Chelsea played their second home match of the week on Saturday when they faced West Ham, hoping to respond to their 4-2 loss at the hands of London rivals Arsenal in midweek. However, Thomas Tuchel’s men struggled to create throughout the game, with the Hammers providing stern opposition.
It took until the final five minutes for a clear cut opportunity to arise, with Romleu Lukaku turning Craig Dawson, winning a penalty as the defender was sent off for bringing the Belgian down.
Jorginho stepped up, but fired his spot kick directly at Lukasz Fabianski, spurning their best chance up to that moment. It seemed as though the game would fizzle out, but Marcos Alonso’s cut back cross found its way to Christian Pulisic, who made no mistake in stoppage time.
READ MORE: Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Chelsea vs West Ham, Rudiger departure, Jorginho, Pulisic, more
It gave the Blues all three points, though Tuchel believed his side failed to convince on the day: “I think today was a bit due to the uncertainty of the last results. Honestly, games like this against West Ham are, in my opinion, very hard to have a hard and spectacular game. And full credit. They normally defend with eight or nine players deep around their box, and they do this so disciplined that it's very hard to find spaces to accelerate.”
The win solidifies Chelsea’s position in third, with their game in hand over the sides around them on Thursday against Manchester United. With six huge matches left to confirm Champions League football, here’s a look at their fixtures compared to Arsenal, Tottenham and Man United.
Manchester United (A) - 28 April
Next up is a trip to Old Trafford. Despite announcing the appointment of new manager Erik ten Hag, on the pitch the Red Devils have continued to stutter.
They have suffered back-to-back defeats and only have one win in their last five games. The current gap between the two sides is eleven points, meaning that anything other than a win for the home side would put them out of reach from Chelsea this season.
Everton (A) - May 1
Another away game is up afterwards, with a familiar face amongst it all. That is, of course, Everton boss Frank Lampard, who has taken over the struggling Toffees in hope of keeping them up this season.
That has not been an easy task, with the side falling into the drop zone at the weekend with Burnley’s victory over Wolves and their loss to Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
Wolves (H) - May 7
The Blues then make the long-awaited return to Stamford Bridge, facing off with Wolves. While Bruno Lage’s side have never been touted as full contenders for a European finish this season, they are only three points behind West Ham in seventh and five behind Manchester United in sixth, with a game in hand over both.
It won’t be an easy challenge if they still have something to play for, especially given their ability to set up a well-drilled defence.
Leeds United (A) - May 11
The final away trip of the season is to Elland Road, where relegation candidates Leeds play host. While they only have one loss in their last five, the Yorkshire outfit are only four points clear of the drop and could still be in trouble come the last few games.
Leicester City (H) - May 19
If the Blues manage to maintain their gap over the chasing pack, then this game could have little to nothing riding on it. The Foxes have struggled for consistency all season, sitting in tenth rather than pushing for Europe as they have done in recent years.
Watford (H) - May 22
The final game of the season is at home to Watford. The Hornets could be down and out at this point, currently second bottom and nine points from safety, though they’ll be wanting to enter the Championship on a high if so.
Arsenal's remaining fixtures
West Ham United (A) - May 1
Leeds United (H) - May 8
Tottenham (A) - May 12
Newcastle United (A) - May 16
Everton (H) - May 22
Tottenham's remaining fixtures
Leicester City (H) - May 1
Liverpool (A) - May 7
Arsenal (H) - May 12
Burnley (H) - May 15
Norwich City (A) - May 22
Manchester United's remaining fixtures
Chelsea (H) - April 28
Brentford (H) - May 2
Brighton (A) - May 7
Crystal Palace (A) - May 22
