Chelsea vs West Ham: Three things to look out for

Chance creation

Chelsea has been lacking in goal scoring chances this season. They are creating shots, but not quality shots. The Blues undoubtedly want to close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City this season, but they cannot do that if they cannot create enough to do that. Chelsea will come up against a West Ham team that will likely sit back and maintain their shape and try to counter. The Blues will need to be smart in possession in addition to having it.

Tuchel’s men have created 1.8 big chances per game, including penalties. This is significantly lower than Arsenal (3), Liverpool (3) and Manchester City (4.8). Even Brighton & Hove Albion (2.6) is creating more big chances per game than Chelsea. Yes, it’s just five games in, but that hasn’t stopped Manchester City and Liverpool from starting as they mean to go on. Chelsea should be aiming to create at least 3 big chances per game this season if they want to get closer to the top of the table. Their main creative players featuring now are Mason Mount and Reece James.

Hakim Ziyech too has only started one out of five games and is being linked with a move away. Amongst all those players, James and Ziyech are the only players you can say pick locks. Chelsea has struggled when up against teams that have a good defensive structure. If Ziyech leaves, the creative potency of the team reduces by at least 25%. The window closes today and it’s unlikely that Chelsea gets what it need in the market this late in the window.

Chelsea’s forwards have the bulk of the responsibility to create chances, along with the wingbacks. This means that they cannot focus on scoring and creating at the same time, because the movements of a player trying to create a scoring chance and that of a player trying to get on the end of one are completely different.