West Ham United and Chelsea will be eager to get their first wins of the 2023/24 season when they clash at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Gameweek 2 of the 2023/24 season will continue on Sunday, with fans bracing themselves for two fixtures. And the action on the day will conclude with a London derby, with West Ham United welcoming Chelsea to the London Stadium.
West Ham United will play in Europe for a third successive season. But David Moyes will be wary of avoiding another Premier League campaign like his team endured last term. Those travails nearly cost him his job, and the Hammers have started the new campaign with a 1-1 stalemate against Bournemouth. Meanwhile, they remain busy in the transfer market, looking to plug the holes in the squad.
Speaking of being busy in the market, no club can be a better exponent of the thought process than Chelsea. The Blues have signed a ton of players for a third successive transfer window under the Todd Boehly regime. But they have also made some clever signings, including Romeo Lavia. And Mauricio Pochettino’s men began their campaign with a 1-1 draw versus Liverpool last week.
The corresponding fixture last season saw West Ham coming from a goal down to hold Chelsea to a 1-1 draw, with former Blues full-back Emerson Palmieri scoring the equaliser. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
The gaffer confirms our two new signings are available on Sunday ✅#TalkingPoint with @LycamobileUK 📞 pic.twitter.com/sDvGFijiSR
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 18, 2023
David Moyes does not have any roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Chelsea on Sunday, the West Ham United manager will have a full-strength squad at his disposal.
Alphonse Areola has seemingly usurped Lukasz Fabianski as the first-choice goalkeeper for West Ham. And the French international should take his spot between the sticks on Sunday, with the home side lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
The defensive unit should remain unchanged, with Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd forming the central defensive pairing. But amid links with Konstantinos Mavropanos, Zouma’s place might be under threat. Meanwhile, Vladimir Coufal and former Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri should be the two full-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Moyes should hand two debuts, with Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse accompanying each other in the double pivot. The duo has shored up the quality of the West Ham squad and will look to break up play while directing traffic when the opportunities present themselves.
Lucas Paqueta is in the eye of a storm amid reports of an investigation for alleged betting breaches. But he should start for West Ham despite the uncertainties surrounding him. And the Brazilian international will likely accompany Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, and Michail Antonio in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson; Alvarez, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma; Antonio
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the West Ham United dugout, Mauricio Pochettino has new injury concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to the London Stadium. The Chelsea manager will be without seven first-team players.
Reece James is the latest absentee after picking up a hamstring injury last weekend against Liverpool. And the Chelsea captain will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. James has joined Marcus Bettinelli (knock), Trevoh Chalobah (thigh), Benoit Badiashile (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Armando Broja (knee), and Christopher Nkunku (knee) on the sidelines.
Robert Sanchez is the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for Chelsea after Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan deal. And the Spanish international will take his place between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him.
Watch Mauricio Pochettino's look ahead to West Ham LIVE! https://t.co/gmpSjSNAJC
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 18, 2023
The central defensive unit should remain unchanged, with Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, and Levi Colwill partnering up at the back. But Colwill will also play as an auxiliary left-back when the formation morphs into a 4-2-3-1, with Ben Chilwell playing as a winger.
Meanwhile, Malo Gusto should replace the injured James, making his first start for Chelsea. And he will play as a traditional right-back when the formation shuffles between the game. As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo should make his Chelsea debut after arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Ecuadorian international will line up alongside Enzo Fernandez in the double pivot.
Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling will play behind Nicolas Jackson. But Sterling will feature as a right-winger when the formation shifts into a 4-2-3-1, with Gallagher donning a free role in and around the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Jackson will be eager to get off the mark on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sanchez; Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Gusto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Chilwell; Sterling, Gallagher; Jackson
Key Stats
- West Ham United have managed only one win in their last six Premier League meetings with Chelsea, a 3-2 victory at the London Stadium in December 2021. The Hammers have won four matches in all competitions against Chelsea at the London Stadium. The only team they have a better record against is Southampton, who they have beaten five times.
- West Ham United lost the opening league match at home in four of the last five seasons, the exception being a 4-1 victory against Leicester City in 2021. A winless result on Sunday will mean the Hammers will have gone without a win in their opening two league fixtures for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
- Chelsea have won their first away league game in six of the last seven seasons. But the Blues have won just five of their last 30 Premier League matches (D11 L14), their fewest victories across a 30-game span in the league since the period between December 1987 and October 1988.
- West Ham United have lost 11 of their last 16 London derbies in the league, with their only two victories both coming against Fulham last season.
- David Moyes has not beaten a side managed by Mauricio Pochettino in their five previous Premier League encounters. The only managers he has faced more often without winning are Pep Guardiola (11), Graham Potter (seven) and Mikel Arteta (seven).
Player to Watch
Ben Chilwell
Reece James’s injury will have a multifold effect. Firstly, it will allow Malo Gusto the opportunity to impress for the next few weeks. In addition, Ben Chilwell will don the captain’s armband in James’s absence. But most importantly, it will add to the responsibility on Chilwell’s shoulders.
The English international played as a winger last weekend, with the role liberating him to express himself better. And Chilwell wreaked havoc on the left flank, showcasing promising signs for a potentially memorable 2023/24 campaign. And he will be Chelsea’s main source of creativity versus West Ham on Sunday.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea will take to the field with a stronger squad than last week. And Moises Caicedo will fortify the West London club in the middle of the park, which does not bode well for West Ham United. But the Hammers have also strengthened their squad this week, with two midfielders immediately raising the levels in the midfield department.
But the West Ham squad still lacks goals, with Jarrod Bowen being the only viable threat to the Chelsea backline. On the other hand, Ben Chilwell and Nicolas Jackson should run riot in the final third, with the duo combining to deliver three points on Sunday. The Hard Tackle predicts a closely-contested affair ending in a 2-1 Chelsea win.
