It was not pretty and, when Jorginho hopped, skipped and fluffed an 87th-minute penalty, it looked like it would not come at all. But Chelsea were able to squeeze out a narrow 1-0 victory over West Ham thanks to Christian Pulisic’s 90th-minute winner in a match that will not last long in the memory.
The goal itself was smartly constructed and taken. On as a second-half substitute, Pulisic timed and adjusted a run into the box to get on the end of Marcos Alonso’s cut-back, after Mason Mount had carried the ball forward in desperation. The American stroked a finish into the far corner from his left foot for his fourth goal of the Premier League campaign. The equalling of last season’s tally that little bit less important than the end of a run two successive home deafest, and a much-needed clean sheet after shipping four goals in both.
Thomas Tuchel was relieved rather than buoyed. This was not a display to hang your hat on, and it is hard to think of a player beyond the usual suspects of Mount and Thiago Silva who emerged with any top-up of credit. But the three points re-establishes distance between them and Arsenal - now five points, with a game in hand. Follow all the team news, build-up and latest scores from all three games below:
