A resurgent Chelsea travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham United for the second time this season as they get set to battle it out for a quarter final spot in the EFL Cup.
It’s going to be the first London derby between these sides at West Ham United’s new London Stadium. The Hammers have shaken off a horrid start to the season and are coming off two consecutive victories. They currently sit at 15th place on the table, only 3 points clear of the relegation zone.
After a bright start to the campaign, which started with a 2-1 victory against West Ham, Chelsea trailed off and didn’t get a single Premier League victory in September, with notable losses coming against Arsenal and Liverpool. Since then, Conte has managed to turn things around and the Blues are in stellar form, not conceding in their last three games and scoring 9 goals in the process.
Tactics
West Ham United
Bilic has said that he will put his strongest possible team out for the match against Chelsea, but they are still riddled with injuries within the squad. Darren Randolph is out with a minor injury, while Aaron Cresswell returns to the squad after a suspension. Arguably the biggest positive going into this tie is that Andre Ayew has returned from injury and is training now, but it is yet to be seen whether he is fit enough to feature. Andy Carroll, Arthur Maskuaku, Gokhan Tore, Sam Byram and Diafra Sakho are sure to miss the game through injuries.
After a shaky start, West Ham have slowly begun to look like the side of last season. Injuries haven’t helped their cause through the course of the season. Consecutive wins against Sunderland and Crystal Palace, both with 1-0 scorelines, would have given the Hammers some confidence going into this tie. Payet’s return to form could not have come at a better time for the Hammers and he will be key to their chances of getting the better of the Chelsea midfield.
The midfield duo of Noble and Obiang have complimented each other well and provide adequate cover for Payet, Lanzini and Fernandes when they go forward. Fernandes and Lanzini will be faced with Chelsea’s wing backs pushing forward for attacks, so winning back possession will be important to avoid counter attacks. Simeone Zaza will start upfront and he will likely come up against John Terry in the middle of defence.
Predicted Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Adrian; Kouyate, Reid, Ogbonna, Antonio; Noble, Obiang; Fernandes, Lanzini, Payet; Zaza
Chelsea
The Blues are in superb form after shifting to a new 3-4-3 formation and are yet to concede a goal in 3 appearances since doing so against Hull City and will be boosted by the return of skipper John Terry after a long spell on the sidelines. Cesc Fabregas is still injured and Zouma and Ivanovic have only just returned to training, so the trio will not feature. Oscar returns to the squad and is in contention for a starting place alongside Willian, after the duo returned from compassionate leave.
Begovic is in line for a start ahead of Courtois and Conte is expected to give Nathaniel Chalobah a starting spot, in order to rest N’golo Kante. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Oscar are expected to feature in the game in some capacity as well, as Conte will look to maintain a balance and give key players a rest. Victor Moses, too, could be rested, allowing youngster Ola Aina an opportunity to start.
Willian could return to the starting XI, but in place of Hazard and not Pedro, after the Spaniard has slowly begun to impress in this new formation when given the chance. Michy Batshuayi has found opportunities extremely hard to come by given the stellar form of Diego Costa. But he is expected to lead the line against the Hammers.
It will be interesting to see how players such as Terry, Batshuayi and Chalobah adapt to the 3-4-3 formation. The likes of Luiz, Kante and Moses have been reinvigorated under this system and Chelsea fans will hope that some of the youth and fringe players seize the opportunity to impress.
Predicted starting XI (3-4-3): Begovic; Azpilicueta, Terry, Cahill; Aina, Chalobah, Matic, Alonso; Willian, Batshuayi, Pedro
Key Statistics
- Chelsea are yet to concede a goal since changing to a new 3-4-3 formation.
- This will be the first meeting between the two sides at West Ham’s new Stadium.
- Both previous League Cup meetings between these two sides saw the home side emerge victorious. West Ham in 1994 and Chelsea in 2004.
- Only Liverpool have scored more goals than Chelsea in this competition this campaign.
- Chelsea have reached the quarter finals of the League Cup in 4 of the last 5 seasons.
- Chelsea are undefeated in 5 of their last 6 matches against West Ham, with the only defeat in this time coming in October 2015.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-3 Chelsea
Despite having a bad start to the season, one which started at Stamford Bridge, Slaven Bilic’s men have won 2 games on the trot and will be looking to build more confidence, and what better way to do it than by beating cross town rivals Chelsea at their new home. However, Chelsea and Conte will have momentum on their side after that 4-0 demolition of Manchester United and the youth and returning players who get an opportunity tonight will want to stake their claim for a place in the squad. But Chelsea have far greater quality on paper and should they play to their potential, it is difficult to see West Ham emerge from this victorious.