Premier League Preview: West Ham United vs Chelsea

Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 by thesportscampus.com

On Saturday, Chelsea travel across London to Upton Park to take on neighbours West Ham United. Chelsea are the only team in the Premier League to take maximum points so far and they'll be purring with confidence ahead of this weekend's game. West Ham are in the exact opposite scenario, having lost all three League games, and there are also rumours circulating about Avram Grant's early departure.

West Ham

The Hammers have endured a torrid start to the campaign, losing all three games quite comprehensively. More importantly, the morale of the team is at an all time low and Grant will have his task cut out in raising the spirits of the squad. They have quite a few talented individuals but it's a team game and they need to get their act together soon if they are to avoid relegation.

Defence has always been the weak link at Upton Park and things are no different at the moment. Matthew Upson and Danny Gabbidon were horribly exposed last time around at Old Trafford while 36-year old Ryan Giggs ran rings around American international Jonathan Spector. Meanwhile, Robert Green hasn't yet recovered from his World Cup blunder and looks very short on confidence.

Skipper Scott Parker, who was tracked by Spurs all summer, is a vital player for the Hammers. He's the heartbeat of the team, on and off the field. Parker and Mark Noble need to be on their game if West Ham harbour any hopes of survival. Kieron Dyer's performance was the one bright spot from their game against Manchester United. His pace and trickery can unsettle any defence and Grant will be hoping he stays clear of long-term injuries.

Carlton Cole cast a lonely figure at Old Trafford as he toiled away against Nemanja Vidic without any support. He'll be hoping that at least at home, the midfield can get closer to him and help create openings.

Chelsea

The Champions have looked fairly impressive so far, albeit against mediocre opposition. They have maintained three clean sheets whilst scoring 14 goals in the process. Earlier this week Carlo Ancelotti spoke about his aim to make Chelsea play attractive football and their goal scoring record this calendar year has been a testament to that. They have been drawn in a fairly easy group in the Champions League, so things look pretty rosy at the moment over at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard and John Terry missed England's Euro qualifiers after aggravating injuries in the game against Stoke City but are expected to return to action this weekend against West Ham. It seems like another case of the clubs protecting their players from the rigours of International matches. The addition of Ramires to the squad gives them cover in midfield, which is vital after the departure of Michael Ballack and Deco. They still lack cover in central defence, with Alex and Terry the only 2 pure centre backs. They have had a very easy start to the season but they face a very tough fixture list over the next month, so Ancelotti will be hoping their lack of defensive numbers aren't exposed.

Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba are vital to the way Chelsea play. Drogba possesses that rare combination of physical presence and great ball control. He might be on the wrong side of 30, like most of the Chelsea squad, but he continues to display the desire to win more trophies. Malouda has improved leaps and bounds over the last year. He's taken quite a long time to get accustomed to the physicality of the English game but under Ancelotti he's developed another dimension to his game by scoring goals freely. Chelsea struggled at Upton Park last season, managing a 1-1 draw after thanks to a dubious penalty, but it is unlikely they will have any problems in dispatching West Ham this time around

Head to Head:
20th December, 2009: West Ham 1-1 Chelsea (Upton Park)
13th March, 2010: Chelsea 4-1 West Ham (Stamford Bridge)

Probable Line-Ups:

West Ham (4-5-1): Green (Gk), Jacobsen, Upson, Ben Haim, Illunga, Parker, Noble, Behrami, Dyer, Barrera, Cole

West Ham should line up in a familiar 4-5-1 formation on Saturday. The right-back position is one of concern for Grant and he might start with new recruit Lars Jacobsen. The Danish international put in a good shift for his national side in midweek and should make his club debut against Chelsea. Danny Gabbidon may make way for Tal Ben Haim in central defence, the Israeli international played 180 minutes while on international duty and should be ready to slot in against his former club. Robert Green is back in training following a minor groin operation and should keep his place in between the sticks.

Parker, Mark Noble and Luis Boa Morte started in central midfield against Manchester United and while Parker would be a natural choice, Radoslav Kovac and Valon Behrami could also be in the running for a midfield spot. Behrami stayed back with the club during the international break in an attempt to regain full fitness and could displace the veteran Boa Morte, while Noble sticks on to provide some attacking impetus. Pablo Barrera and Kieron Dyer are expected to start in the wide position and Cole should start as the lone striker.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech (Gk), Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Cole, Lampard, Mikel, Essien, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka

The Blues have a settled line up and it seems unlikely Ancelotti will change that this weekend. Petr Cech should start in goal while Ashley Cole is expected to start at left back. Paulo Ferreira should start at right back in the absence of Branislav Ivanovic, who is out for a few weeks with a back injury. Terry and Alex are a formidable partnership in central defence and West Ham will have their task cut out trying to break them open. Lampard, Jon Obi Mikel and Michael Essien are the midfield three and it seems unlikely Ancelotti will change his midfield for an away game. Finally, Malouda, Drogba and Nicolas Anelka are expected to start up front.

Prediction: Chelsea haven't had too many players from their squad going away on Internationals this past week, so they are likely to be well rested and raring to go. They have far too much quality for a West Ham side which is in disarray and it should be an easy win for the Blues.

Predicted Score: West Ham 0-3 Chelsea