Late drama at Stamford Bridge bailed out Thomas Tuchel’s side as they defeated West Ham United 1-0.
The first half was a dismal effort from the hosts, the pace was slow and despite largely dominating possession, the Blues failed to muster a single shot on target.
As the second half got underway, the home side came out with more energy, this quickly faded away though.
In the 84th minute, Chelsea were handed a get out of a jail free card when Craig Dawson pulled down substitute Romelu Lukaku in the box.
Dawson received his marching orders, and Jorginho stepped up to try and be the hero for the hosts.
His penalty was tame though and easily dealt with by Lukasz Fabianski.
Fortunately for the Blues, the action was not over yet, Marcos Alonso fired in a cross to pick out Christian Pulisic who slotted past Fabianski in 90th minute.
Here are five things Absolute Chelsea learned from Sunday’s win:
1) Captain America the hero for Chelsea
After a poor performance from the Blues, someone needed to step up. That man was Pulisic. He may not have been in the finest form as of late, but that goal is vital. It was a wonderful delivery from Alonso who also deserves some credit for a superb performance.
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2) Top four looking more secure
Following the loss in midweek to Arsenal, it was crucial the Blues picked up three points to extend the gap to the trailing pack who are hunting for a top four spot. This win extended the advantage for Chelsea, who still have a game in hand on their competitors.
3) Silly mistakes are occurring to regularly
Chelsea were fortunate not to be punished after conceding possession on multiple occasions in dangerous positions. The back line has looked shaky in recent weeks and there was no change against the Hammers, sloppy mistakes from Cesar Azpilicueta and Trevoh Chalobah could have easily cost the Blues if the visitors had been more ruthless.
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4) David Moyes and West Ham will rue missed opportunity
Having put out a second string side, prioritising their Europa League Semi-Final clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, the Hammers would not have expected to contend with third place Chelsea all the way until the 90th minute. They will be bitterly disappointed with the result but can be proud of their performance.
5) The eventual return of Mateo Kovacic will be a huge boost
One thing the Blues significantly missed was a creative spark in the midfield. The slow movement and lack of cutting edge in the final third was evident. Since the Croatian suffered an injury, Chelsea’s midfield has been questioned many times. Ahead of next season, it would not come as a surprise to see some activity in the transfer window for the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni or maybe even West Ham’s Declan Rice to try and resolve the problem.
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