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Chelsea visit the Hammers in a Premier League clash.
Chelsea FC take on West Ham United this afternoon in the Premier League. Jose Mourinho will look to capitalise on the growing optimism surrounding the club following a comfortable 2-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend.
The Blues made a well-documented poor start to the season, achieving just eight points from the opening eight league games. In some ways, the second international break came at a good moment as it afforded both the players and the management time away from club life to reflect on their situation.
Fortunately, it seems to have worked positively for the Blues as they returned to domestic matters with an easy defeat of Aston Villa. Admittedly, Villa did not pose much of a threat as they are in a more sorry state than Chelsea, but it was reassuring to see the team go about their business in the methodical manner of a typical Jose Mourinho side.
This was followed by a scoreless draw in the Ukraine as Dynamo Kiev frustrated the Blues. With two out of the three remaining Champions League group fixtures being played at Stamford Bridge, such a result is not the end of the world.
In fact, with the increasing confidence, the Blues could easily win their way out of this stage.
With regard to team news, Branislav Ivanovic remains sidelined alongside Thibaut Courtois. Loic Remy and Pedro are also still unavailable due to minor, yet recurring, niggles.
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West Ham, meanwhile, come into this game riding high. Currently fourth in the Premier League, Slaven Bilic’s men will now be entertaining thoughts of automatic Europa League qualification.
The Hammers have been playing some thoroughly entertaining football and have managed to dispatch the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. What’s more, all three of these victories have come away from home. Given that today’s game is at Upton Park, perhaps that magic won’t continue?
Chelsea loanee Victor Moses has been tearing it up across London, but will not be available for the fixture due to the terms of his loan agreement.
So, here are all the key details.
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West Ham United v Chelsea FC, 24th October 2015
Venue: The Boleyn Ground (Upton Park)
Time: 15:00 BST, 10:00 ET
TV: Untelevised – Highlights at 22:30 BBC 1 (UK), NBC Live Sports Extra (US), check your country’s local listings here
The Blues managed to bag all six points from their two fixtures with the Hammers last season. The Stamford Bridge leg ended 2-0 in favour of the good guys as John Terry and Diego Costa got on the Boxing Day scoresheet. The return fixture was more closely contested, with a 22nd minute Eden Hazard strike being the only difference between the two sides.
How do you see the game panning out? Leaves us your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
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