Chelsea produced a second-half comeback at Stamford Bridge today to beat West Ham 3–2, overturning a two-goal deficit with a relentless spell after the break and snatching the win in stoppage time through Enzo Fernández. It was a derby that looked to be slipping away from the home side at half-time—booed off after a sloppy, passive first 45 minutes—but swung completely once Liam Rosenior rolled the dice with a triple substitution that changed the rhythm, the energy and eventually the scoreboard.
West Ham started the sharper and more purposeful team, pressing Chelsea’s first pass and breaking quickly into the spaces left behind an uncertain back line. Their opener came early when Jarrod Bowen capitalised on a direct ball forward and a loose second phase, finishing clinically to put the visitors ahead and immediately tighten the mood inside the ground. Chelsea struggled to settle, and while they had plenty of the ball, it felt slow and predictable, with West Ham comfortable defending their box and springing forward whenever Chelsea overcommitted. The second goal arrived before the interval and came from another moment where West Ham were quicker to the danger—Crysencio Summerville driving in a finish that left Chelsea facing a real problem at 2–0 down.
Rosenior’s response at half-time was decisive. He made three changes, including introducing Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and João Pedro, and the shift was immediate: Chelsea played with more width, more speed in possession, and far more aggression in their pressing. West Ham, who had looked comfortable earlier, suddenly couldn’t get out as easily, and the momentum tilted hard toward the home side.
The comeback began on 57 minutes and it was built by a substitute. Fofana surged into space and delivered a superb cross, and João Pedro attacked it bravely, guiding a header beyond the goalkeeper to make it 2–1 and ignite Stamford Bridge. With the crowd finally engaged, Chelsea pushed harder and West Ham began to retreat. The equaliser followed on 70 minutes as Cucurella, another half-time introduction, arrived at the right moment and finished with a diving header to level the match at 2–2.
From there the game became frantic. Chelsea sensed West Ham were wobbling and kept feeding runners into the box, while the visitors tried to slow the tempo and regain control through spells of possession and set-piece pressure. Bowen had a notable moment with a dangerous free-kick in the second half that forced a save, and West Ham still looked capable of landing a punch if Chelsea got careless again. But the longer it went on, the more it felt like Chelsea were the side growing in belief.
The decisive moment arrived in the second minute of stoppage time. João Pedro, who had already scored and lifted the performance around him, turned provider with a clever pass into the area, and Fernández finished to complete the turnaround at 3–2, sending the home end into celebration and leaving West Ham stunned after leading by two at the break.
The final minutes also brought ugly scenes. Tempers flared near the touchline after the late goal, and Jean-Clair Todibo was shown a red card following an altercation, capping a frustrating finish for a West Ham side that had been in full control earlier in the afternoon.
After the match, Rosenior admitted his team’s first-half performance wasn’t acceptable and said he understood the frustration from the stands, but he praised the character of the response and the impact of the substitutions, describing the second-half display as the standard Chelsea must set more consistently. He also highlighted the calmness shown to keep going even at 2–0 down, stressing that the group’s spirit has to be matched with better starts.
West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo was left to reflect on a collapse that will sting. He pointed to how well his side executed the game plan before half-time, but admitted they lost control after the break and didn’t manage key moments—both in defending crosses and in keeping their composure when momentum swung. Nuno stressed that his team can’t afford to let leads slip in their situation, and that they must learn quickly because results like this are punishing in a relegation battle.
