Chelsea produced a dramatic comeback against West Ham, overturning a 2-0 half-time deficit to win 3-2 in the Premier League, with Enzo Fernandez striking
in stoppage time. The result lifted Chelsea into the top four, while West Ham stayed 18th, still five points behind Nottingham Forest in the battle to avoid relegation.
The match also delivered history for Chelsea, who had never previously won a Premier League fixture when trailing by two or more goals at half-time, despite facing that scenario 56 times before this meeting. West Ham, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, missed the chance to claim a third straight league victory.
Liam Rosenior rotated heavily from the side that defeated Crystal Palace, making six changes, and Chelsea paid for a slow start. Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring in the seventh minute when a curling cross from the right evaded everyone and dropped inside the far post, exposing Chelsea’s early defensive uncertainty.
West Ham extended the advantage in the 36th minute as Crysencio Summerville drilled a powerful low finish past the goalkeeper, capping a swift attacking move. Chelsea looked flat in possession before the break, and West Ham appeared in full control, exploiting space in wide areas and punishing errors in build-up play.
Rosenior reacted at half-time with three substitutions, sending on Joao Pedro, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella, and those decisions transformed the contest. Fofana stepped out from defence on 57 minutes and delivered a precise cross, allowing Joao Pedro to guide a smart finish into the corner to pull the score back to 2-1.
Momentum had clearly shifted when Chelsea levelled. After Liam Delap headed against the crossbar under pressure from Maximilian Kilman, Cucurella reacted quickest, diving forward to nod in the rebound for 2-2. West Ham, who had earlier looked assured, suddenly struggled to regain control as Chelsea pressed higher and attacked with greater tempo.
Jean-Clair Todibo then missed a huge chance for West Ham, somehow stabbing the ball against the post with the goal open. Chelsea capitalised late in stoppage time, when Joao Pedro cut the ball back from the left and Fernandez arrived in space to sweep in the winner, almost three years to the day since joining Chelsea.
Tempers flared during the final moments as frustration grew for West Ham. Todibo was dismissed after grabbing Joao Pedro by the throat, leaving West Ham to finish with ten players and adding to the disappointment for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who had looked set for a comfortable evening at half-time.
West Ham’s defeat was only the second time the club have lost a Premier League game after leading 2-0 at the break, the previous occasion also ending 3-2, against Wigan Athletic in May 2011. For Chelsea, this dramatic recovery underlined a new resilience that had been absent in past campaigns.
1 - Chelsea have won a Premier League game in which they've been 2+ goals behind at half time for the first time, with today the 57th occasion. Turnaround. pic.twitter.com/KLortxlUTO
OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 31, 2026
Rosenior’s substitutions were central to the data story as well as the scoreline. Joao Pedro and Cucurella became the first pair of Chelsea substitutes to both score in one Premier League match since September 2022, when Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz struck, also against West Ham, continuing a curious pattern between the clubs.
There was another statistical note when Fofana assisted Joao Pedro’s goal. It marked the first time two Chelsea substitutes combined for a Premier League strike since Jadon Sancho set up Christopher Nkunku’s winner against Bournemouth in September 2024. The impact from the bench underlined Chelsea’s depth and Rosenior’s influence.
Rosenior’s evening was further marked by an individual milestone after 101 tense minutes. The Chelsea manager became the fourth Englishman to win a first three Premier League matches in charge, joining Bobby Gould, Sam Allardyce and Craig Shakespeare, whose run extended to five games during April 2017.
The result left West Ham still in serious danger near the bottom and Chelsea well placed in the top-four race ahead of Manchester United’s match against Fulham on Sunday. The contest highlighted Chelsea’s growing belief under Rosenior, and West Ham’s frustration at letting a strong position slip in such dramatic circumstances.
