- Christian Pulisic - 90'
- Craig Dawson - 86'
Christian Pulisic's late winner earns Chelsea vital victory against West Ham
Can Pulisic nail down a starting spot in Chelsea's XI?
Janusz Michallik speaks after Christian Pulisic's late winner for Chelsea against West Ham.
Chelsea tightened their grip on third place in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over 10-man West Ham United on Sunday, with Christian Pulisic's 90th-minute winner at Stamford Bridge making up for teammate Jorginho's missed penalty.
Substitute Pulisic arrived in the box at the right time to guide home a superb pass by Marcos Alonso shortly after Jorginho had wasted his chance from the spot, firing straight at West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
- Hamilton: Pulisic the hero as Tuchel's changes pay off
- ESPN+ viewers' guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more
West Ham defender Craig Dawson, one of their best players in a much-changed side, was shown a red card after a check by the Video Assistant Referee following a clumsy foul on substitute Romelu Lukaku that resulted in the penalty.
Thomas Tuchel's side ended a run of two straight defeats at home -- against Brentford and Arsenal -- but it is their forward line rather than defence that will concern the manager ahead of their final few matches.
"[Tuchel] just said to make a difference; to combine and make opportunities. It feels good to be more secure in the top four," Pulisic, who replaced Timo Werner in the 76th minute, told Sky Sports postmatch.
"We needed a win at home, and it feels great in front of our fans. We need to finish the season strong ... some good league games and then a final [in the FA Cup against Liverpool]. I needed to come in and make a difference and show I want to be playing."
Seventh-placed West Ham made six changes to their starting line-up with an eye on Thursday's Europa League semi-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, a competition that offers them their best chance of reaching next season's Champions League.
They looked on course to secure a point after N'Golo Kante's deflected effort and Trevoh Chalobah's rocket from distance drew saves from Fabianski, before Werner fired wide from a tight angle in the second half of a game that had few clear chances.
With the victory, Chelsea move five points clear of fourth-placed Arsenal, with a match in hand against Mikel Arteta's side. They can consolidate their position with a victory over struggling Manchester United on Thursday.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Michael Oliver
English Premier League Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | +15 | 28 |
| Manchester City | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | +9 | 23 |
| Chelsea | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +8 | 19 |
| Arsenal | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +6 | 19 |
| Nottingham Forest | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +5 | 19 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +4 | 19 |
| Fulham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | +3 | 18 |
| Newcastle United | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | +2 | 18 |
| Aston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | +10 | 16 |
| Brentford | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16 |
| AFC Bournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| Manchester United | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| West Ham United | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | -6 | 12 |
| Leicester City | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -7 | 10 |
| Everton | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -7 | 10 |
| Ipswich Town | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | -10 | 8 |
| Crystal Palace | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -7 | 7 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | -11 | 6 |
| Southampton | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | -14 | 4 |
Premier League News