In a massive London derby at London Stadium, Romelu Lukaku and Chelsea visit fourth place West Ham United. West Ham only have one point in the last three games after that thrilling victory over the Reds at home. They gave up a late equalizer to ten man Brighton in the midweek and are trying to bounce back with a win against the league leaders. Chelsea got shaken up a little bit by Watford at Vicarage Road but still managed to win 2-1 thanks to Hakim Ziyech’s go-ahead goal. We’re going to be in for a fun match bright and early to kick off Matchweek 15 in this jam-packed Premier League month.
Chelsea survived Watford who looked more energetic than Chelsea in that game. The Hornets had more shots and dominated in corners. But as usual, Chelsea’s defense held up to stay 1 point ahead of Man City. When I think of Chelsea, I think of their attackers. People like Havertz, James, and Mount who make plays. I expect these guys to stretch the field and test the West Ham defense. They have to control possession and push West Ham deep. I expect to see a lot of running into space from Reece James and him playing really high up the pitch. If Pulisic and Mount start, we’re going to see a lot of skill and amazing play from Chelsea as they are both playmakers. I think Chelsea have a really good chance if they can get some sneaky passes and get their players into space.
West Ham need a way to get the ball in this game. I expect Chelsea to get a lot of the possession but they need to press and force Chelsea to give the ball up. Like Chelsea, when I think of this team I think forwards such as Antonio, Bowen, and Benrahma. It is super fun to see them create goals and create chances offensively. Against Liverpool, we saw sturdy defense but saw quick play. They had one goal on the counter-attack which is deadly but had two goals from corners. They find ways to score goals and dominate on the offensive side. I hope we see a lot of that from West Ham in this Derby so they can hopefully take points off the Blues.
I believe this game will be a 2-2 draw. I think West Ham will be able to hold up and get a point against Thomas Tuchel’s side. West Ham look really good this season and are playing with the spirit and belief that they can finish in the top 4 or top 5. The Chelsea defense has to be careful for Antonio and those quick breaks the Hammers produce. This is also going to be a test for West Ham’s defense against the speed and skill of Chelsea.
You can’t kick off Matchweek 15 in better fashion than this. It’s 1st against 4th in Chelsea and West Ham. Can West Ham help out Man City and take points off the reigning Champions League winners or will Chelsea take 6 points back home to Stamford Bridge after two consecutive away games? We’re going to find out at 7:30 AM from London Stadium in a significant London derby.
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