Chelsea vs West Ham Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview

​​Josh Ingram is here to run the rule over the Monday night football fixture in Chelsea vs West Ham prediction preview at Stamford Bridge, which sees Graham Potter travel back to his old club. There won’t be much love lost between all parties in this London derby. Chelsea are on a rotten run and need a positive result, but West Ham could well spoil proceedings and produce a performance for their new manager.

Under Lopetegui, I wouldn’t have given them a chance in this one, but Potter is far better suited to this Hammers squad and the Premier Leaguee in general. Chelsea is struggling for consistency, and West Ham style under Potter could unsettle Maresca’s unpredictable side.

Chelsea vs West Ham Prediction: Potter to work his magic at the Bridge

England, Premier League, Monday, February 3rd, 20:00 (UK)

When considering taking a pro-West Ham angle, you have to banish any preconceptions formed from how Julien Lopetgui tried to set them up. Graham Potter’s style is very different, which is clear with some of the changes in the numbers for this Hammers side, even in the small sample size. One of the metrics with the biggest difference is how much West Ham has forced high turnovers compared to the sacked Spaniard. They sat 10th, which is very average, but since Potter came in, they are second with (33) and only behind Man City(37). He is doing this without a recognised forward leading the line, so they will only get better when they get someone in.

Graham Potter was upbeat when discussing the clash against his old side, saying, “They are a tactically well-prepared team. Enzo [Maresca] has done a great job with that, and they’ve done a great job as a club in terms of stabilising and rejuvenating the squad. It’s a tough game – they’re competing to be in the Champions League. We have to play to the strengths we have and we go there with optimism, encouragement and enthusiasm.”

Chelsea have dropped down the table in recent weeks and are 15th in the form table across the last six games with five points and the one win came against a Wolves team that can’t defend. It was disappointing to watch how they approached the game vs Man City after watching PSG get so much joy from pressing them high and going man for man.

In 17/23 games, the +1.5 Asian handicap has been covered, but to be more specific, nine of those 17 came at Stamford Bridge. They rarely beat a side in a fashion bigger than a single goal; one of the teams they beat convincingly was West Ham at the London Stadium in one of the worst performances I’ve seen from a Premier League outfit. That day, Chelsea walked through West Ham as if they weren’t even playing. Monday’s visitors should be much more compact in the middle of the pitch.

In the Premier League, Potter has managed one win, one draw, and one loss. Lucas Paqueta’s injury could be a massive loss, but it’s not known if he will feature as of yet, with West Ham giving him every chance to get fit for Monday; he had an exceptional game at Villa Park and has been the best performer under Potter. It will likely be a front three of Soucek and Soler behind Kudus. Mohamed Kudus has completed 5+ dribbles on 20 occasions for West Ham in the Premier League (6 vs Aston Villa), more than anyone else in that period of time.

In the four games under Potter, the +1.5 handicap has landed in 3/4 matches, the Palace home game being the only exception. If you witness promising signs from a manager during the infancy of their reign, it’s sometimes best to get on board early before any trends become noticeable to the masses. It would be a great opportunity to get the fans backing you if you can go to the bridge and give a valiant performance. They may even nick a win.

• Chelsea vs West Ham Prediction: West Ham +1.5 Asian Handicap (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.93
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 10/10 (TRACKED BET)

Chelsea vs West Ham Prediction odds via bet365 as at 12:00, January 31st, 2025. Odds may now differ.

Chelsea vs West Ham Injuries, Team News and Possible Lineups Prediction: Chelsea almost full strength and Hammers star touch and go

Despite their plethora of talent, they don’t have many injuries. A minor issue at centre-back meant they had to recall Trevor Chalobah, who has slotted in perfectly performing as the best defender even though Maresca didn’t want him at the start of the season—injuries to Fofana and Badishille both due to thigh injuries. Fofana had a far more severe hamstring injury and might not even be back before the end of the season. Badiashile will return to reinforce the defence in mid-February, a similar return date for Romeo Lavia.

Graham Potter took over a side that had significant injuries to key stars, which is a challenge even when established at a club. The latest to pick up an injury is star man Lucas Paqueta, whose groin injury has meant he hasn’t trained all week, but Graham Potter hasn’t ruled him out of featuring in the game on Monday. Long-term absentee Jarrod Bowen requires a late fitness test for the game but will feature the following week. It’s looking promising for Potter if one of those three could play. West Ham’s board have sounded out Evan Ferguson from Brighton to fill their striker void because Michail Antonio and Nicolas Fullkrug are likely to be injured for most, if not all, of the season.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

West Ham possible starting lineup:
Areola; Coufal, Kilman, Cresswell; Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez, Rodriguez , Emerson; Soler, Soucek, Kudus

Match Stats: Jackson loves London

• In the meeting earlier this season, Chelsea strolled to a 3-0 win, creating five big chances and 2.19xG. Nicolas Jackson netted a quick-fire brace, and Cole Palmer topped the performance with a well-taken finish.
• In the head-to-head, Chelsea have had the better of proceedings, winning three in the last five and only losing once.
• Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson has scored 11 goals in his last 14 Premier League London derby matches, with this total of 11 the most of any player in London derbies across the last two seasons.

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