West Ham United’s fine progress was held up by a 2-3 loss to Newcastle United last weekend, forcing them to drop out of the top-four of the Premier League table.
Next up, they take on Chelsea in the league and a win against the Blues should see them climb back to the fourth spot on the table. And given their stellar form at home, David Moyes should be looking at nothing but all three points.
The Hammers boss will be really upset with the loss to the Magpies but he can’t make any decisions in haste this weekend, primarily because Chelsea have been in one of the best teams in the land, ever since Tuchel charge of the side.
Also, the manager has a number of injuries to deal with in every area of the pitch so we won’t be surprised if the Hammers boss urges his players to tread cautiously on Saturday. While a win will be great for their Champions League hopes but a point against a team like Chelsea will also not be a really bad result.
West Ham United team news vs Chelsea:
Craig Dawson picked up a 36th-minute red card against Newcastle United so he will not be available this weekend. But Aaron Cresswell should be back to full fitness and will slot straight into the backline alongside Diop and Ogbonna.
If Cresswell cannot be fit in time then Fabian Balbuena will be in line to make his first appearance for the side since December.
Declan Rice still remains on the sidelines with a knee injury so the experienced Mark Noble will keep his role in midfield alongside Soucek. Noble will play the defensive midfielder’s role.
Arthur Masuaku has fluid accumulation in his knees and he is not likely to be fit in time to face Chelsea. So Ben Johnson will keep his place in the side as the left wing-back.
Michail Antonio is now at the risk of missing out for the remainder of the season so Jarrod Bowen will be playing as the main centre-forward for West Ham United.
Against Newcastle United as well as Leicester City, manager David Moyes opted for a 3-4-1-2 system allowing Jesse Lingard to play up front alongside Bowen.
If the West Ham boss opts for the same formation then Pablo Fornals will get to play as the No 10.
A win will be perfect for West Ham’s hopes for qualifying for the Champions League next season but the first thing Moyes will look to do is avoid defeat on Saturday so that his side can remain in the top-four hunt going into the final few matches of the season.
WHUFC’s predicted XI vs Chelsea:
Predicted Line-up: Fabianski; Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell; Mark Noble, Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Coufal; Jesse Lingard, Jarrod Bowen.
Stats courtesy Whoscored & TransferMarkt.
