Chelsea edges past West Ham thanks to Wan-Bissaka own goal

Chelsea secured a crucial 2-1 victory over West Ham United on Monday night, climbing back into the Premier League’s top four. Despite falling behind in the first half, the Blues turned the game around at Stamford Bridge, with a decisive own goal from Aaron Wan-Bissaka sealing the win.

A frustrating first half for Chelsea

Chelsea started the match with attacking intent, fielding Noni Madueke from the start, while West Ham featured former Eredivisie star Mohammed Kudus. The first real threat came in the 15th minute when Madueke cut inside and unleashed a shot, but his effort drifted wide of Alphonse Aréola’s goal. West Ham responded moments later, as a corner fell kindly for Andy Irving, who struck a volley over the bar. As the first half progressed, Chelsea ramped up the pressure, with Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernández, and Jadon Sancho all coming close to scoring but failing to find the net. Just before halftime, West Ham capitalized on a defensive error. Levi Colwill misplaced a pass straight to Jarrod Bowen, who made no mistake and slotted the ball past Robert Sánchez to give the visitors a surprise 0-1 lead. Chelsea nearly equalized in stoppage time, but Aréola produced a fine save to tip a curling Palmer free kick over the crossbar.

Chelsea fights back

Chelsea emerged from the break determined to find a breakthrough. Their persistence paid off just past the hour mark. A shot from Fernández was blocked by a West Ham defender, but the ball fell kindly to Pedro Neto, who calmly placed his shot into the net to make it 1-1. With momentum now firmly on their side, Chelsea pressed for the winner. The decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute when Palmer attempted a driven cross into the box. The ball deflected off Aaron Wan-Bissaka and looped over a helpless Aréola, giving Chelsea a fortunate but deserved 2-1 lead.

Securing the three points

After taking the lead, Chelsea managed the remainder of the match well, limiting West Ham’s attacking opportunities and seeing out the victory. The result lifts Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League, reigniting their push for Champions League qualification. West Ham, meanwhile, remains in 15th place, struggling to find consistency. Chelsea will look to build on this win as they aim to solidify their top-four position. While their performance was far from flawless, their resilience in coming from behind will provide a confidence boost heading into their next fixtures. For West Ham, defensive lapses proved costly once again, and they will need to regroup quickly to avoid slipping further down the table.