Staff Reporter.
Christian Pulisic’s 90th-minute winner helped save team-mate Jorginho’s blushes as Chelsea boosted their top-four hopes with a late win over an understrength West Ham.
David Moyes rested six players before their Europa League semi-final on Thursday and it looked like they might hold for a precious point when Jorginho’s woeful effort from the spot was saved by Lukasz Fabianski after 87 minutes.
But after Craig Dawson was sent off after a video assistant review (VAR) for fouling Romelu Lukaku in the build-up to the penalty, Pulisic turned the saviour as he tucked in Marcos Alonso’s low cross.
It sent Stamford Bridge into raptures after a frustrating afternoon that looked set to continue manager Thomas Tuchel’s poor form at home, with his side having lost their last three games.
But the victory sparked relief for him and his players as they recovered from their midweek defeat by Arsenal to move five points clear of the fourth-placed Gunners.
West Ham will be distraught they did not get anything from the game after a sterling display, with Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio all starting on the bench.
Dawson, who was otherwise excellent with a number of blocks, will also feel aggrieved as West Ham remain seventh, eight points behind Arsenal.
Meanwhile Burnley‘s recent renaissance continued as Matej Vydra clinched a hard-fought win against Wolves at Turf Moor which piled the pressure on Everton in the fight for Premier League survival.
Elsewhere James Ward-Prowse scored two stunning goals as Southampton came from behind to rescue a point at the Amex.
Brighton were cruising thanks to a second-minute strike from Danny Welbeck and Mohammed Salisu’s own goal late in the first half, with Saints full-back Tino Livramento also carried off with a serious-looking leg injury.
However, Ward-Prowse’s trademark free-kick on the cusp of half-time sparked the Southampton fightback, his 14th directly from a free-kick, second only to David Beckham (18) in the Premier League era.
After the break, he demonstrated his skills from open play with a fierce low drive that fizzed past Robert Sanchez bring his side level and take him to 10 goals for the season.
Southampton pushed for a winner against their shell-shocked hosts but lacked creativity and were relieved that Pascal Gross’s late strike was ruled out for offside.
The point does mean Brighton match their record Premier League points tally of 41 and breaks their run of five home games without a goal.