The Blues and The Hammers are involved in a race for Champions League ticket this season. They are respectively sitting on the third and fourth of the table. Now, with European Super League is looming, despite the withdrawal of Chelsea, the tension of competition is high and West Ham has one more reason to fight for the UCL ticket when they lock horns this weekend, to prove the world that they are better one than the greedy one.
The teams’ previous games
The Hammers was stunned with a 2-3 loss in their visit to St.James’s Park, Newcastle. They already conceded early by Issa Diop’s own goal, followed by Joelinton’s goal. At the second half, Issa Diop netted a lifeline for his redemption and Jesse Lingard’s penalty equalised. However, the late goal of Joe Willock denied their one point.
Chelsea also failed to win in their last outing when hosting Brighton. They could only muster a goalless draw. They now share the same points as the The Hammers.
Possible tactic
David Moyes might stick to the 3-4-2-1 formation with the transition to 3-5-2. Unfortunately, several key figures are sidelined such as Craig Dawson, Michael Antonio, Declan Rice, Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku. Thus, Moyes’ choice for the back three will only be Fabian Balbuena, Isaa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna. In the midfield, Mark Noble can get a nod to accompany Thomas Soucek while Ben Johnson and Vladimir Scoufal are operating wide. The front men role will be given by Jesse Lingard and Jarred Bowen supported by Pablo Fornals.
Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 is still the main option. He would consider playing Timo Werner again, probably with Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic in the line up. The only names on the sideline are Thiago Silva and Mateo Kovacic.
Players to watch
Jesse Lindgard has been remarkable since he arrived in London stadium. He has contributed nine goals and three assists. Some other notable names to watch are Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Scoufal and Jarred Bowen.
In Chelsea, the top performers of the season are Mason Mount who has registered six goals and four assists in the Premier League, Kurt Zouma and the former AS Roma man, Antonio Rudinger. Another key man to watch is the wing back Ben Chillwell who has netted two goals and four assists.
West Ham vs Chelsea Prediction
This clash is likely to become one of the most decisive one for UCL spot next season. David Moyes’ men will be more motivated to defeat The Blues which are still struggling to find the best attacking combination. Yet, considering the absence of The Hammers’ key men, a narrow win for Mason Mount and Co is more likely.
Betting odds
According to the punters, it is definitely a tight affair. West Ham is priced to win at 39/10, whereas Chelsea’s win market is at 9/11. The draw result is at the value of 29/10.
