Chelsea vs West Ham United

Stamford Bridge sets the stage for an all-London Premier League encounter between Chelsea and West Ham United. 

Chelsea’s push for European qualification received another boost in midweek Premier League action as they saw off Tottenham 2-0 to extend their unbeaten run at home to seven games (W6, D1) and close the gap on sixth-placed Newcastle United to two points at the start of this round. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have fared well against crosstown rivals this season, racking up six wins in 11 Premier League London derbies (W6, D2, L3), though one of those three defeats was a 3-1 rout at West Ham in the reverse fixture. Avenging that loss would see Chelsea record back-to-back league triumphs for the first time since the festive period when they incidentally overcame London clubs. Three consecutive home wins against West Ham increase the likelihood of another derby success. 

Adding to Chelsea’s confidence, visiting West Ham head into proceedings amidst a rotten patch, having won none of their last five competitive games (D2, L3) to form part of a dismal run of just one win in nine (D4, L4). On the bright side, David Moyes’ team showed character to fight back in last weekend’s 2-2 home draw against Liverpool despite extending their wait for a clean sheet to nine matches. However, they’ve been far worse on the road, suffering defeats on four of their last five travels (W1), including a 5-2 demolition at fellow London rivals Crystal Palace on their most recent trip. Defensive frailties have plagued West Ham’s European ambitions, with the Hammers going 15 successive Premier League matches without a shutout.