Chelsea vs West Ham preview, team news, prediction & betting tips

Life under Liam Rosenior continues to gather pace for Chelsea, and Wednesday’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Napoli not only underlined the Blues’ growing resilience, but also sealed their place in the UEFA Champions League last 16, extending an impressive start for the new boss (W5, L1). 

With just one point separating Chelsea from the Premier League top four, attention now turns firmly to maintaining pressure on those above them.

Rosenior has already overseen convincing league wins against fellow capital sides Brentford (2-0) and Crystal Palace (3-1), and another multi-goal victory would mark Chelsea’s first run of three such Premier League wins since November 2020. 

That said, Stamford Bridge has not been a guaranteed source of points this season, with under half of Chelsea’s total haul coming at home.

West Ham arrive with renewed belief after putting together back-to-back league wins for the first time in months, equalling the number they managed across their previous 18 matches combined. 

Last weekend’s 3-1 success over Sunderland was followed by a vital 2-1 victory away at Tottenham, ending an eight-game winless run on the road and lifting spirits within Nuno Espírito Santo’s camp.

Despite that upturn, the Irons remain five points adrift of safety, and while their derby win at Spurs was significant, they have not won consecutive Premier League London derbies since the 2021-22 season – a sequence that memorably included a victory over Chelsea. 

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Recent meetings have been heavily one-sided, with Chelsea winning the last four league clashes with West Ham by an emphatic 15-2 aggregate score, and the Blues have lost just once in their last 19 Premier League home games against the Irons (W14, D4). 

Stamford Bridge has been particularly unforgiving, with Chelsea claiming victory in each of the last five home league H2Hs.

Chelsea remain without Dario Essugo, Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia, while Tosin Adarabioyo has joined the injury list after picking up a hamstring problem.

West Ham head into the game without Lucas Paqueta, who has completed a move to Flamengo. 

Backup goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is also sidelined with a back injury, while new signing Adama Traore could be in line for a debut following his recent arrival from Fulham.

Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Badiashile, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Joao Pedro

West Ham: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Todibo, Scarles; Bowen, Soucek, Fernandes, Summerville; Pablo; Castellanos

Chelsea’s confidence is clearly growing under Rosenior, and their strong recent record against West Ham at Stamford Bridge points towards another home win. 

The Irons are showing signs of life, but their defensive vulnerabilities could be exposed by a Blues side brimming with attacking options.

Correct score prediction: Chelsea 3-1 West Ham

Betting tips:

Chelsea to win

Both teams to score 

Over 2.5 goals