Jacob Steinberg was at Stamford Bridge.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 23 | 35 | 56 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 24 | 27 | 50 |
| 3 | Nottm Forest | 24 | 13 | 47 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 24 | 16 | 43 |
| 5 | Man City | 24 | 13 | 41 |
| 6 | Newcastle | 24 | 13 | 41 |
| 7 | AFC Bournemouth | 24 | 13 | 40 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 24 | -3 | 37 |
| 9 | Fulham | 24 | 4 | 36 |
| 10 | Brighton | 24 | -3 | 34 |
| 11 | Brentford | 24 | 0 | 31 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 24 | -2 | 30 |
| 13 | Man Utd | 24 | -6 | 29 |
| 14 | Tottenham Hotspur | 24 | 11 | 27 |
| 15 | West Ham | 24 | -17 | 27 |
| 16 | Everton | 23 | -5 | 26 |
| 17 | Wolverhampton | 24 | -18 | 19 |
| 18 | Leicester | 24 | -28 | 17 |
| 19 | Ipswich | 24 | -27 | 16 |
| 20 | Southampton | 24 | -36 | 9 |
Updated
Enzo Maresca spoke to the BBC: “Today was a tough game especially mentally. When West Ham come here and sit back with 10 players behind the ball, it’s not easy, so you have to be mentally strong and you need to be patient.
“We had more than 10 shots in the first half. We had clear chances in the first half but unfortunately, we missed the target. With some changes the game completely changed. Overall we completely deserved to win the game.”
“Robert [Sanchez] needs rest and Filip [Jorgensen] was very good.”
It was a big day in the north, too.
Graham Potter spoke to Sky: “The spirit of the team was fantastic. We gave everything. It was relatively even in terms of chances but we come away with nothing in terms of the result but there was lots to be positive about.
“You look at the second half. They had to make some substitutions, the first goal was a bit of a turning point and we felt it was a foul, you need those things to go your way. We were doing well but we couldn’t quite hang on and we had a real big chance at the end to take a point.
“The second one is a deflection. We have to focus on what we did well and the spirit and performance, our supporters appreciated the performance of the team. The shape of the team was really good. You need a bit of luck, we felt unfortunate with the lead-up to the first goal but it wasn’t to be.”
Jarrod Bowen, the West Ham scorer, spoke to Sky: ““Just disappointed to be leading and lose the game. We left everything out there, we came to a side who are pushing for top four, pushing for the title. At the end, we could have nicked a point with Mo. I feel like it was a West Ham performance where we showed a lot of energy. On another day, I think it could have been a different result.
“This is my first game with the new manager but since I have been watching, the crowd are back on their feet and it has been great to see. To be back tonight I was really happy and pleased to score a goal but disappointed with the result.”
Chelsea forward Pedro Neto spoke to Sky: “This victory coming from behind was really important for us. We have to be consistent, this is the most important thing.”
“We are a big club. When you win you are the best and when you lose you are the worst so it is about being consistent and showing what we can do. To win trophies, you have to know how to suffer. We are here to suffer and do our best and to finish in the top places.”
Transfer latest here:
And here
Marc Guiu took a late knock, and there might be concern for Chelsea, short on strikers.
Full-time: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
A comeback win, via some fortune. A disputed first goal from Chelsea, and then a deflection from Cole Palmer. Jarrod Bowen scored a great first for the Hammers who ran out of personnel and legs. Not the return Graham Potter would have preferred but plenty of promise. The away fans seem happy enough on the night Andy Irving arrived.
Updated
90+6 min: Marvapanos cuts inside one, then another and unleashes….a dribbler….that should be enough.
90+5 min: Bowen and Soucek get in each other’s way as Hammers attempt to build pressure. There was a shot from Danny Ings a minute ago – it would be polite to say he must have lost his bearings.
90+4 min: Oooh, great defending from Tosin, as Bowen plays Kudus in, and the spin and turn open up goal. Tosin reads it.
90+3 min: “Fake news from Jonathan Menezes,” declares Ian Sargeant. “McKnight joined from Celtic but was actually norther Irish. Try Tommy McQueen. Or Tom McAlister.”
90+2 min: Ings has chased and chased since coming on, to little avail. Chelsea have done well in possession, and are doing well when West Ham get hold of it, too.
90+1 min: Richard Hirst: “That Chelsea goal has moved Man Utd back up to the dizzy heights of 13th: does that count as a marginal gain?”
Big Sir Jim will be delighted.
90 min: Here’s the board – seven minutes. Guilherme wants a corner, but Chelsea get a goal-kick. G-Pott is sending his men forward.
89 min: Cole Palmer’s off, and on comes Trevoh Chalobah, homecoming king, and celebrated by the home fans.
87 min: Another young Hammer, Guilherme, is on. For Cresswell, we think. Potter’s playing the kids.
86 min: Jonathan Menezes, a Ray Stewart fan, says: “Oops, joined proceedings late and hadn’t seen you’d mentioned him already. One less than illustrious Scottish Hammer was Alan McKnight (“McKnightmare”). Took over from Phil Parkes in the late 80s and generally had a torrid time in goal in a faltering team.”
85 min: Cole Palmer takes a Wythenshawe moment over a corner – ages, essentially –and West Ham can’t get the ball clear. Chelsea is so much more comfort than before.
83 min: Robert Nease gets in touch: “I have made visual confirmation there is a player wearing #39 with the name Irving for West Ham. Much like Spinal Tap’s musings on Stonehenge, though, nobody knows who he is or what it is he is doing, but his legacy remains…”
82 min: Cucurella, agitating – so agitating – buys a foul from Wan-Bissaka. Chelsea have a nasty habit of conceding late.
80 min: The Hammers changes have robbed them of shape. Chelsea much more comfortable. Perhaps that’s the Andy Irving effect. Jarrod Bowen looks weary, as well he might.
78 min: G-Pott is going attacking: Ings, Kudus and Bowen up top. That opens up space for Chelsea, for whom Cole Palmer is cooking and rattles the foot of the post.
76 min: On Lewis Orford, from our Next Gen series.
West Ham continues to be production line for midfielders and Orford, a lifelong fan, might be the latest to follow Declan Rice, Mark Noble, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick. His height reminds of Rice and Carrick though he exhibits a greater turn of pace than either, with a range of passing beyond his years that has made him the Hammers’ Under-18 playmaker. There is something, too, of Lampard in his ability to arrive late on the scene for scoring opportunities. He played at Under-18 level when still qualified for Under-16 and Under-15 level and has dedicated himself to improving his set-piece delivery. The 2022-23 season has already seen him score direct from a corner. John Brewin
Watch Lewis Orford in action
October 2023 update The midfielder was involved in the Youth Cup win and was on the bench when West Ham beat FCSB away from home in the Europa Conference League last season.
October 2024 update Yet to make a first-team appearance but was named in nine senior matchday squads last season and captained England Under-18s against Morocco in May. West Ham obviously believe in Orford after offering the midfielder a five-year contract extension in September. “I’ve known Lewis for a long time,” said sporting director and former club captain, Mark Noble. “I’ve watched him train and play as a kid. He’s a fantastic passer of the ball. And what excites me is that he’s still got so much to learn.”
75 min: Andy Irving, the greatest living Scotsman, has seen enough, and takes down Cole Palmer. G-Pott is ready to make his next subs.
Carlos Soler goes off, as does Irving, sweet prince. Danny Ings on, and now it’s Lewis Orford, the teenager.
Goal! Chelsea 2-1 West Ham (Wan-Bissaka, 74, own-goal)
Chelsea pressure now, and the crowd gasp in expectance/expectancy/expectation when the ball falls to Palmer, and he hits it. It’s blocked, and cleared. Fernandez puts it back in and Palmer, after Cucurella’s knock-back, smashes the ball in off Wan-Bissaka and in. That was a cross.
Updated
72 min: Two Hammers changes: off go Coufal and Emerson, and on come Mavrapanos and Ollie Scarles.
Updated
71 min: A right old rollicking London derby now, and both teams look capable of winning it. That Bowen foul was outside the passage of play according to the officials.
70 min: Kudus heads against the post….ooh, offside.
68 min: Spin and turn from Kudus forces a corner.
66 min: It took three minutes to come up with the goal award. Bowen was fouled at the start of that move but was it too long before? Fernandez is booked for a foul in the same player. Palmer is booked for dissent now.
Goal! Chelsea 1-1 West Ham (Neto, 64)
Was Bowen fouled? Chelsea go up the end and score. Neto’s ball in, Cucurella keeps the ball in, and Neto runs back in to slot. Was Cucurella offside? Guiu’s touch seems to play him off. Long VAR delay…
Updated
63 min: Chelsea probing, the Hammers sat deep. Bowen is sent away and wants a foul by Colwill. He had a case.
61 min: That change has put Neto on the right. Nkunku will come in from the left. Willian is pictured in the stand.
60 min: Maresca fuming: off goes James, and Madueke, and on comes Nkunku and Gusto.
59 min: West Ham all over Chelsea, with Bowen having two bites of the cherry. Chelsea clear and counter, so quickly that ref Stuart Atwell falls to the floor. Tosin eventually wallops the ball over.
Updated
58 min: Cresswell tries to catch out Jorgensen, who would have scrabbled had the ball been on target.
57 min: James is booked for trying to pull down Carlos Soler. It’s Caicedo who knocks over the Hammer but James was being cynical.
55 min: More Hammers of the Scots from Ian SargeantL David Speedie (briefly), Ralph Milne (very briefly), Robert Snodgrass (very under appreciated). The latter’s Middlesbrough are currently losing to Sunderland.
54 min: Enzo Fernandez is punished for a push. Enzo Maresca’s blue eyes are blazing.
53 min: Promising break from West Ham, and Reece James has to clear the danger. Caicedo and the legendary Andy Irving get involved, and play has to stop.
52 min: Maresca has seen enough after just a few minutes. Two subs coming on, one of whom is Pedro Neto. The other is Marc Guiu as Sancho and Jackson go off.
50 min: Joe Pearson is in: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics. According to Opta, Chelsea have the upper hand on xG, 0.63 to 0.27. Just shows you have to take your chances.”
48 min: A half-chance for Chelsea but Madueke is very slow to realise than Fernandez has put the ball on a plate for him.
Back away at the Bridge
46 min: West Ham get it launched and keep up the pressure. More loose play from Colwill and Emerson zaps a shot wide. Against his former club, of course.
News from the closing window.
Richard Hirst: “You mentioned Lewis Carrol: in a through the looking glass scenario, if it stays like this West Ham, GD -15, will be three points above Spurs, GD +11.”
John Millard gets in touch: “Does Don Hutchinson count as either illustrious or fundamentally Scottish? Not a West Ham Fan but I remember he was there twice. “
Half-time: Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
All going to plan for Graham Potter. Chelsea too casual for their own good. Jarrod Bowen scored a fine goal. But we’re all talking about Andy Irving.
45+2 min: Chelsea have woken up. Lots of pressure now. Palmer shoots from distance and Areola catches the ball.
45 min: The corner is cleared – a handball call – and Kudus chases, Bowen wants another. But Chelsea clear their lines. Three minutes are added on.
44 min: Chelsea free-kick, as Jackson is fouled. Palmer wants it. He says he doesn’t practice these. It’s a belter and Areola makes a fingertip save. Great football all round.
43 min: Colwill will complain but he will know he was picked off there. Too casual, like Chelsea have been all evening. Bowen – what a player he can be.
Goal! Chelsea 0-1 West Ham (Bowen, 42)
Kudus tangles with Colwill who then plays the ball back. Bowen seizes on it, takes his time and then wallop. What a cool, direct finish.
Updated
40 min: G-Pott will be happy with his team. They’ve been solid. But…they have left some space, and Madueke plays in Sancho, cutting in, and he shoots wide. That’s a miss.
38 min: Caicedo – again – smashes over Bowen. Not booked when it was a rather obvious yellow. Kudus then beats Colwill and shoots, but can’t beat Jorgensen. That was a bit casual, considering the opening.
37 min: Peter Oh is in touch: “Greetings from the U.S.! Scratch that. Hello from the California Republic! The pairings you’ve mentioned so far are startlingly contrasting. Jelly and eels. Hammers (hard and heavy) and bubbles (airy and light). Blues and celery. I’m scared to ask what you think I should have with my pinot noir for dinner tonight.”
36 min: This not a game you call a white-hot London derby. Chelsea: not really at it.
34 min: Stephen Rea gets in touch: “Hello John, looking at your preamble, maybe xG-Pott is more apt nickname for us sensible ones to call the new West Ham manager?”
33 min: Aaron Cresswell is called upon to clear a Sancho cross behind for a corner. Kudus is again careless when he needs to clear it but is bailed out by Cucurella being nearly as daft.
31 min: Kudus makes a very silly pass back across the pitch. That serves to send Madueke away and Enzo Fernandez has a golden chance. He misses. Relief for Kudus.
29 min: Chelsea unsure over what to do with Jackson so play on with 10 men. Odd. He sprints back on. And seems OK.
27 min: Bad news for Chelsea: Nico Jackson pulls up with a hamstring twang. He did it a while back but that should be that. What will Chelsea do without the legend Joao Felix? He’s set for Milan. The transfer window has two hours and 30 minutes.
26 min: “You’re only here to see the Irving,” sing the Hammers. Has a debutant ever been so adored? “We love you Irving,” they sing to Andy Williams. Can’t take your eyes off him.
25 min: Cucurella heads over. Big smiles from him. On the sideline, Potter’s plotting.
Updated
24 min: It’s Andy Irving’s world and we’re all living in it….
23 min: Hammers think they have a break. Colwill manages to buy a foul when Kudus had robbed him. Bowen is pulled back. Jackson – whose touch can be good – releases Palmer, who fires over. The Hammers fans compare him unfavourably to Andy Irving.
21 min: West Ham looking quite comfortable save for those quick breaks to Jackson and Madueke. Chelsea: bit slow.
19 min: West Ham corner, the ball bounces down to Bowen and Jorgensen closes his legs to save well. Tosin nods away and Andy Irving and sees his big moment. The volley flies over. The fans sing the name of a cult hero.
18 min: Ian gets back in touch: “David - son of Alvin. Alvin was co-comms for talksport - David left the pitch in tears to hug his dad afterwards. Scots - Bobby Ferguson keeper. Neil Orr - midfielder. Sandy Clark- centre forward. Frank McAvennie - legend.”
16 min: Big wobble from Jorgensen as the ball goes back to him. He just gets away with it. Robert Sanchez is all smiles on the sideline. For some reason.
15 min: James looks fine as he gets involved in an exchange of passes. Madueke and Jackson take it on from Caicedo, Madueke gets into his sweet spot to shoot but drills wide.
13 min: Stamford Bridge seethes with rather less than the menace of olden times.
Bad news: Reece James has landed heavily on his foot. Good news: he looks ok to continue. One to watch.
11 min: Moises Caicedo will mostly be snapping at Jarrod Bowen. Enzo’s obviously detailed him for that.
10 min: Ian Sargeant gets in touch: “Couldn’t get tickets in the away end tonight - so reduced to hiding behind the sofa. Last time I was there David Martin made his debut in place of Roberto. We won 1-0 (Cresswell) I swear there was as much elation before the game at the team news as there was afterwards at the result.”
David Martin? Son of Alvin?
9 min: Hammers counter, through Soler, and Irving zips in a cross. Jorgensen’s touch is less than safe before he gathers the ball.
7 min: Cucurella is the agitator in the penalty area as a pair of corners are taken. He’s also being pulled back, too. He can’t be ignored. It can’t just be the hair.
Updated
6 min: Andy Irving joins an illustrious list of Scottish Hammers – Christian Dailly, Ray Stewart – you name me some other.s
Palmer has a shot blocked after he’s slipped the ball by some Sancho trickery.
5 min: Evan Ferguson is not in the building. Neither is Osimhen. Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez is down but soon to rise to his feet.
3 min: Early spin off the left by Nicolas Jackson, and Kilman has to quell the danger. Chelsea dominant with the ball though Bowen sets off on an early dart. Soucek is penalised for a typically robust challenge.
Away we go at the Bridge
1 min: The ball is in play and the fans are singing rude songs about the other. Bubbles and celery are the opposing obsessions of these London outfits.
The Liquidator can he heard – that’s not a reference to Chelsea’s finances – and that means we are about to go at Stamford Bridge. There’s always a lot of people on the pitch and very loud music these days. It’s quite, well, American.
Enzo and Graham, the managers, have history from time together at West Ham Brom.
Maresca on Potter: “He was very funny, I guess he is still now. We were both very young when we played together, I was 17. We were living very close to each other. He was my taxi, he was bringing me from my house to the training ground. Now he’s doing fantastic so I’m happy for him.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that G-Pott is a right laugh.
Updated
Cole Palmer spoke to Sky: “We’ve created a lot of chances but it’s just about being clinical and hopefully we can do that tonight. When we go behind or concede, we need to stick together and be more of a team and I think that’s what we’re going to do.”
More on the enigma that is Andy Irving.
Brendan Large gets in touch: “As a Chelsea fan I think dropping Sanchez was a no-brainer today. He hasn’t been as bad as his headlines (mostly) and has made some good saves. But all the noise around him would have made every touch a chance for West Ham fans to put him under pressure. Jorgensen doesn’t look spectacular but seems to be a safe pair of hands (mostly) from his Conference League/Cup appearances.
“Good luck to Potter from me. I think the guy had zero chance of succeeding in the Chelsea set-up he was bought in to and I don’t think anyone else would have done any better at the time...but his luck can start after this game. We really need three here to push for CL next season.”
Talking of jellied eels, there’s been a bit in the right-wing press about how pie and mash’s decline points to demographic change in the East End. It’s gone to Essez, like much of the Hammers support.
It’s also inedible to many in modern life, too.
Tim K gets in touch: “No Paqueta? Suspended or injured or both? No JWP, too late to get ready I guess. Why did they let him go in the first place? A good weekend for London away wins (CP & Spurs) so maybe we can join the list.”
Paqueta has a groin injury.
Jeremy Boyce also gets in touch: “Looking forward to the match, which is very much a back-to-the-future 60s revisited, with the rich boys up west still lording it over their east end rivals after all these years. For all their huff’n’puff (TM Geoff Hurst), the Hammers have always struggled to rival the SW3 swaggerers and Potter’s rough boys will do well to come away without jellied eels on their face tonight. 0 - 1 then.”
That Hammers team: Jarrod Bowen plays for the first time since fracturing his foot. Lucas Paqueta is out. Bowen will be skipper.
Ian Melven gets in touch: “I see Potter has gone with the lesser-spotted 1-2-2-2-2-1 formation for West Ham. Innovative stuff.”
Here’s the man in the frame tonight. Not a natural headline-maker but so much to prove to Chelsea.
There were 21 months between Chelsea ditching Potter and West Ham turning to him. The 49-year-old has arrived at the London Stadium at a difficult time. West Ham erred in appointing Julen Lopetegui last summer and an announcement is due on parting company with their overhyped technical director, Tim Steidten, who played a sorry part in creating a squad lacking in depth and pace.
Sanchez dropped by Chelsea
Big news there: Robert Sanchez dropped for Filip Jorgensen in the Chelsea goal. Christopher Nkunku is on the bench despite all the transfer speculation. Tosin in for Chalobah.
Three at the back for the Hammers, Max Kilman as the sole centre=half by trade. Andy Irving, a regular sub, something of a mystery, gets his first ever start.
The teams
Chelsea: Jorgensen, James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson. Subs: Sanchez, Chalobah, Acheampong, Gusto, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Neto, Nkunku, Guiu.
West Ham: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Coufal, Kilman, Cresswell, Emerson, Soucek, Irving, Soler, Bowen, Kudus. Subs: Fabianski, Foderingham, Mavropanos, Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Casey, Scarles, Orford.
Preamble
Once he got back into football management, Graham Potter didn’t have to wait long to return to Stamford Bridge, a place he departed with many a cross word from fans. “If you look at the xG of the goal, it’s not that big a chance,” he said of the John McGinn goal for Aston Villa that did for him in April 2023. It became an epitaph for a manager too technocratic for the Chelsea soap opera. Does such a label attach itself to Enzo Maresca? Quite possibly, the positive signs of a bright start have faded. Some bad results have moved the dial. Like losing at Ipswich, for example.
G-Pott, as nobody sensible calls him, will know well enough the feeling. Now he’s the safe pair of hands at West Ham, who have steadied after Julen Lopetegui’s ill-fated regime was ended. The Hammers always do better with a sold type – Ron Greenwood, John Lyall and, yes, David Moyes. Given time, he could do a fine job. Will it start by snotting the Chels? Why not? It’s what we’re here to see.
Join me. The kick-off’s at 8pm. The transfer news is here, if you are so inclined.
