West Ham v Chelsea: Preview, Team News and Predictions
Preparations for the second match week of the Premier League are in full flow, as London rivals West Ham and Chelsea square off at the London stadium on the back of draws for each club in their opening matches.
In fact, it’s a meeting between two foes that have bolstered their midfield over the past week. James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez are set to make their debuts for the Hammers, while Chelsea broke the bank for Moises Caicedo and followed it up with the acquisition of Romeo Lavia from Southampton.
David Moyes’ side were stung by a late Dominic Solanke leveler on opening day in a game where they were comprehensively second-rate for possession, chances created or overall dominance.
Recent results against Chelsea – four wins and two draws in their last eight fixtures against the Blues – are signs of promise, besides the fact that the unsettled visitors constantly hand out debuts almost every week, as it seems.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were a breath of fresh air, however, against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. After starting on the back foot, they grew into the game and stitched together pleasing passages of football, with signs of improvement over their pre-season form.
The Argentine felt his team was hard done by the 1-1 draw, but there’s no time to dwell on what could have been as the club aims to return to the European spots.
Without further ado, let’s breakdown all you need to know about West Ham’s welcoming of Chelsea on Sunday, August 20th, and where the game can be won or lost.
Team News
West Ham
Before any injury news, the big headline for the Hammers is that their midfield spearhead Lucas Paqueta is being investigated by the FA for potential betting breaches. Until a decision is made, however, he should continue to slot into the line-up.
On a more welcome note, Moyes has the option of replacing the departed Declan Rice with his new signings in midfield – Alvarez and Ward-Prowse, both of whom are ready to make their PL debuts for the club.
“I’m not too sure we’ve got anyone unavailable. I think everybody is available. Both James Ward-Prowse and Edson Álvarez are available for Sunday,” he gushed.
Chelsea
Reece James is the latest addition to Chelsea’s treatment room; his hamstring injury aggravating once again in training. Pochettino confirmed, perhaps downplayed, his injury duration stating it’s only for a few weeks that he will be on the sidelines.
That most certainly paves the way for Malo Gusto, who extensively featured and impressed in the preseason. Injuries to Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile mean Levi Colwill could start alongside Thiago Silva once again.
Perhaps, Pochettino could switch to a back four with more number 6s available at his disposal.
Predicted XI
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Alvarez, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma; Antonio
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Thiago Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Enzo; Mudryk, Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
Match Prediction
The challenge for Chelsea would be to break down West Ham’s low block, something they haven’t been able to do against teams of similar mold since last season.
The balance between their wingers, a more mobile position for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson’s pace as well as strong hold-up should ensure all three points for Pochettino in his second game in charge of the Blues.
Predicted score: West Ham 0-2 Chelsea
-Roy Akarshak
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Sustain Health Magazine. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.