Chelsea fell behind before recovering to beat West Ham United 3-2 through captain Enzo Fernandez’s last-minute goal in the English Premier League match on Sunday, February 1, 2026 WIB. The dramatic victory in the London Derby, which ended with players rioting at Stamford Bridge Stadium, brought Chelsea back to the top four.
Falling behind first made manager Liam Rosenior booed by the fans. Yes, Rosenior gambled by overhauling the squad and did not play seven players when defeating Napoli 3-2 in the Champions League match. A victory that brought Chelsea into the last 16 without having to play a playoff.
In the match against Napoli, Chelsea was indeed ahead but then fell behind 2-1. However, The Blues were able to bounce back to turn the tide and defeat Napoli at the opponent’s home at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
The victory over Napoli became a valuable capital for Chelsea when hosting West Ham in the London Derby. However, Rosenior made a surprise by rotating the players and giving the opportunity to Liam Delap who had just recovered from injury as a starter. Likewise, winger Jamie Gittens was the first choice with Alejandro Garnacaho. Meanwhile, Cole Palmer who started the match against Napoli by sitting on the bench played behind Delap.
Different formations make Chelsea’s appearance different. The Blues’ game organization changed to no longer be neat and solid. This situation was taken advantage of by West Ham who immediately hit the host with two consecutive goals.
The match was only seven minutes, West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen had broken Chelsea’s goal. Starting from Pablo’s cross, he greeted by lifting his foot which broke Roberto Sanchez’s goal.
1-0 ahead, West Ham is increasingly confident facing the hosts. They are rebuilding the attack. The Hammers’ efforts were not in vain. In the 36th minute, it was Crysencio Summerville’s turn to get a chance when he received a perfect pass from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He also fired a hard shot that defeated Sanchez.
In a position two goals behind, Chelsea tried to bounce back. But a solid game with a tight defense from Espirito Santo Nuno’s team made it difficult for the hosts to catch up. The score 2-0 for West Ham closed the first half.
In the second half, Rosenior immediately made three substitutions. The entry of Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro immediately changed Chelsea’s game to be more alive.
They were also involved in Chelsea’s first goal when Pedro greeted a cross from Wesley Fofana. Pedro also jumped and beat goalkeeper Alphonse Areola so that his header from close range managed to break into the West Ham goal. This is Pedro’s fifth goal in the last five matches.
The goal also raised the adrenaline of the Chelsea players. As a result, Cucurella managed to equalize the score to 2-2 in the 70th minute. This goal started from Fernandez’s cross which was greeted by Delap. He then gave an assist to Cucurella. The diving action of the Spanish national team defender when heading the ball managed to defeat Areola.
Chelsea also became more aggressive in pressing West Ham after managing to equalize. When the match was expected to end in a draw, Fernandez made a surprise by breaking the opponent’s goal in injury time. He greeted Pedro’s cross to score a goal and change the score to 3-2. A goal that is very meaningful for the Argentine national team midfielder because he created it while playing his 150th match with Chelsea.
When the match was about to end and there were only a few seconds left, players from both teams got into a brawl. The incident occurred when West Ham got a corner kick. When the turmoil occurred, Pedro and Adama Traore wrestled and fell. The two then got into a fight. However, West Ham player,
Jean-Clair Todibo did an unsporting act by choking Pedro. As a result, referee Anthony Taylor gave a red card to Todibo. Not long after the match was over.
The victory over West Ham brought Chelsea back into the Champions League zone with a fourth-place finish. Chelsea has 40 points or one point ahead of Liverpool who beat Newcastle United 4-1.
Chelsea also displaced Manchester United who have 38 points. However, Man Utd who dropped to sixth place will return to the Champions League zone if they beat Fulham, Sunday night at Old Trafford.
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