There will be a London derby taking place at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea welcome West Ham United. Both teams have been competing at the top of the table for the last couple of seasons, which makes their matches even more important. It has been a tough couple of weeks for the home side, as they have lost two of their last three matches in the Premier League. Meanwhile, West Ham took a while to get going, but four points from their last two matches will give them confidence.
It has been a summer of rebuilding for Chelsea under new ownership. The signings of Wesley Fofana, Raheem Sterling and Kalimdor Koulibaly strengthen the squad, but there have been teething issues as Thomas Tuchel tries to find his best team. The away form has been a worry, which is why they will be pleased to be at Stamford Bridge this weekend. It is too soon to write off any team’s title challenge, but the Blues now need to go on a winning run to strengthen their claim.
West Ham have shown good ambition in the transfer marker, to sign two of Europe’s best talents in Gianluca Scamacca and Lucas Paqueta. This shows that the club are trying to push on and become regulars in Europe. David Moyes needs to continue achieving the feats he has been managing with the Hammers, otherwise he could find himself under pressure. Their performance against Spurs in the week was a step up from previous weeks. A similar showing at Stamford Bridge and they have the talent to get three points.
Interesting stats
Chelsea haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet since the opening day of the season.
Despite having just 38% possession against Spurs, West Ham managed more attempts on goal than their opponents, with 14 to 12.
Key men
SterlingÂ
It has been a good start to life at Stamford Bridge for Raheem Sterling as he has scored three goals in his first five matches. He looks ready to step up and be the main man for the club. Tuchel will be hoping that his new signing can maintain this goal-scoring form throughout the rest of the season, as his other attackers are struggling in front of goal. Sterling is so dangerous as he reads the game well and always finds space in the final third. In addition to his goals, he has registered one assist meaning that he has played a part in four of Chelsea’s six goals in the league. West Ham are a good team and it will be tough to break them down. Sterling has a good historical record against the Hammers, with eight goals and seven assists against them. He will be key on Saturday.
Bowen
After his blistering campaign last season, a lot was expected of Jarrod Bowen ahead of the 2022/23 season. He will have one eye on the World Cup, as he has managed to break onto the fringes of Gareth Southgate’s squad. If he is to get into the squad for Qatar, he will need to raise his performances. It has been a slow start to the new season, with the forward yet to register a goal or an assist. Over the last 12 months, some of his best performances have come against top six teams, as he is afforded space to run into behind the opposition defence. Chelsea haven’t looked at their best at the back since the season started and Bowen has the intelligence to cause them real problems. This could be an opportunity for Bowen to kick start his season with a goal or two.
Team news
N’Golo Kante isn’t expected to return until October. There is more hopeful news on Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James. The defensive pair are back in training and should be available for the weekend. Conor Gallagher will also be available after serving his suspension.
It is hoped that Scamacca will be back after missing out in the week due to illness. Nayef Aguerd will be missing until October. Lucas Paqueta could be pushing for a start.
VerdictÂ
This should be one of the best games this weekend, as both teams have ambitions to be competing at the top of the league. West Ham have caused problems for the top six in recent seasons and their performance during the week will give them confidence. Chelsea are currently at a low point after a couple of defeats. This could be a good time to go to Stamford Bridge. That said, Chelsea have been better at home this season. A draw could be the likely result.
Chelsea 2-2 West Ham United
