West Ham United will lock horns with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, hoping to pick up a positive result away from home. The Hammers will be coming into the match on the back of a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Burnley, whereas the Blues recorded a disappointing 4-2 loss to Arsenal.
Team News
Kurt Zouma and Issa Diop have been ruled out of the trip to Stamford Bridge with ankle problems.
“I don’t put timescales on injuries, but what I will say is that Issa has an injury and Kurt has an injury,” Moyes said in his pre-match press conference.
“We try not to put timescales on it because you’re always hoping you get your players back quicker.
“It’s really important that we can get them back and hopefully we do so as soon as we possibly can.
“We’ve got some injuries, but all clubs have got some injuries at this time of the season. I’ve got to juggle and find a way of getting something which gives us a defensive set-up.”
The Scottish tactician will probably opt for his usual 4-2-3-1 formation against Chelsea; however, he is expected to make a couple of changes from the last game for the upcoming away encounter as Said Benrahma looks likely to make his way back into the starting eleven.
4-2-3-1 West Ham United Predicted Lineup Vs Chelsea
Defence
Lukasz Fabianski will operate in between the sticks for the away side. The Polish international would hope to put up a strong performance and secure a clean sheet on Sunday.
Craig Dawson will form the customary centre-half partnership with Declan Rice at the heart of West Ham’s backline.
Aaron Cresswell should be a starter at the left wing-back spot, whereas Ben Johnson will start on the other flank as the right wing-back. Up against the Blues, the full-backs will be expected to stay compact defensively.
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Midfield
Tomas Soucek will feature alongside Pablo Fornals in the holding midfield position, with the former being assigned with more of a defensive role to shield the away side’s back-four.
Manuel Lanzini will slot in the attacking midfield position to complete the midfield trio. The Argentina international will be determined to engineer some clear-cut goal scoring chances for the front men.
Nikola Vlasic will have to settle for a place on the bench but might come in the latter stages of the game if needed.
Attack
Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen are expected to take up the wide positions, playing on the left and right-wing, respectively.
Michail Antonio is expected to lead the line for the visitors against Thomas Tuchel’s men this weekend. The Englishman will hope to make the most of his chances when he faces off against the Chelsea defence that has conceded nine goals in their last five matches across all competitions.
