Chelsea vs. West Ham predictions: Blues pounce on Arsenal let-up

Chelsea host their final London derby of the season when West Ham United visit on Monday night. This is exactly the sort of banana peel they do not need right now.

Chelsea have a rocky record in London derbies, in games that allow them to pounce on their top-four rivals and against bottom half teams. West Ham combine all of those aspects. And to make the momentum even bleaker, Chelsea have not defeated West Ham in a season where they do not win the Premier League title since 2013. It’s all or nothing against the Hammers, so here we go.

Barrett Rouen: Chelsea 2 – 0 West Ham. I don’t know why – or if – I really think Chelsea will win this. It’s going to be tough because West Ham always make it that way. I’d be interested in Declan Rice at Chelsea, though, and obviously hope Maurizio Sarri plays the best XI two times in a row, for the love of all that’s holy.

Sourav Mahanty: 1 – 1. Can’t help but thinking it’ll be a 1-1 draw. The game will be a miracle if Sarri plays Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek again.

Rupert Meadows: 2 – 1. I’m going to be optimistic and hope for a closely fought win. This isn’t going to be an easy game. West Ham will dig in and really fight for a result, as they’ve done against the Blues in the past. But Chelsea will scrap just as hard to get the three points in a statement win.

Every game is huge from now on, and with both Liverpool and Manchester United (both away) coming up the Blues can not afford to lose any points here. A goal for Gonzalo Higuain and a goal for Ross Barkley.

Gabe Henderson: 2 – 1. West Ham is always the thorn in Chelsea’s side and they want nothing more than to play spoiler. Chelsea’s top four hopes are still very much alive after Arsenal’s loss to Everton. Sarri will likely start a very different XI from the mid-week match against Brighton, so expect a stale performance. However, Chelsea will do just enough to capture all three points.

Scott Brant: 3 – 2. In my mind these matches are always bonkers, no rhyme or reason, just back and forth play. I want to be positive and believe the Blues can keep this bit of momentum going forward.

Eden Hazard will dominate the chances for Chelsea. Hopefully Sarri saw what Callum Hudson-Odoi did last match and gives him another start in a fixture begging for his abilities and explosiveness. Hazard will score a brace with the third goal coming from a substitute.

Olaoluwa Nwobodo: 1 – 0. This is going to be very difficult. It does not matter which lineup Maurizio Sarri puts out. It never has. West Ham is never easy to play, so don’t expect this to be any different. A goal for Gonzalo Higuain, giving Chelsea Twitter something to rub in my face about Higuain being the right guy all along

Abhishek Pancholi: 0 – 2. Hello darkness, my old friend. After doing just enough to earn a stay of execution, an emboldened Maurizio Sarri will revert to type and trot out one of his classic Sarriball lineups. That XI will make West Ham look like a claret-clad Barcelona who will play Chelsea off the park. With the score at 2-0 by the 60′, mutiny will erupt in the stands, spelling the end of a bizarre, ill-thought experiment.

Kevin Peacock: 0 – 0. This Chelsea team and this Chelsea manager have a habit of not taking advantage of their rivals’ slip-ups in the chase for a top-four spot. They also have a habit of not beating teams like West Ham.

At the London Stadium, the teams played out a dire 0-0 draw and it’s difficult to see this game providing much more in the way of entertainment. The 3-0 win over Brighton put some gloss onto a dull season but it’s unlikely to be repeated against the Hammers. Chelsea revert to type and suffer with the ball in a scoreless draw.