West Ham United finally got off the mark in the Premier League as they beat Everton at Goodison Park. Manuel Pellegrini would be relieved that his changes worked and it seems like he is close to finding out his best eleven. Next, they will host Chelsea who are yet to be beaten under Maurizio Sarri and haven’t dropped a single point so far at London Stadium. So the task would be cut out for the Hammers in the London derby.
Keeping Eden Hazard in check would be a major headache for the defence as he is coming on the back of a hattrick and looks in peak condition right now. The Belgian didn’t travel with the team for the Europa League game so he would be raring to go when the two London clubs battle it out for supremacy.
Team News
Jack Wilshere is injured and not in contention to be in the matchday squad. Major news is that Marko Arnautovic has recovered from his knock against Everton and will start this game. Javier Hernandez is still sick and might miss out this weekend’s clash. Andy Carroll, Winston Reid and Manuel Lanzini are the long-term absentees.
West Ham United’s Predicted Lineup Vs Chelsea
Formation (4-1-4-1)
Defence
Lukasz Fabianski has continued with his excellent work and looks solid in goal for the Hammers. The pairing of Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena did well against the Toffees, and we expect the Chilean manager to go with the two in the centre-half role. Out on the right, the veteran Argentine Pablo Zabaleta should start. Artur Masuaku will get the nod ahead of Aaron Cresswell for the left back position.
Midfield
Midfield partnership has been one of the significant areas of concern for the East London outfit. Declan Rice will start in the defensive midfield role, and we expect a busy afternoon for the young Englishman. Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble will also have to do their defensive duties diligently as the Blues will look to overpower the Hammers in midfield.
Andriy Yarmolenko should be full of confidence going into this game as he scored a brace against Everton. However, he would have to track back for Marcos Alonso who will always look to bomb forward at every opportunity. On the left, Felipe Anderson would get the nod to start. The Brazilian has shown glimpses of his talent and skills, but Pellegrini would want him to return with goals and assists as well.
Forward
Austrian attacker Arnautovic has recovered sufficiently from his knock against Everton, and that would be a massive relief for Pellegrini as other forward Javier Hernandez is likely to miss out.
