GRAHAM POTTER was back on familiar territory at Chelsea - to the extent of taking his old seat in the dugout. Recent changes at Stamford Bridge mean the away technical area was once the home one, and vice versa. Apart from that things are pretty much the same as when he was sacked in 2023 after seven months, following a run of three wins from eight games and with the team apparently in turmoil. Last night’s fortunate win for the latest man to inhabit the home dugout is also only the third in the last eight games. An identical run of form almost two years since Potter was axed.

Yet Enzo Maresca is still regarded as the man to take Chelsea forwards and the three points earned at vast expense against West Ham lifts them back into the top four. Whether they have the gumption to stay there is hugely questionable because at times Maresca had his head in his hands at some of the stuff that passed for football being played by his team. Chelsea went behind from a defensive clanger, faced an anxious wait for their equaliser to be cleared by VAR, then needed an own goal from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to finally see off opponents who have been struggling for momentum all season.

A win is a win but there are cracks under the surface and there is nowhere to go in the transfer market between now and summer. Maresca had a relatively quiet day ahead of the 11pm deadline. His boldest move was to ditch cock-up keeper Robert Sanchez for making one mistake too many and replaced him with understudy Filip Jorgensen. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. When the Dane’s name was read out pre-match, the loud cheers from the Matthew Harding Stand showed what the Chelsea fans thought of that decision.

However, the joy was briefly cut short in just the eighth minute when the new man spilled a dangerous cross whipped in by Andy Irving, with Jarrod Bowen bearing down on him in the box. It was similar at the other moments later when Chelsea broke at speed and Noni Madueke whipped a curling shot just wide of the post. It’s always odd when two high-profile teams meet on transfer deadline day because half the crowd are wondering if there will be any breaking news between kick-off and the final whistle.

Maresca has not enjoyed this window one bit, labelling it a "disaster" with all the "noise" - the speculation - that surrounds his players in particular as they play for such a busy club. But those who make the matchday squad know their futures are safe at least. So why Chelsea seemed so edgy in the first half is a question Maresca and his squad needed to answer during the break. They played the more stylish football of the two, but struggled to find range and direction when it came to the crunch.

Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s deadliest marksman, had a pinpoint free kick tipped over the bar that drew a cracking save from Alphonse Areola. But he also smacked the strip lights at the top of The Shed with one shot and put another straight into the arms of the Hammers keeper. Noni Madueke, Jadon Sancho, Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez also narrowly missed - but missed all the same. Potter’s West Ham have been shuffling along without a recognised striker this year with skipper Jarrod Bowen out having fractured a foot.,.

Raring to go, Bowen wasted no time and no chances - gobbling up a dreadful back pass by Levi Colwill to burst clear into the Chelsea box and bend a shot past Jorgensen’s dive at ground level. Maresca’s team was struggling physically, not just mentally. So much so that he was forced to take off struggling striker Nicolas Jackson and Sancho just six minutes into the second half. He had used four subs by the hour mark as the Italian desperately plotted to inject some stability into his team that was seriously under the cosh but as much by their own mistakes.

An untidy derby riddled with errors even saw ref Stuart Attwell falling over on the job. And Chelsea’s equaliser was just as scruffy. Sub Pedro Neto’ cross dropped into the West Ham box and courtesy of the faintest flick on by a visiting defender, hit Chelsea left back Marc Cucurella virtually on the by line. He managed to knock it back into the path of Fernandez who shot. It was blocked but Neyo scooped up the chance from close range. A lengthy VAR check finally handed Maresca a lifeline.