time whistle as Bowen, who was making his first appearance of the year following injury, capitalised on Levi Colwill's short back-pass. West Ham's returning talisman raced onto the loose ball and ruthlessly fired a low drive beyond Filip Jorgensen.

Conceding the opener appeared to spur on the lethargic hosts in the dying embers of the first half and a moment of magic from Cole Palmer almost brought a quick-fire equaliser. An inch-perfect free kick was heading for the top corner before an exceptional save from Areola plucked it from underneath the crossbar.

The home faithful grew increasingly frustrated with Chelsea's continued lack of invention but were left smiling with 25 minutes remaining as the hosts equalised. Neto fired in the leveller from close range after a scramble in the area but the goal wasn't without controversy as West Ham felt they should have been awarded a free kick in the build-up. A lengthy VAR check for offside couldn't save the Irons, either.

The re-energised Stamford Bridge faithful were once again on their feet just ten minutes later as Chelsea completed their comeback. The talismanic Palmer was at the heart of their second goal of the evening, with his cross taking a huge deflection off Wan-Bissaka before spiralling into the far corner.

Spirits were unsurprisingly raised after Chelsea took the lead and the home side applied continuous pressure to the West Ham goal in the closing stages. Areola was forced into an impressive reflex save before seeing Palmer's strike from the edge of the penalty area whistle past his post.

The Hammers occasionally flexed their muscles on the counter-attack in the dying embers and Chelsea needed an inspired last-ditch challenge from Tosin Adarabioyo in stoppage time to hold on to three crucial points.

Check out the player ratings from Chelsea 2-1 West Ham here.

Chelsea rise into fourth

Chelsea have climbed into fourth in the Premier League / Ryan Pierse/GettyImages

Well, it wasn't particularly pretty for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but they will care little following an enormous victory. Having seen Newcastle United and Manchester City beaten at the weekend, the Blues knew victory would see them leapfrog their top-four foes.

While the hosts were some way from their best and remain a shadow of the side we saw earlier in the season, Monday evening was all about the result. They needed more than a little fortune to fall their way, but persistence paid off against a resurgent and spirited West Ham side.

Having struggled for victories since the turn of the year - this just their third in all competitions - Enzo Maresca and his players will sleep well knowing they took full advantage of their rivals' slip-ups.

Monday's victory could prove decisive come May.

Blues missing attacking spark

Enzo Maresca knows improvements are needed / Crystal Pix/MB Media/GettyImages

Despite racking up 22 shots at Stamford Bridge and scoring twice, Chelsea only forced Areola into saves on three occasions. They forged an xG tally of just 1.37 - only slightly more than West Ham's 1.16 - despite their territorial dominance.

For much of the evening, they looked alarmingly toothless. Nicolas Jackson was left feeding on scraps before his early exit in the second half, while Madueke and Jadon Sancho were both stifled in wide areas. Even Palmer was below his electrifying best.

Neto injected some much-needed energy from the bench but questions will once again be asked about Chelsea's inability to dazzle in the final third despite their elite options. Maresca's side were too slow and laboured for long periods and needed a slice of luck to bail them out of a sticky situation.

Jarrod Bowen makes instant impact on return

Jarrod Bowen made an immediate impact on his comeback / ADRIAN DENNIS/GettyImages

West Ham have had woeful fortune with injuries to their forward line across the last few months, with Lucas Paqueta having added his name to an injury list that already includes first and second-choice strikers Michail Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug. No wonder the Hammers were desperate to recruit Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.

But the good news for Potter was that he welcomed Bowen into his starting lineup for the first time since his appointment following a speedy recovery from a fractured foot. The England international led the line in lieu of an orthodox number nine - although Danny Ings was on the bench - and was remarkably sharp on his comeback.

The indefatigable Bowen proved a constant menace for Chelsea's centre-halves, who struggled to handle his intensity and pressure. An impressive finish helped West Ham in front before the break, taking the ball in his stride before lashing a pinpoint strike low into the far corner.

He finished the game with almost double the touches in the opposition penalty area of any other player on the pitch, while also creating two chances and managing an expected assists total of 0.38 - only inferior to Palmer.