West Ham v Chelsea: Preview, Team News and Predictions | Premier League 2022-23
Chelsea will be on their travels for matchday 23 of the Premier League, kickstarting a week of feisty fixtures away at London Stadium. Graham Potter’s beleaguered Blues are set to lock horns with cross-city rivals West Ham, who are in similar form and will be just as desperate to scalp all three points.
Realistically, neither camp is where they want to be. While Chelsea sit in ninth place with just one win from five, and only three goals scored since the turn of the year, the Hammers are languishing just above the relegation zone. David Moyes has been under enormous pressure this season, as a result of which his side are only a point above Sean Dyche’s rejuvenated Everton.
The Hammers are, nevertheless, a stern test for any visiting team. In fact, they won this exact fixture last season against an in-form Chelsea team, thanks to a fortuitous 87th minute goal from Arthur Masuaku to win 3-2. They’re relentless on the break, and know full well how to counter teams that keep the ball, being masters themselves of low blocks and defensive coups.
With four points collected from their last two outings, West Ham will fancy their chances in the bid to improve their dire run.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are eyeing a London derby milestone should they come away with maximum points. They will become the first team from the capital to win 150 such fixtures. But records will be the last thing on the mind of Potter.
Picking the best XI seems to be an issue raised from the watching crowd, as several players in the line-up often plotted are searching for their touch. Returning players will surely help as well, along with the winter signings that bolstered the squad.
It should be a tight affair between both sides, given their situation and the fact that the result in each of the last three meetings between them has been dictated by a goal inside the final five minutes.
Team News
West Ham
Former Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is sidelined with a hip injury and is set to miss the contest. Nayef Aguerd, arguably West Ham’s signing of the season, should feature alongside Angelo Ogbonna and Ben Johnson at the back, as Thilo Kehrer was forced off against Newcastle United with a hamstring pull.
Danny Ings returned from injury against Newcastle for a brief cameo off the bench and will boost the Irons’ attacking options, as will Michail Antonilo, albeit Gianluca Scamacca is out with a knee injury.
Chelsea
Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling are all back and running, and regardless of whether they make the starting line-up or not, they’re expected to play some part owing to Chelsea’s issues in front of goal.
Mykhayailo Mudryk was hauled off early in the stalemate against Fulham, but should be fit to run the races once again. Potter has a plethora of options in attack, probably none more prominent than the electric Joao Felix, who was red-carded in his debut.
Predicted XI
West Ham probable line-up (3-4-3):
Fabianski; Johnson, Ogbonna, Aguerd; Coufal, Rice, Paqueta, Emerson; Benrahma, Bowen; Antonio
Chelsea probable line-up (4-2-3-1):
Arrizabalaga; James, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Kovacic, Fernandez; Madueke, Felix, Mudryk; Havertz
Match Prediction
Despite the surprising setback in creating chances as often as they’d have liked, Chelsea’s center-half partnership of Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile have led the West Londoners to three successive clean sheets.
As West Ham continue to search for inspiration moving forward in attack, their first priority will be containment. Chelsea have enough to threaten from set pieces, along with considerable resources on the bench and the pitch to pile more misery on the struggling West Ham.
Predicted Score: West Ham 0-2 Chelsea
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
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