Report: Chelsea 4 Albion 3

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Albion play their part in seven-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge

Bruce Talbot

2026-08-30T16:00+01:00

Malick Yalcouye salutes the Albion fans after scoring his first goal for the club. 📷James Boardman

Albion fell to defeat at Stamford Bridge but they showed plenty of spirit and determination after going 3-0 down inside 32 minutes.

Goals from Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro seemed to have put Chelsea in control.

But Malick Yalcouye celebrated his first Premier League start with a fine volley just before the break and the momentum was with Albion when Pascal Gross’s deflected effort made it 3-2 in the 63rd minute.

Diego Gomez had two great chances to equalise before Cole Palmer made the game safe.

Gross got a third goal with virtually the last kick of the match and although it didn’t alter the result it felt the least Albion deserved for their battling performance.

Diego Gomez at full stretch to block a clearance. 📷James Boardman

Yalcouye came into midfield for Yasin Ayari and there was a first start of the season in the league for Babis Kostoulas but Chelsea started at a frenetic pace and Albion fell behind after five minutes although it was a self-inflicted mistake.

Mats Wieffer was ready to clear the danger on the line when a corner was flicked on but Bart Verbruggen tried to punch the ball away and it dropped to Lavia to score his first Chelsea goal from about two yards.

It got worse. On 14 minutes Morgan Rogers broke down the left past Luka Vuskovic and Neto, coming in on Ferdi Kadioglu’s blind side, ghosted in front of Albion’s defender to stab the ball past Verbruggen.

It should have been three when Neto got the better of Kadioglu again and squared unselfishly to Joao Pedro but he inexplicably rolled his shot from about eight yards wide of goal. A massive let-off for Albion.

Mats Wieffer finds his route forward blocked off. 📷James Boardman

Albion had enjoyed 70% possession in the first 25 minutes but created little until Wieffer hung a cross and Yalcouye forced a decent save out of Emi Martinez as he stretched to make contact.

But Chelsea reasserted their control with a third goal. Jorrel Hato made the break this time down the left and Joao Pedro had time and space to fire his cross past a helpless Verbruggen.

At that stage it looked like being a long afternoon for Albion but they pulled a goal back on 35 minutes. Yalcouye started and finished the move, threading a pass into Kostoulas’s path. The striker’s shot was parried by Martinez and Yalcouye volleyed the loose ball with his right foot in off the inside of the post.

Before the break Gomez headed just over and Luka Vuskovic’s 30-yarder dipped too late but there had been a definite momentum shift and it continued in the second half.

Diego Gomez meets a free-kick with a powerful header - but it goes wide. 📷James Boardman

Gomez should have scored in the 56th minute when he met Oli Boscagli’s wonderful free-kick with a free header eight yards out but directed it a yard wide.

Gomez then forced Martinez to make a good save from his powerful volley before Albion got a deserved second goal on 63 minutes. Yalcouye threaded another nicely-weighted pass for Gross whose cross-shot beat Martinez with a deflection off Joao Pedro.

Martinez made another save to keep out Boscagli’s shot but just when it felt like an equaliser was coming Chelsea broke to stretch their lead, Palmer applying a fine finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Albion kept coming. Kadioglu volleyed just wide and Promise David produced some nice link-up touches when he debuted with ten minutes to go before Gross beat Martinez from close range with virtually the last kick off the game.

Babis Kostoulas hurdles a challenge to break forward. 📷James Boardman

A first defeat of the season - but there was a lot to commend in Albion’s performance as the 3,000 away fans, whose support throughout was outstanding, acknowledged at the end.

Albion: Verbruggen, Wieffer (sub: Costinha 80), Kadioglu, Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper, Gross, Yalcouye (Osman 73), Gomexz, Kostoulas (David 80).