Chelsea are getting closer to that championship. After claiming their first trophy of the season over the weekend, the Blues can take another huge step toward re-capturing the Premier League crown with a win over struggling West Ham. The Hammers have had a horrid 2015 thus far, but a win over their London neighbors could be just the result they need to revive their faltering season.
Get ready for this fascinating midweek London derby with our comprehensive breakdown below. Also, click here for our preview of another London club, Tottenham Hotspur, as they take on Swansea.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]With Manchester City losing to Liverpool over the weekend, leaders Chelsea could build up an eight-point lead atop the Premier League standings with around 11 games remaining. Meanwhile, West Ham are in desperate need of a win after starting the new year in horrible form.
Betting on West Ham United
West Ham United are reaching new levels of futility in 2015. The Hammers were hammered, 3-1, at home by Crystal Palace last Saturday, their fifth straight match without a win. West Ham have won just once in the league (1-2-5) in eight matches this calendar year.
West Ham’s defense was once again at fault against Palace, particularly from set pieces. Glenn Murray was the beneficiary with two goals from corner kicks. Defending also led to their downfall as they lost a two-goal lead at Tottenham in the last 10 minutes to draw 2-2 back on Feb. 22.
West Ham’s offense has shown some improvement in those last two games, but it’s still pretty inconsistent. The Hammers were clinical in taking two of their 12 chances against Tottenham, while they converted just one of their 22 total shots against Palace, and hit only five on target.
With West Ham struggling for any sort of form, expect Allardyce to field a much more pragmatic and conservative lineup at home against the leaders. Look for the Hammers to shore up their defense against Chelsea by playing a compact, midfielder-heavy lineup, and attacking with long balls and the occasional set piece.
West Ham can be a real threat from those set pieces. They’ve scored 11 set piece goals this season, tied for second in the league.
Betting on Chelsea
Chelsea were the big winners of the weekend. Not only did they win the Capital One Cup – their first trophy in manager Jose Mourinho’s second stint with the club – they also saw their nearest title rivals in Manchester City slip up at Liverpool.
With morale sure to be high after the cup win and the possibility of going a commanding eight points clear at the top, expect Chelsea to be all sorts of fired up against West Ham.
Defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic will still be missing as he serves out the second of his two-match ban. But Mourinho may have found the perfect replacement in youngster Kurt Zouma, who played very well in the cup final. Zouma capably contained the threat of Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen, and could do a similar job with West Ham’s main creative player, Stewart Downing.
On the other end, Chelsea will have their full complement of attacking talents to choose from. The Blues blasted 28 total shots on West Ham’s goal in their first meeting last month. The Premier League’s co-leading scorer Diego Costa (17 goals) scored one goal in a comfortable 2-0 win.
Captain John Terry, who scored the clinching goal in the cup final, also got on the scoresheet against West Ham. He and fellow defender Branislav Ivanovic (six goals this season) should be significant threats against West Ham’s shaky set piece defense. Chelsea have 12 set piece goals this season, tied for the most in the Premier League.
Writer’s Prediction
Chelsea ride the momentum of their cup win and cruise to a 2-0 away win against West Ham. Create a betting account now and be part of the Premier League’s heart-pounding action.
