Marc Cucurella has admitted he sparked the flashpoint that erupted during Chelsea’s dramatic 3–2 win over West Ham United, revealing he deliberately tried to provoke Adama Traoré in the closing stages at Stamford Bridge.
The heated moment followed Enzo Fernández’s late winner, as tensions boiled over during a frantic finish to an already chaotic London derby.
Chelsea fight back after West Ham lead
West Ham stunned the home crowd by racing into a 2–0 first-half lead through goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville. Chelsea, however, mounted a strong second-half response under Liam Rosenior.
João Pedro pulled one back before Cucurella equalised on 70 minutes, setting the stage for a dramatic finale. Nuno Espírito Santo attempted to regain control by introducing new signing Traoré late on, but it was Fernández who delivered the decisive moment with a stoppage-time strike.
Moments later, a confrontation broke out on the touchline, resulting in Jean-Clair Todibo being shown a red card.
Cucurella admits he ‘started’ the incident
Speaking on TV3’s Fan Zone with Gerard Romero, Cucurella openly acknowledged his role in the altercation, explaining that he was attempting to disrupt Traoré as West Ham pushed for an equaliser.
“There’s a moment when I get up and I notice I’m very close to him, and I said, well, I’m going to stick my head in here to see if I can create a bit of controversy,” — Marc Cucurella
The Chelsea left-back admitted the situation escalated quickly once the ball went out of play.
“He grabbed me, threw me where he could, and a big scuffle broke out,” — Marc Cucurella
Barcelona connection didn’t cool tempers
Key Insights
- Chelsea overturned a 2–0 deficit to beat West Ham 3–2
- Cucurella admitted deliberately trying to provoke Traoré
- The scuffle occurred after Enzo Fernández’s late winner
- Jean-Clair Todibo was sent off during the incident
- Both players played down any lingering animosity
What’s Next
Chelsea will look to build on the comeback victory as they continue their push in the Premier League, while West Ham must regroup after surrendering a commanding lead. Any potential disciplinary follow-up from the match officials is expected to be clarified in the coming days.
Did Cucurella cross the line with his gamesmanship, or was it simply part of the edge needed to see out a dramatic win?
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