It was our weekend opponents who took the lead in the first half, capitalising on an error in our build-up play. Elisha Sowunmi seized the opportunity, finding the back of the net from close range to give West Ham the lead at the interval.

However, we responded quickly after the restart. It didn’t take long for us to equalise, with striker Chizaram Ezenwata linking up well with Reggie Walsh, who fired the ball past the keeper.

Building on that momentum, we took the lead brilliantly as our schoolboy Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli scored his first Under-18 goal, clinically finding the bottom corner.

But the Hammers didn’t give up and just when it seemed we had held on for the win, West Ham struck in stoppage time. Josh Landers fired a powerful shot straight down the middle of the goal.

Threatening early

The clash began with intensity as West Ham applied early pressure. Chelsea's keeper Jack Austin was quickly tested by a stinging right-footed strike from Sowumni inside the area, but Austin reacted well, diving to push the ball away.

Chelsea soon found our rhythm. Captain Genesis Antwi made a bold run upfield, spotting Leo Cardoso – fresh off his first Under-21s appearance against Manchester United. The winger tried his luck from outside the box, but his shot sailed just over the crossbar.

The game then settled into a quieter spell, with both teams struggling to create clear chances. Chelsea enjoyed most of the possession but struggled with the final touch. It wasn’t until Yahya Idrissi linked up with Ezenwata, sending a well-timed through ball upfield. Our striker danced into the box, but his tight-angled shot struck the near post, giving Finley Hooper a lucky escape.

Another chance for Chelsea came when Antwi linked up with Cardoso on the far side. The right-back used his pace to cut inside and sent a looping ball into the box. Ezenwata rose highest to meet it, powering a header towards goal, but the ball narrowly cleared the crossbar.

Just as the Blues were building momentum, disaster struck. Harry McGlinchey picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Joseph Wheeler-Henry just before the half-hour mark.

Despite the setback, Chelsea continued to press. Ezenwata tested Hooper with a powerful shot from a tight angle, but the keeper pushed it away. Walsh was first to the rebound, but his shot sailed over the bar.

Then, Watson unleashed a superb curled effort from distance, but once again, Hooper remained composed, catching the ball and sparing his defence.

Unexpected frustration

West Ham shocked Chelsea by breaking the deadlock against the run of play. Trying to play out from the back, Chelsea’s keeper Austin was pressured by Landers, who got a touch on Austin’s goal kick, slowing the ball. Sowumni pounced and hammered the loose ball straight down the middle to give West Ham the lead.

Chelsea responded instantly, with captain Antwi making a confident run down the flank. He cut back a looping ball for Idrissi, whose powerful strike was saved by Hooper, who smothered the effort to deny Chelsea the equaliser.

Just before half-time, West Ham thought they had doubled their lead when Sowumni set up a low strike into the bottom corner. However, the linesman’s offside flag brought their celebrations to a halt, and the score remained 1-0 at the break, leaving Chelsea with work to do in the second half.

The second half kicked off with urgency as Chelsea quickly showed their intent to find the equaliser. Watson wasted no time, sending a powerful free-kick toward goal, but Hooper was equal to the task, pushing it away from danger.

The midfielder was involved again moments later, delivering a precise free-kick to the back post, where tall defender Oultayo Subuloye was waiting. However, his tap-in just missed wide of the post.

Only a matter of time

At this point, it was all Chelsea, and our persistence paid off with the equaliser. The move started with some schoolboy brilliance. Calvin Dikaite spotted Walsh making a run into the box and Walsh fed the ball to Ezenwata, who stood strong and hammered it through Hooper’s legs to level the score.

Antwi continued to cause problems on the wing, delivering a brilliant cross into the box. Nicoll-Jazuli met it with a powerful header, but the effort flew just wide. He didn’t have to wait long for his moment, though.

Just five minutes later, Chelsea surged ahead. Watson dispossessed a Hammers midfielder and quickly spotted Walsh, who made a superb run upfield. Walsh fed the ball into Ezenwata, who couldn’t finish, but Nicoll-Jazuli was in the right place to calmly slot the ball into the bottom corner, giving Chelsea the lead.

Late drama

As the Hammers pressed for a late equaliser, the tension mounted. Austin was called into action, making a series of crucial saves. The most notable was from Sowunmi’s curling effort inside the box, which seemed destined for the net, but Austin reacted perfectly, diving to deny the strike.

West Ham came close again when Riley Hargan whipped in a free-kick and Josh Landers connected with a flicked header that smashed against the post, handing Chelsea a lucky escape.

However, just as it seemed Chelsea had secured the win, West Ham found the back of the net in stoppage time. Landers received the ball outside the area, dribbled into the box, shrugged off Wheeler-Henry and fired a strike straight down the middle, ensuring the points were shared as the game ended in a draw.

What's next

We continue our Under-18 Premier League campaign with an away trip to Aston Villa on Saturday 1 March for a midday kick-off. Supporters worldwide can stay up to date by watching the live stream on the official Chelsea website and app.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Jack Austin; Genesis Antwi (c), Olutayo Subuloye, Calvin Diakite, Harry McGlinchey (Joseph Wheeler-Henry 29); Reggie Watson, Leo Cardoso, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli (Walter Nutter 84); Chizaram Ezenwata, Reggie Walsh, Yahya Idrissi (Joel Philbert 79)
Unused subs: Hudson Sands, Hezekiah Grimwade
Scorers: Ezenwata 55, Nicoll-Jazuli 60
Booked: Watson 68

West Ham (4-2-3-1): Finley Hooper, Riley Ebho, Joe Scanlon, Jethro Medine, Rayan Oyebade, Tomas Jonyla (Lewis Beckford 67), Aaron Kamara, Riley Hargan, Josh Landers, Elisha Sowunmi, Majid Balogun (Andre Dike 67)
Unused subs: David Chigwada, Ben Nightingale, Jonathan Unwin
Scorers: Sowumni 37, Landers 90+4
Booked: Jonyla 33, Landers 45, Scanlon 69