Chelsea’s quest for victory against West Ham at Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea welcome West Ham United to Stamford Bridge on Monday 3 February 2025, with Enzo Maresca’s side looking to complete the league double over the Hammers for the first time since the 2020/2021 season.

Both sides are at opposite ends of the table, with the Blues looking to secure a top-four finish, while the east London side are struggling in the bottom half of the table.

Having won the last two meetings 3-0 and 5-0, Chelsea are heavy favourites according to several football betting sites, but West Ham, with ex-Blues boss Graham Potter at the helm, will do their best to change the script.

The last time the Hammers pulled off an upset win at Stamford Bridge was back in 2019 when Aaron Cresswell scored the game’s only goal. However, since then, they’ve lost in each of their last four visits to Chelsea.

West Ham can’t be underestimated given the talent they possess, but it remains a tough task to come away with all three points.

Chelsea’s Strengths and Recent Form

Chelsea are enjoying a fine Premier League campaign under Maresca, with the Italian’s sights set on guiding the Blues to a top-four finish. The west Londoners have been entertaining to watch and have scored an abundance of goals.

Their defence hasn’t been at its strongest following the injuries to Wesley Fofana and Reece James, but even when Chelsea have let in cheap goals, they’ve managed to outscore the opposition.

Chelsea’s biggest strength is their attacking department with even the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix struggling for regular game time.

West Ham’s Challenge

Languishing in the bottom half of the table is simply not good enough for a team that won the 2023 UEFA Conference League, which is why the east London club sacked Julen Lopetegui and brought in Potter.

West Ham had been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats while their top players from last season such as Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta have been below par.

The Hammers are massive underdogs heading into this game, but with a squad bursting with talent and a manager driven to succeed, Maresca’s side will need to be wary.

Key Player Matchups to Watch: Cole Palmer vs Everyone

The key player will undoubtedly be Cole Palmer. Despite being only 22 years old, the former Manchester City player is one of the best midfielders in the world right now. Keeping him quiet is crucial to West Ham’s chances of a positive result, however, that will be easier said than done. Every time Chelsea is on the scoresheet, Palmer either has a goal or an assist.

Tactical Preview: The Road to Victory

It will be quite interesting to see how West Ham set up against Chelsea, though it’s very unlikely that Potter will go all-out attack against one of the deadliest counter-attacking teams in the league. The Hammers are expected to sit back as Chelsea dominate the possession, but allowing the likes of Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho to play could prove costly.

Prediction

Seeking their fifth straight home win over West Ham, and having won the last two meetings convincingly, back Maresca’s side to come out on top in emphatic fashion.