Chelsea will be looking to return to winning ways as they take on West Ham United in a London derby at the Stamford Bridge.
The Roman Army have been disappointing in their last 3 games across all competitions picking up 1 point out of a possible 9. The blues have slipped down the table as a result and are only a point ahead of their London rival West Ham who is at 10th position.
West Ham are currently in the form of their life and have lost just once in their last 6 matches.
Team News
Frank Lampard is sweating I’ve the fitness of Hudson Odoi and new boy Hakim Ziyech. The duo absence has affected Chelsea performance in the latter part of December due to Lampard insistence of 4-3-3 formation.
The poor form of Kai Havertz might see Lampard drop him to the bench in favour of Kovacic. It is expected that there will be changes in the midfield and attack as Chelsea look to break their recent woes.
Chelsea expected lineup
Mendy; Reece James, Kurt Zouma, Thiago Silva, Chilwell; Kovacic, Ngolo Kante, Jorginho; Pulisic, Giroud, Mason Mount
West Ham boss David Moyes dropped a hint on rotation to keep players for due to the heavy fixtures during this festive period. Jarrod Bowen who picked a knock last time out may be one of the players to be rested while in-form left back Aaron Cresswell is a doubt for this match.
Energetic forward Michail Antonio may start from the bench in the London derby.
West Ham United expected lineup
Fabianski ; Coufal, Diop, Angelo Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek Fornals, Noble; Benrahma, Haller
Chelsea Epl form: WWDWLL
West Ham Epl form: WWWLWD
Match Preview
Chelsea form has been on the down since the game against Krasnodar and it’s not surprising they lost to Everton and a late Neto goal to Wolverhampton Wanderers. The team is clearly suffering from fatigue. They have played 4 matches in the last 13 days and the time to rest is not there.
The derby against West Ham United has afforded Chelsea some rest as it is now 6 days after their last match. The players have rested and ready to go. This derby may also see Lampyrest some underperforming players like Kai Havertz and Timo Werner who have been sub-par for the last couple of matches.
The match is there for Lampard to win if he select the right team based on performance and not on transfer fee.
West Ham are doing excellently under David Moyes this season and they don’t look like stopping anytime soon. They have won 3 out if their last 5 games and only 3 teams have a better stat in the last 5 games.
They look unstoppable but have their flaws. They have conceded 6 times in that 5 games and the last time they kept a cleansheet was against Sheffield the bottom team in the Epl.
This match is a huge challenge for them considering the fact they have not won against any top team this season. They conceded 2 against Arsenal and Liverpool, 3 against Manchester united and 1 against Manchester City.
Latest odds
Chelsea are favourites to win at odds 1.50 on betscorum with the draw available at 4.571 and West Ham United can claim a derby win at 6.00 odds on betscorum.
Prediction
Frank Lampard can set the tone for the season by winning this London derby. The players have rested enough and should have no fatigue concerns again. Chelsea should be able to replicate their early December performance that saw them score 7 goals in 2 matches across all competitions.
West Ham will try but won’t have answer to Chelsea domination and hunger for a massive win. Their struggles against big teams will continue tonight against the blues.
Chelsea over 1.5 goals at odds 1.57 on betscorum is an ideal bet for this occasion.
Stake wisely and always employ bankroll management in your bets.
