An immediate return to another London derby is Chelsea’s mission – which they have to accept – directly after losing in unheroic fashion versus another rival, Arsenal. No Blues supporter wants to hear anymore chatter or analysis of the Gunners game – they want a response against West Ham United. And a mighty reaction, at that. Even the Hammers are a ‘European’ side these days – notice the word even and take a guess at what the inverted commas mean, yourselves – yet are 10 points and two matches behind the Pensioners in the Premier League table presently. However, expect this clash to be as fiery and testing as Mikel Arteta’s men were.
West Ham’s form guide is as follows over five previous outings: a 2-1 defeat of Aston Villa; defeat of Tottenham Hotspur 3-1; a 2-1 win at Everton; the disappointing 2-0 loss to Brentford; and finally a 1-1 draw with Burnley. As you can see, the East Londoners were absolutely flying in March, but the momentum has truly derailed; opportunity for Chelsea widens. However, sandwiched in between those English top-flight results were triumphs in the Europa League over Sevilla in the Last 16, and Lyon in the quarterfinals, respectively. Meaning April has not been as sour for David Moyes’ team as on first inspection.
Pride of London staff offer their predictions for the Chelsea vs West Ham United contest:
Leighton September: 3-1 Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel will seek a response from his team. Moyes will be keen to rest the majority of his first XI for their huge match in the Europa League and will not want to risk any injury. The Blues can pick a strong XI having not have any interruptions from other competitions.
Mike Malley: Chelsea 2-2 West Ham
Chelsea hasn’t had a draw in the EPL since the beginning of January, so to say we’re due is an understatement. The Hammers are a serious competitor who is still in the hunt for a spot in next season’s Champions League, no matter how remote that chance may seem, and they deserve to be respected. WHU have also played for an entire week, which is a massive advantage over this Blues side that has been playing every three days for what’s felt like months now. I’m not confident of a victory at all and I think a draw is the best-case scenario.
Caden Chapentier: 3-0 Chelsea
Thomas Bradley Alderman: Chelsea 2-1 West Ham
CFC are in their worst run at Stamford Bridge for 29 years, following three consecutive losses in addition to 11 goals conceded. Though I don’t see that awful form increasing, this will be a tight one. I foresee a narrow margin of victory for the Pensioners; yet must admit that I only changed that expected outcome from a scoring stalemate at the final moment. Defensive issues and absences for both outfits mean goals will occur.
Gabe Henderson: 3-1 Chelsea
Teams under Tuchel’s guidance have shown that they are able to bounce back from poor results with relative ease and determination. The defense is still not at full strength, so there will be some hurdles to overcome, but the Blues will get it done. West Ham also has a lot of injuries and three points would go a long way in ensuring a top four spot. The home side finds a way to win behind an impressive attacking performance.