Chelsea vs West Ham, Premier League live: score and latest updates from today's 2pm fixtures
- Moyes prioritises Europa Leage semi with changes
- Dawson sent off for pulling back Lukaku
- Fabianski saves Jorginho's dreadful penalty
- Pulisic pounces late
A last-gasp goal from substitute Christian Pulisic got Chelsea back to winning ways at Stamford Bridge and woke the home fans and head coach Thomas Tuchel from their slumber.
Chelsea looked to be sleep-walking their way to a goalless bore draw against a West Ham United side who had clearly prioritised their Europa League campaign, particularly when Jorginho passed a late penalty into the arms of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
But Pulisic converted a low cross from Marcos Alonso to stop the European champions dropping more points at home, following three successive Stamford Bridge defeats to Brentford, Real Madrid and Arsenal.
This was also a timely clean sheet for a Chelsea team that had conceded 11 goals over their previous three home games, but there was not an awful lot for Tuchel to get excited about.
At least West Ham, who finished the game with 10 men after Craig Dawson was sent off for conceding the penalty, have got bigger fish to fry. Quite what Chelsea’s excuse for this drab display will be is anybody’s guess. The pitch? The takeover. Antonio Rudiger deciding to leave?
Certainly, Jorginho had nobody else to blame for missing a late penalty which could have been so costly.
Jorginho hopped, skipped and jumped before side-footing a terrible penalty far too close to Fabianski, who comfortably gathered the ball low to his right.
PENALTY MISSED! Wow... just wow! ❌ pic.twitter.com/vjOVTPo3To
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 24, 2022
Dawson, who had been man of the match, was sent off following a VAR review for his foul on substitute Romelu Lukaku that gifted Jorginho his big chance.
But Jorginho could breathe a huge sigh of relief a few minutes later, as Pulisic converted Alonso’s cross to get his team-mate off the hook.
Chelsea for too long mirrored their head coach Tuchel, who spent most of the game sitting in his technical area.
Normally so demonstrative on the touchline, Tuchel was strangely subdued and so were his team for the majority of the game.
The only times Tuchel got particularly worked up were to scream his anger at referee Michael Oliver and fourth official Peter Bankes.
For once his players were spared any in-game rollickings, but it could not have been because he was particularly impressed with their performance.
Already missing Antonio Rudiger, who has decided to leave Chelsea at the end of his contract, and Reece James, who had a hamstring problem, Tuchel lost Andreas Christensen, another of his defenders who are leaving, in the pre-match warm-up.
Christensen suffered from stomach cramps and had to be replaced by Trevoh Chalobah, but both sets of defences did not have too much to worry them.
That will have pleased Moyes, who was forced to field a makeshift defence because of injuries and rested a number of key players ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Craig Dawson made some good blocks from Timo Werner, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount, while Lukasz Fabianski saved well from Chalobah and Werner.
Edouard Mendy was forced into making a double stop from Andriy Yarmolenko after the Ukrainian had teed up Tomas Soucek, but his weak shot was blocked.
Perhaps sensing West Ham could nick all three points, Moyes threw on Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen, before Tuchel responded with a treble change of his own.
Romelu Lukaku was booed by a smattering of fans when he replaced Havertz, while Christian Pulisic was sent on for Werner and Hakim Ziyech replaced Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who had filled in at right wing-back.
The changes proved to be decisive, as Lukaku won the penalty that Jorginho missed and then Pulisic secured the three points that should extinguish any nerves of Chelsea somehow dropping out of the top four.
Saints' superb captain overturns Brighton's two-goal lead.
Hardly deserved but they nicked it in the end after Craig Dawson's mistake.
Burnley go two points clear of Everton and climb to 17th, two points behind Leeds.
The penalty didn't hurt West Ham but the red card did.
Mount sends Alonso down the left and two yards in front of the byline the left wing-back pulls back a pass to the penalty spot for Pulisic to bury with a firm shot.
Chelsea 1 West Ham 0 (Pulisic)
Hwang smashes his volley straight at Pope.
Terrible penalty. He does the hop, skip, thing. Fabianski doesn't commit then flops on the tame effort inches to his right.
For denying a goalscoring opportunity.
And he is shown the red card.
Dawson pulls back Lukaku as the centre-forward ran on to Thiago's flick-on.
Pascal Gross has a goal chalked off by Var because he was a milimetre offside.
Wolves are throwing the kitchen sink at Burnley, switching to 4-2-4.
Lukaku tries to ragdoll Rice but the England midfielder is too strong for him and holds him at bay in the centre-circle.
Triple Chelsea substitution. Hello to Lukaku, Pulisic and Ziyech. Farwell to Loftus-Cheek, Havertz and Werner.
Collins makes an excellent recovery from his error to stop Raul beasting Tarkowski.
Good save from Fabianksi as Werner, at full stretch, shoots when the ball breaks to him from a corner.
Another brave block by Dawson to stop Mount's shot and then regains his feet to force Werner wide with his effort on the rebound which he plants into the side netting.
Double save from Mendy to twice frustrate Vydra who has had Azpilicueta on toast today.
West Ham send Declan Rice on for Mark Noble.
McNeil sends Weghorst through and he squares it for Vydra to convert coolly.
Burnley 1 Wolves 0 (Vydra)
Crisp shot from 20 yards after Romeu capitalised on a mistake by Webster.
Brighton 2 Southampton 2 (Ward-Prowse)
Kante cuts in from the right, shoots and catches Jonson's toe. the ball loops up gently and allows Fabianski to adjust and make the catch.
Yarmolenko skips past Azpilicueta and Alonos but instead of bending a left-foot shot into the far post he lays it off to Soucke whose side-footer from the 18-yard line is blocked by Thiago Silva.
8 - James Ward-Prowse has scored eight direct free-kick goals in the Premier League since the start of last season, which is twice as many as any other player in Europe's big five leagues and four times as many as any other Premier League player. Prowess. pic.twitter.com/84Efy8RvVq
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 24, 2022
Chelsea awake! And West Ham owe Dawson for saving them from Loftus-Cheek's firm back-post header that set up Werner's volley and then Werner's shot from 16 yards.
I've never seen such a placid Chelsea team. Is it because they had to answer only to Abramovich and with him gone they don't fear disappointing anyone? Kante has just sprayed a straightforward pass beyond his target and into touch.
Burnley have the ball in the Wolves net but Vydra was miles offside.
No changes for Tuchel but the commentary team have decided to become body language 'experts' and are noting the contrast between the urgency of West Ham's early return to the pitch and Chelsea's languid stragglers.
A free-kick, as you might have expected, into the bottom left corner after Romeu took a position in the wall which was negligent of Brighton. Romeu ducked and Ward-Prowse threaded the eye of the needle as only he can.
Brighton 2 Saints 1 (Ward-Prowse)
Chelsea lack fizz. West Ham have been the better side and will be encouraged by the number of times Benrahma and Yarmolenko have beaten their men.
No gilded chances for either side in a match infected by tension.
The Saints defender was attempting to stop Welbeck tapping in at the end of a move he started by giving the ball to Trossard with a Modric-esque pass and making the run to meet the return ball.
Brighton 2 Southampton 0 (Salisu og)
West Ham free-kick on the left after a foul by Thiago Silva on Yarmolenko. Cresswell swings it in, Chalobah heads it but with more vertical than horizontal distance, inviting Dawson to try to swan-neck it in from 18 yards. He goes for a looping header but Mendy has all the time in the world to pluck it out of the Fulham sky.
Jose Sa tips McNeil's shot over the bar. A twist on the wolf at the door, Burnley are knock, knock, knocking on the Wolves' door.
Tuchel is chuntering away in the dug out, writing notes, shaking his head, as if he can't believe how insipid his side have become, a far cry from their usual hard-boiled battle fever.
The pictures have come through of the penalty box carnage that Welbeck exploited:
Soucek is penalised for catching Chalobah on the back of his neck with his elbow as bot go up to battle for Benrahma's cross.
Collins throws himself in the way of Silva's shot. The Wolves forward had better options.
Livramento is being taken off the field on a stretcher. Looks like a bad injury.
Mistakes aplenty from Chelsea's defence. Yarmolenko gets in down the inside-left channel and flashes a left-foot half-volley across goal and wide of the right post.
Maupay finishes from an offside position and his goal is chalked off for Brighton, having converted Dunk's header.
Chelsea have lost their bite. Players are looking to lay the ball off around the box rather than having a shot.
Pope makes a smart save to deny Jonny.
Fornals wastes a decent chance after good work by Yarmolenko, making his first Premier League start for 17 months.
McNeil shoots over the bar for Burnley while Vydra pulls the trigger from 25 yards but can't find the power to trouble Sa.
Bad mistake from Azpilicueta who turns infield casually and tries to roll the ball infield as if not seeing Benrahmao underestimating his danger. Benrahma robs him sprints towards the box and shoots low at an angle. Mendy saves at the near post.
Twenty seconds later Chalobah dawdles on the ball and allows Benrahma to rob him on the right bu,t unlike Azpilicueta, he has the pace to recover and win the ball back before the West Ham winger can shoot.
Marcos Alonso concedes a freekick 40 yards out. West Ham wave forward the centre-backs but then take it short, lose possession and try to spear the defence on its left flank but Loftus-Cheek makes his run too early and ruins Mount's chance of playing him in.
Cesar Azpilicueta has to go off to change his right boot. Meanwhile Werner tries to nutmeg Johnson on the D and , when he can't, to force the ball past his strong, shielding stance. Johnson is too robust, forcing Werner to lose his feet and handle as he fell.
Nervy start from both sides at Turf Moor with the match being played at 100mph and possession and promising positions too easily squandered.
Kante fires a left-foot shot wide after great work from Loftus-Cheek wide on the right. Cresswell headed out the first cross but the tenacious RLC won it back and set up the opportunity for Kante from 18 yards.
West Ham fans sing 'Stamford Bridge is falling down'. Spaces everywhere because of the ban on selling tickets to non-season ticketholders as part of the sanctions against Roman Abramovich.
Mwepu vies with Forster for Cucurella's cross, the keeper is impeded by his won defender and Welbeck capitalises on the mix-up to poke the ball home
Brighton 1 Southampton 0 (Welbeck)
A cross from Kante towards the penalty spot is headed out by Dawson.
Yarmolenko is on the right for West Ham with Fornals through the middle. Chelsea build up the right from kick-off.
Mark Noble pogos a little as his final season draws to a close.
Trevoh Chalobah replaces him in the starting XI, thus:
Chelsea Mendy; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Chalobah; Loftus-Cheek, Kante, Jorginho, Alonso; Mount, Havertz; Werner.Substitutes Arrizabalaga, Lukaku, Pulisic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Kenedy, Sarr.
West Ham United Fabianski, Johnson, Dawson, Cresswell, Coufal, Soucek, Noble, Masuaku, Yarmolenko, Fornals, Benrahma.Substitutes Areola, Antonio, Lanzini, Vlasic, Bowen, Fredericks, Kral, Rice, Alese.
Referee Michael Oliver (Newcastle)
The stakes have got a bit higher so we think it's the best thing to do.
Adam Webster made his first start for more than two months, while Brighton also recalled forwards Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay for the visit of Southampton.
Albion have not won at home since Boxing Day, a run of seven matches, failing to score in the last five of those fixtures.
Pascal Gross and Solly March dropped to the bench, while Tariq Lamptey was absent from Graham Potter's squad.
Southampton opted for six changes, including handing forward Shane Long a first league start since December.
Tino Livramento, Mohammed Salisu, Nathan Redmond, Nathan Tella and Che Adams also returned.
Maxwel Cornet was absent through injury as Burnley hosted Wolves in the Premier League.
The Ivory Coast international dropped out of the starting line-up and squad following Thursday's win against Southampton, with Matej Vydra starting.
Wolves made four alterations as Raul Jimenez, Leander Dendoncker, Nelson Semedo and Romain Saiss came in.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek starts at wing-back as Chelsea host West Ham in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel made three changes from Wednesday's 4-2 home loss to Arsenal, with Reece James dropping out of the matchday squad altogether.
Kai Havertz started up front ahead of Romelu Lukaku, with Cesar Azpilicueta in a back-three alongside Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen.
David Moyes made six changes for West Ham, with former Chelsea youth player Declan Rice taking a seat on the bench.