STRIKES AS RACE FOR TOP CRITICAL BLOW FOUR HEATS UP
WHATEVER his struggles, Timo Werner never hides and never stops getting into the danger area. And that industry from the misfiring Chelsea hitman was finally rewarded with only his second league goal in 23 outings.
OK, it was an easy, close-range 44th-minute finish at the London Stadium, but that will not bother him or Chelsea as it handed them a crucial edge in the increasingly tense scrap for Champions League qualification.
Werner said: “It’s the best feeling after winning a game to score a goal.
“It was really important for me and the whole team. It’s great to be back on the scoresheet.”
Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel may have seen his club pull out of the Super League project last week but his side remain on course to secure fourth spot in the Premier League.
They are now three points clear of nearest rivals West Ham, who after this second successive defeat stay fifth and a point clear of Liverpool. Not the early birthday present Irons boss David Moyes, 58 today, wanted.
However, with a decent final five fixtures, the East Londoners, who had Fabian Balbuena shown a harsh straight red in the closing stages for a foul on Ben Chilwell, are still very much in the top-four hunt.
But Moyes was not happy at the sending-off. “A really rank, rotten decision,” was how he described it. He was understating it.
The Blues, though, can head into this week’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid in buoyant mood.
Tuchel said: “Timo needs to keep on scoring and catch the moment.
“He is quite often involved in our goals with fouls in the area or assists like against Manchester City but nothing helps more than a decisive goal.
“I’m very happy because he was very strong from the start.
“It was very nice he could score and he could have had a second one but, good performance, and I am happy because it was a big win.”
Chelsea had their hosts on the back foot for much of the game although too often again they weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and ought to have been ahead before Chilwell’s low cross found Werner and he side-footed home from close range.
Werner had the evening’s first opportunity, firing Mason Mount’s neat pass over.
Then Mount, in typically dangerous mood, wriggled free in the box but Lukasz Fabianski was equal to the effort.
While defending in numbers, the hosts were a threat on the counter. Twice they broke clear only to waste the opening, courtesy of poor passes from Jarrod Bowen and Ryan Fredericks.
And Christian Pulisic should have punished them for that on 15 minutes.werner was the architect for the American, who produced a tame shot.
That was a relief for awest Ham
defence that had leaked 11 goals in their previous five games – as was the sight ofwerner having a shot on the turn deflected off-target.
The Blues forward was frustrated and his yellow card for a tripping Jesse Lingard in the 35th minute demonstrated the fact.
The free-kick almost delivered the breakthrough.tomas Soucek reacted quickest to a bouncing ball but his first-time attempt was blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta.
Lingard was becoming a real handful.andreas Christensen was soon cautioned for hacking the England man down.
On the stroke of half-time, however, the visitors grabbed the lead against the run of play.
Pulisic freed Chilwell and his cross evaded twowest Ham defenders to leavewerner to roll in his first goal since early February.
That should have eased the pressure on his shoulders. But soon after the break he was back to old habits, shooting wide from four yards out with just the keeper to beat.
Despite their valiant efforts, Balbuena’s sending-off for clattering Chilwell with 10 minutes left put paid to the Hammers’ hopes.