Chelsea’s short turnaround from Europa League should be an issue in regards to planning for West Ham, but even Manuel Pellegrini is unsure of their tactics.
West Ham has been in a downward spiral of self loathing since leaving the Boleyn Ground for the London Stadium. The move was supposed to be the moment where they went from also rans to contenders. But the move simply made things worse at the club.
But when Manuel Pellegrini was announced as manager, there was a sense that the club could finally be what they were always supposed to be in the London Stadium. This was a big name manager who had won the league before. He could not only bring a good style of football to West Ham, but attract the players needed to push them to the next level.
That did not happen. West Ham lost all four of their opening league matches. Pellegrini returned to Chile for the break rather than training the team. When he got back, they finally got their win. Now they are set to host a jet lagged Chelsea. But if Maurizio Sarri is looking for a plan to counter West Ham’s, he will be disappointed. Pellegrini is unsure of the plan himself.
What formation does West Ham use? Yes. That is really the best answer. They have tried a few different ones to squeeze something, anything out of their current crop of players. They have used 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1, and 4-1-4-1 in just five matches. The latter is the only one that actually got them points, so they will probably (read maybe) stick with that one again.
West Ham’s defense can mostly be summed up in one word: bad. They have yet to keep a clean sheet and in matches against Chelsea’s fellow top six rivals (Liverpool and Arsenal) they conceded a combined seven goals while scoring one in the meantime. They will try to absorb pressure (mostly because they have to) and look to counter quickly with long and through balls. That is, of course, if they do not mess up the execution and leave themselves open.
Their offense was supposed to be possession based this season, but it has only been counter based in reality. They win the ball back, they quickly look to get it up field, and someone takes a long shot and wishes for the best. Rinse and repeat. It is far more pragmatic than was promised with Pellegrini took over and that does not look to be changing any time soon.
Those counters could make West Ham dangerous given that Chelsea will play a high line and look to use an offside trap. For that reason, the match could be the most difficult one yet for the defense. Also, their tendency to take long shots will keep Kepa Arrizabalaga on his toes and test him more than he has been by other teams.
But for all of that to happen, West Ham has to avoid making mistakes along the way. They are not good at that. Chelsea’s aggressive press will force them into a lot of mistakes which is where Chelsea can capitalize. West Ham will struggle if Chelsea can use Sarrismo’s verticality consistently.
Perhaps the hardest thing to determine about West Ham is their lineup. Before the international break, it was pretty consistent overall despite the formation changing and losing. But when Pellegrini returned from Chile, he dropped half the starters and saw the team finally win. Will he keep the winning lineup or return to the previous starters? Even Pellegrini does not know. This will either be Maurizio Sarri’s most difficult match or easiest yet.