Chelsea 2-1 West Ham: Premier League – live reaction | Premier League

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.

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.

72 min: Two Hammers changes: off go Coufal and Emerson, and on come Mavrapanos and Ollie Scarles.

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.

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…

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.

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.

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. “

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.

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.

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.