Chelsea will be looking to extend their lead at the Premier League summit when they visit London rivals West Ham United on Saturday.
The Blues sit just one point clear of second-place Manchester City and two points ahead of third-place Liverpool, so they can’t afford any slip-ups.
We called it! 😅 pic.twitter.com/Y2Awufc99n— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 2, 2021
We called it! 😅 pic.twitter.com/Y2Awufc99n
Meanwhile, West Ham find themselves nine points behind Chelsea but remain in the hunt for a top-four finish.
The Hammers have failed to win any of their previous three Premier League games, recording a draw and two losses along the way.
However, they have only lost four of their 14 matches this season – picking up seven wins and three draws in the process.
When you look at the bigger picture, David Moyes’ men have lost just four of their last 24 outings across all competitions.
Let’s not forget that West Ham have already booked their place in the Europa League knockout phase after registering four wins and a draw from their five group games.
The Hammers can take confidence from their recent scoring record, having netted in each of their previous eight home games in the Premier League.
As for Chelsea, they picked up a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Watford in midweek – extending their unbeaten streak to 12 matches in all competitions.
The Blues have now won ten of their 14 league outings this term, recording three draws and just a single defeat.
Not only are Thomas Tuchel’s men the second-highest scorers in the division, but they also boast the best defensive record.
Indeed, they have conceded a measly six Premier League goals this season. Edouard Mendy has kept seven clean sheets.
Head-to-head: West Ham have only managed to win two of their past seven Premier League meetings with the Blues.
Tuchel’s side did the double over the Hammers last season, winning 3-0 at Stamford Bridge before claiming a 1-0 victory at the London Stadium.
Team news: Chelsea will be without injured trio Ben Chilwell, Mateo Kovacic and Trevoh Chalobah on Saturday. There are also question marks over the fitness of Reece James and N’Golo Kante.
West Ham centre-back Angelo Ogbonna has been ruled out for the season with an ACL injury. Aaron Cresswell is also a doubt for Saturday's clash.
Although the Hammers are enjoying a successful campaign, Chelsea are expected to flex their muscles at the London Stadium.
Forebet predicts that Chelsea will score over 2.5 goals on their way to dispatching West Ham this weekend.