CHELSEA continue life under Mauricio Pochettino with a trip to West Ham TODAY.
The Blues are set to welcome new midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia into the fray following their big-money moves to Stamford Bridge.
Meanwhile, West Ham could also hand debuts to new signings James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez.
- Kick off time: 4:30pm BST
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/Premier League
- Live stream: NOW
- West Ham team: To follow…
- Chelsea team: To follow…
PADDY POWER WELCOME OFFER – Get £20 back as cash if your first bet loses
Stay up to date with all the action from the London Stadium…
-
By Kieran Davies
West Ham subs:
1. Fabianski, 2. Johnson, 3. Cresswell, 8. Fornals, 14. Cornet, 18. Ings, 19. Alvarez, 21. Ogbonna, 45. Mubama
-
By Kieran Davies
West Ham starting XI:
James Ward-Prowse will make his debut for The Hammers but Edson Alvarez will have to make do with a spot on the bench today.
23. Areola, 5. Coufal, 4. Zouma, 27. Aguerd, 33. Emerson, 7. Ward-Prowse, 28. Soucek, 10. Paqueta, 20. Bowen, 9. Antonio, 22. Benrahma
Credit: @WestHam -
By Kieran Davies
West Ham new boy was Chelsea target
Edson Alvarez was a target for The Blues in 2022 but the former Ajax man recently admitted he was glad the move didn't happen.
That will make him ever more popular with Irons' fans as he looks to make his debut for the club today.
He will be hoping to link up with James Ward-Prowse and Lucas Paqueta in midfield for West Ham.
-
By Kieran Davies
West Ham underdogs with bookies
Despite their new signings this week, The Hammers are still not fancied to beat Pochettino's side today.
West Ham – 11/5
Draw – 15/8
Chelsea – 1/1
Match odds brought to you by Betfair.
-
By Kieran Davies
Gaffer looks at today's opponents
The Hammers' boss was asked about Chelsea's transfer window spending:
-
By Kieran Davies
Pochettino looking to get season started
After drawing at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool, the new manager is still looking for his first Premier League win.
Historically, Chelsea have done well against The Hammers in the past and the Argentine boss will be keen to take all three points today.
With new signings Caicedo and Lavia available, the owners will be wanting to see some results from their huge investment into the squad.
-
By Kieran Davies
Hammers looking to change form
West Ham have only beaten Chelsea once in their last six Premier League encounters, a 3-2 win at the London Stadium in December 2021.
However, they have beaten The Blues in all competitions four times at their current home, the only side they have a better record against is Southampton.
Should they fail to win today, it will be the sixth time in seven season that The Hammers have failed to win either of their two opening Premier League fixtures.
-
By Kieran Davies
Brazilian to be assessed before game
Lucas Paqueta is currently being investigated by the FA for potential betting breaches but will still be available to play for West Ham.
While the player himself said he was shocked by the allegations, it does not focus on the Paqueta making bets, rather a spike in money being placed on him getting a yellow card in his homeland.
David Moyes will assess the player and whether he feels he is in the right frame of mind to take on their London rivals today.
-
By Kieran Davies
Defence is the best form of attack
Having completed the signings of Caicedo and Lavia, you have to wonder where the creativity is coming from in this Chelsea midfield.
In addition to the pair, the players available to Pochettino in the centre of midfield are Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher and Carney Chukwuemeka.
Against Liverpool, they struggled for creativity in the centre of the park and the attacking flair was most definitely missing from previous Chelsea sides.
-
By Kieran Davies
Welcome to West Ham vs Chelsea
West Ham host London rivals Chelsea to the London Stadium this afternoon as both sides try to get their first wins of the new campaign.
The Hammers could be looking at debuts for their two new signings Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, aside from that, they have no injury concerns coming into this game.
Chelsea cannot say the same, newly-appointed skipper Reece James is looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines as he suffered a hamstring injury in training this week.
He joins Trevor Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Armando Broja, Christopher Nkunku and Marcus Bettinelli all in the treatment rooms for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Malo Gusto may well have the chance to impress at right-back following the injury to James as he is set to fill in for the Chelsea skipper.
New signings Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are both available to start for The Blues after completing their transfers from Brighton and Southampton respectively.
David Moyes will be looking to make a statement in the first home game of the season as the club continue their evolution after the departure of talisman Declan Rice in the summer.
Source: Read Full Article