Graham Potter denied fairytale Chelsea return but West Ham offer genuine signs of encouragement | OneFootball

Hammers show fight despite lack of cutting edge

So not the fairytale result Graham Potter had wanted on his return to Stamford Bridge, but the West Ham boss will have been encouraged by his team’s level of performance and no lack of fight.

Mohammed Kudus swivelled on the ball, struck on goal, but was denied by a super block in the final throes of stoppage time. West Ham knew that was their final chance. On another night, they would have got something out of this London derby. They undoubtedly played well enough.

Potter had fielded an avalanche of questions last week ahead of his return to Chelsea. He insisted he was stronger for the whirlwind seven months he spent there before his April 2023 sacking.

Potter spoke about how all his experiences in his career, good and bad, have made him a better manager. Well, this had looked like being one of his better experiences at Stamford Bridge. Free of the pressure of the home dugout, his side were into the lead once Jarrod Bowen had put them there.

The return of Bowen from a broken foot — his first appearance since December 29 — will greatly boost Potter’s side in weeks to come. Here, Levi Colwill gifted him the ball, and Bowen’s composure was never in question as he rolled nonchalantly past Filip Jorgensen.

Lucas Paqueta, Crysencio Summerville and Jean-Clair Todibo had all failed late fitness tests and were not risked for the short trip south of the river, and that left Potter with decisions to make. Full-backs Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal both had to remodel themselves as makeshift centre-backs in a back three that kept Chelsea at bay in the first half.

There was a first Premier League start in midfield for Andy Irving, who did well, all things considered, and these were all mitigating factors for West Ham, who did lack a clinical edge up front at times but will be strengthened in that department now that Evan Ferguson has joined on loan from Brighton until the end of the season.

Perhaps the Hammers’ best performer was goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. His finger-tip save to push Cole Palmer’s exceptional free-kick over the bar was magnificent, and he made a key save late on too.

In the end, West Ham were undone by two touches of ill fortune. Marc Cucurella had been offside in the build-up to Pedro Neto’s equaliser but was played on, replays showed, by the deftest of accidental glances off Vladimir Coufal’s head.

And then Palmer burst past Coufal on the outside and crossed, with the ball deflecting off Aaron Wan-Bissaka and tumbling over Areola and in for an desperately unlucky own goal by the right-back. Again, the rub of the green fell Chelsea's way.

West Ham, who stay 15th, had known better than to play the Blues at the possession game, instead sitting back and waiting for opportunities to pounce and tear away. With Bowen back fit and able to combine with Kudus and others, that approach should pay off in the weeks and games to come for Potter.

Not here, although he and his players could scarcely have given more. By hook or by crook, Chelsea had the beating of them.