Getty Images SportChaos at Chelsea! Jean-Clair Todibo sent off for grabbing Joao Pedro by the throat as mass brawl breaks out after Blues complete sensational comeback
Mass brawl breaks out at end of Chelsea win
West Ham looked set for a famous win at Chelsea after taking a 2-0 lead thanks to early goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville. However, Chelsea hit back in the second half to take all three points, with Joao Pedro, Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez all on target. The match then descended into chaos in stoppage time with the Spanish defender playing up to his role as the pantomime villain.
With the seconds trickling away, the full-back attempted to shepherd the ball out of play and ensure that they would take all three points. However, his efforts were met by an almighty shove by Adam Traore, sparking a melee. The new West Ham signing then pushed Pedro and his team-mate Todibo ended up getting himself involved and into trouble.
The Frenchman grabbed Pedro around the throat and, after a VAR check, was handed his marching orders. Cole Palmer and Konstantinos Mavropanos were also involved in a feisty end to the derby which even saw the goalkeepers involved in splitting up the warring players.
Getty Images SportCucurella and Pedro reflect on game
After the tensions had calmed and the game was eventually brought to a halt, Cucurella was full of praise for his team-mates and his side’s response to going 2-0 down to the Hammers. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “At half-time we speak, in the end its about our mentality and desire we showed in the second half, we are very happy.
“[Liam Rosenior] said it's about us, if we go to press, want the ball, play with confidence, we will get the chances to win. We have very good players, a very good team, since the start of the second-half we showed a lot of energy and desire. If we play with this energy we are able to win at lot of games.”
Pedro also shared the sentiment. The Brazilian admitted that “sometimes this can happen, but we have a strong squad. We showed we are capable to do it, now we must look forward an continue.
“We knew our power. It's another special day. This team is very young but everyone trusts each other, this is our power. We can improve a lot, but this game is important to show the fans how strong we are.”
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Chelsea's comeback kings
The remarkable victory for Chelsea also marked a milestone for the Blues. As per Opta, the 3-2 win was the first time in which the club have won a game after being two or more goals down at half-time. This was the 57th game in which they found themselves behind by that deficit at the break, they have now overturned that for the first time.
Getty Images SportCarabao Cup returns
Chelsea return to action on Tuesday night when they will have to mount yet another comeback if they are to make the Carabao Cup final. They lost at home 3-2 to Arsenal in the semi-final first leg and will need to be at their best if they are to get past the Gunners.
Arsenal returned to form on Saturday with a 4-0 thumping of Leeds at Elland Road. Arteta will be delighted to see the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus on the scoresheet, but will be frustrated to lose Bukayo Saka to injury. The Gunners boss is unsure how long the English winger will be sidelined, but will be pleased that Noni Madueke was able to make a difference in his place.
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