Chelsea face difficult West Ham test

Chelsea face West Ham tomorrow in a London derby that promises to be very exciting. The two sides enter the game on the back of victories from matchday 9. West Ham has been one of this season's surprise packages, winning 5 out of their first 9 matches and scoring 20 goals in the process, the second highest in the league and currently occupy 4th position, 4 points off the summit. Continue

 Chelsea on the other hand have made their second worst start to a Barclays Premier League season and currently sit 12th on the table, winning just 3 of our first 9 matches and conceding 17 goals in the process, only 3 teams have conceded more.
Chelsea seemed to have turned their early season misfortunes around after our 2-0 win against Aston Villa last weekend, but in my opinion only a win against West Ham tomorrow will tell if we really have.

Chelsea won the last meeting between the two teams courtesy of an Eden Hazard goal but West Ham have gotten a better coach and a much better team since then while Chelsea have been pretty much the same.

Match Facts

- West Ham United have won only one of their last 18 Barclays Premier League London derbies against Chelsea (W1 D3 L14).

- Chelsea have not conceded a single goal in any of their last five Barclays Premier League matches against the Hammers; last conceding in a 1-3 defeat in Dec 2012.

- West Ham have scored with a league-high 22% of their shots this season in the Barclays Premier League while only Manchester City (24) have scored more goals than the Hammers (20).

- Chelsea have conceded a league-high five headed goals in the Barclays Premier League in 2015-16.

- Dimitri Payet has created more goalscoring chances than any other Barclays Premier League player so far this season (39).

- Payet has had a hand in eight goals (five goals, three assists) in nine Barclays Premier League appearances for West Ham.

- West Ham have won their two Barclays Premier League London derbies so far this season (v Arsenal and Crystal Palace) – they only won two BPL London derbies in the whole of 2014-15.

- The Hammers have lost their last three Barclays Premier League London derbies at home, however.

- Jose Mourinho has lost only five of his 52 Barclays Premier League London derbies as a manager (W36 D11 L5).

- This is West Ham’s best ever start to a BPL season after nine matches (17 points), while it is Chelsea’s second worst ever start to a BPL campaign after nine fixtures (11 points).

                                         West Ham

Team news 

West Ham will be without Victor Moses and Winston Reid when they host Chelsea.

Winger Moses is ineligible to face the Blues as he is on loan from Stamford Bridge, and defender Reid has not quite shaken off the knock which kept him out of the 3-1 win at Crystal Palace last weekend.

Midfielder Alex Song is still a couple of weeks away from returning after a long-term ankle injury.

Possible Lineups:

Adrian; Jenkison, Tomkins, Collins, Cresswell; Kouyate, Noble; Moses, Lanzini, Payet; Sakho

                                          Chelsea

Team news

Chelsea have no fresh fitness concerns for Saturday's Premier League clash at West Ham.

Striker Loic Remy and forward Pedro did not travel for Tuesday's Champions League Group G clash at Dynamo Kiev due to minor injuries and are again absent.

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (knee) and Branislav Ivanovic (hamstring) are out.

Possible Lineups:

               Begovic; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Terry, Baba Rahman; Fabregas, Matic; Pedro,         Willian, Hazard; Costa

MY PREDICTIONS

                                                         West Ham 1-2 Chelsea