1st February 2026 Daniel Luker (@danielluker_)
By Conor Hogan
West Ham lost 3-2 away at Chelsea, ending their winning-streak in a frustrating and disheartening manner.
The Hammers have started brightly in their last few Premier League games and Saturday’s clash was no different. It took just seven minutes for the visitors to open the scoring.
After some excellent work from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jarrod Bowen’s cross-turned-shot flew past Robert Sánchez in the hosts’ goal as the Irons opened the scoring for the fifth consecutive game in all competitions.
Nuno’s side looked superb all over the pitch. Similarly to the victories over Spurs and Sunderland, the Hammers showed tenacity and confidence on the break. But a second goal was needed to fully capitalise on the pressure they put on Rosenior’s side.
That second goal came when Crysencio Summerville doubled the Irons’ lead on 36 minutes.
The Dutchman has been in phenomenal form as of late and added to his tally for the season, firing home following great play by Bowen and Wan-Bissaka, who dominated the right-hand side in the opening 45.
The visitors were by far the better side in the first half and deservedly went in 2-0 up at half-time. Chelsea had to make changes, and altered their entire left-hand side with a triple change at the interval.
As it turned out, the substitutions made all the difference. Despite a couple of early chances for the visitors, Chelsea pegged a goal back. Wesley Fofana’s cross found fellow sub João Pedro, as the Brazilian halved the defecit on 57 minutes.
The Blues piled on the pressure, and eventually an equaliser came. Another substitute, Marc Cucurella, put Rosenior’s side on level terms with 20 minutes to go with a diving header following a heroic Max Kilman goal-line clearance.
The closing stages of the game were agonising for the Irons. But in the final minutes, it looked like Jean-Clair Todibo was about to fire home the winner and his first goal for the Hammers. However, he somehow hit the post from point-blank range following a well-worked set piece.
Prior to the game, Chelsea had never won a Premier League game where they trailed 2-0 at half-time – a strange statistic that the Sky broadcast kept emphasising. And of course, the prophecy came through, as Enzo Fernández sealed the comeback for the hosts in stoppage-time – a devastating blow for Nuno’s side.
But the drama didn’t end there. Following a scuffle between Cucurella and Hammers debutant Adama Traoré, players from both sides saw red mist and a mass altercation insued. In the midst of it all, Todibo was caught with his hands around the neck of João Pedro.
VAR intervened and the Frenchman was dismissed, compounding West Ham’s late hardship. Anthony Taylor blew the final whistle as the Hammers’ winning-streak came to an end. Truly a game of two halves for Nuno’s side.
Although the result – and how it happened – will massively disappoint Hammers fans, this side looks rejuvinated in recent weeks. There are few teams in the league that can match Chelsea’s strength in depth, and for 45 minutes, the Irons looked incredible.
Despite that, it’s another three points dropped from a winning position for Nuno’s side. Our defending from crosses is still an issue and now our strongest centre-back is suspended.
The game at Burnley next weekend is a must-win. But I think the Hammers have enough quality to secure three points at Turf Moor and get back to winning ways.