West Ham United are back in Premier League action this Saturday with another London derby, this time against Chelsea.
The Hammers, who started the league season off with three straight defeats without scoring a goal, head to Stamford Bridge on the back of a 1-1 draw at home against Tottenham Hotspur. Tomas Soucek fired in the equaliser for Irons after Thilo Kehrer put the ball into his own net in the first-half.
A point for West Ham, following their 1-0 win against Aston Villa last week, has helped David Moyes’ side climb up to 14th in the table ahead of this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures. It also puts them within touching distance of London rivals Chelsea, who currently occupy tenth spot.
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The Blues have had a disappointing start to the season so far with just two wins from their opening five fixtures. As things stand, Chelsea are three points ahead and have a two goal advantage over the Hammers in the table.
After back-to-back defeats on the road at Leeds and Southampton, Chris Sutton admits that pressure could mount up on Thomas Tuchel if they fail to pick up a win at home against West Ham. Predicting a 1-1 draw, Sutton told BBC Sport : “I don’t know about this one.
“Chelsea have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but things aren’t right at the club. Thomas Tuchel is agitated and he could come under pressure if they don't win this game.
“West Ham are getting there now. I expect Chelsea to win if both teams turn up but I do have a feeling West Ham will get a point from this.”
A poor start to the season means Chelsea have already fallen way behind in the race for the Premier League title, with Arsenal currently holding on to top spot with 15 points, eight ahead of the Blues. Former Gunners hero Paul Merson admits Chelsea can’t afford anymore slip-ups.
“The way Chelsea have started their Premier League season, they've brought Arsenal and Tottenham straight into the top four equation. I wouldn't surprised if both these teams finish above Chelsea this season,” Merson told Sportskeeda.
Predicting Chelsea to claim a 2-1 win, Merson added: “Chelsea can't afford to lose these games. Mason Mount has got to start scoring goals - he needs to add that to his game.
“He's a big part of the Chelsea side, and he gets a lot of touches. He didn't score a lot last season but Chelsea were winning, and everybody was praising him. They're not winning right now, and you go, ‘Wait a minute! Mount's struggling!’ He's got to score more goals in the Premier League.
“I'd like to think Tuchel will pick Wesley Fofana, Thiago Silva, and Kalidou Koulibaly this weekend. Silva's their best defender at the moment. When they don't play three at the back they struggle, and if you've brought Fofana in, you're surely playing a three-man defence.
This is a massive game for both teams. West Ham did well against Tottenham, and they fought back in the second half. Chelsea have got to win this game, and I wouldn't be surprised if this match is decided by the odd goal as well.”
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