West Ham United and Chelsea are both seeking their first win of the Premier League season when they lock horns on Friday night.
Club World Cup champions Chelsea stumbled to a goalless draw in their opener with Crystal Palace last weekend as they struggled to slice open their stubborn visitors. An early slip-up was not what Enzo Maresca will have wanted and the Italian will be demanding a defiant response at London Stadium.
The Blues don’t have the best record at the venue, however, with only two victories in their last eight visits. One of those did come last season as Nicolas Jackson—who now finds himself in Chelsea exile—starred with two goals and an assist.
Chelsea will be strong favourites regardless, especially given the nature of West Ham’s opening defeat. The Irons were handsomely beaten by newly-promoted Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, conceding three unanswered goals in a humbling loss. The Graham Potter era continues to trudge along unconvincingly and things could get much worse for the former Chelsea boss on Friday.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to an all-London affair.
What time does West Ham vs. Chelsea Kick-Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: London Stadium
- Date: Friday, August 22
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / Noon PT
- Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
- VAR: Jarred Gillett
West Ham vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- West Ham: 1 win
- Chelsea: 3 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Chelsea 2–1 West Ham (February 3, 2025) - Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to watch West Ham vs. Chelsea on TV
West Ham Team News
West Ham’s injury list cannot be blamed for their disappointing start to the term with only Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme currently sidelined. Summerville has been missing since January but is closing in on a return.
Mads Hermansen made a calamitous error on his Hammers debut but will retain his place in goal, ahead of Alphonse Areola. There could be a change in midfield, though, with Tomáš Souček potentially coming back into a compact midfield alongside James Ward-Prowse and Lucas Paquetá.
Edson Álvarez won’t be involved against Chelsea on Friday as he edges towards a summer move to Fenerbahçe, but George Earthy is available having recently returned to training.
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea (3-4-1-2): Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Souček, Diouf; Paquetá; Bowen, Füllkrug.
Chelsea Team News
Levi Colwill continues his recovery from an ACL tear and is joined in the treatment room by Roméo Lavia, Benoît Badiashile and Omari Kellyman. Mykhailo Mudryk is still banned after a failed drugs test.
Josh Acheampong was a surprise starter against Palace in the centre of defence as Tosin Adarabioyo missed out with a minor knock. Maresca has confirmed that the latter will be available against the Hammers, however.
Jackson is among those who will not travel to the London Stadium as he attempts to find a new club, with Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Carney Chukwuemeka and Axel Disasi also not making the trip ahead of imminent exits.
Estêvão could replace Jamie Gittens in the lineup after a lively cameo from the bench last weekend.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. West Ham
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. West Ham (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Estêvão; Pedro.
West Ham vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Chelsea were not at their usual level against a stubborn Palace side but should respond with victory over their misfiring London foes this Friday. The Blues created 1.9 expected goals, two big chances and 19 shots against the Eagles, numbers that should see them take all three points at West Ham if replicated.
The Irons have struggled defensively since Potter took charge and they were opened up far too easily by Sunderland last time out. Going forward they looked blunt, too, managing 12 shots but only four on target and no big chances.
This should be a fairly routine win for Chelsea.
Prediction: West Ham 0–2 Chelsea
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as West Ham vs. Chelsea: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.