Chelsea will be looking to stay at the top of the Premier League standings when they make the travels to fourth-placed West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
The London derby on the cards promises to be a highly anticipated meeting between two sides who have put out stellar performances this season heading into this upcoming clash.
Thomas Tuchel’s men were held to a 1-1 stalemate by bitter rivals Manchester United over the last weekend following which they overcame the league’s new boys Watford in a rather evenly-contested affair at Vicarage Road.
A strike late inside the second period of the game from Hakim Ziyech proved to be the difference for the Blues who managed to move a point clear of Manchester City who sit second in the league table.
The Blues will be cautious ahead of the stern test that awaits them in the London derby with West Ham United on the back of their 1-1 draw against Brighton last time around targeting a return to winning ways.
Declan Rice and Co. have punched above their weight early on this campaign and with top-four hopes on the high for David Moyes’ men, big-name opponents such as Chelsea will be games being looked forward to by the Hammers.
Despite injury problems on the rise at the Bridge, Tuchel has well-stocked ranks to choose from and field a strong-looking XI to claim the three points which are of importance to the table-toppers.
A potential three-way title race with second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Liverpool means that Chelsea have a lot to lose should they fail to secure a win over the weekend.
WHEN & WHERE?
Soon back at it! 👊 pic.twitter.com/0hENxFNvzl
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 2, 2021
Date: Saturday 4 December
Time: 3 PM GMT
Venue: London Stadium
TEAM NEWS
Thiago Silva, Romelu Lukaku and Jorginho are among the regulars for the visiting side who are tipped to return to the starting XI come Saturday.
Mateo Kovacic and Ben Chilwell remain long-term absentees on the injury front for Chelsea and are not expected to play any part in the upcoming game.
Thomas Tuchel will have worries about the fitness levels of N’Golo Kante and Reece James with the latter forced to sit out the last game against Watford in a last-minute decision.
KEY BATTLE
Declan Rice VS Romelu Lukaku
Rice is one of the players in his position in the Premier League and amid the speculation of Chelsea’s interest in his signature, the midfield man will hope to make a lasting impression on Tuchel in the weekend contest.
For the Blues, the return of summer recruit Romelu Lukaku will provide them with some much-needed firepower in the final third as the Belgian is backed to rediscover his red hot form in front of the goal.
MATCH PREDICTION
Chelsea are the favourites for the London Stadium showdown despite West Ham’s impressive start to the campaign and we predict the visitors to clinch an important win.
West Ham United 1-2 Chelsea
