London rivals West Ham United and Chelsea clash on Saturday for a vitally important battle in the race for a top-four finish.
Fifth-place West Ham and fourth-place Chelsea are locked on 55 points, although Thomas Tuchel’s side boast a superior goal difference.
We can't get enough of this one! 😍 #OnThisDay 🆚 Southampton 2018 #FACup pic.twitter.com/dFwa1R5Hy3— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 22, 2021
We can't get enough of this one! 😍 #OnThisDay 🆚 Southampton 2018 #FACup pic.twitter.com/dFwa1R5Hy3
Interestingly, each of the Hammers’ previous three matches have ended 3-2, with David Moyes’ men winning on two occasions.
After beating Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City, West Ham were beaten by Newcastle United last weekend.
Despite ending the game with 66% possession, West Ham found themselves 2-0 down before half-time against the Magpies.
Goals from Issa Diop and Jesse Lingard saw the Hammers pull it back to 2-2, but Joe Willock scored a late winner for Newcastle.
Manchester United loanee Lingard has now bagged nine goals and four assists in ten appearances for West Ham.
On the flip side, Chelsea were held to a goalless draw by Bright & Hove Albion last time out, despite seeing 65% possession.
In fact, the Seagulls notched up 11 shots against the Blues, while Chelsea only managed seven attempts in reply.
Chelsea have only lost one of their 13 Premier League matches since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard in the Stamford Bridge hot seat.
It is also worth noting that Chelsea knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup last weekend, booking their spot in the final.
Not only have the Blues improved in attack under Tuchel, but they have also kept multiple clean sheets in recent weeks.
Head-to-head: Chelsea claimed a 3-0 victory over West Ham just before Christmas, with Tammy Abraham bagging a brace.
However, the recent record between these two clubs is even, with two wins for each side and two draws coming along the way.
Team news: West Ham will be without Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Michail Antonio this weekend, although Aaron Cresswell could return from injury.
Mateo Kovacic is currently sidelined for Chelsea, while veteran centre-back Thiago Silva is a doubt for Saturday’s clash.
Chelea will be expected to win this game, but in-form West Ham are likely to give the Blues a run for their money on Saturday.
With so much at stake, both managers could be happy to settle for a point, ensuring their rivals don’t gain the upper hand.
Forebet predicts that over 3.5 goals will be scored at the London Stadium. However, West Ham should be able to hold Chelsea to draw.