Game Week 5 Predictions: West Ham to trouble Chelsea at London Stadium

Preview of West Ham vs Chelsea London derby. Key players, tactics, and predictions, with Chelsea's Sanchez and West Ham's Kudus as players to watch.

 

West Ham and Chelsea have it all to do to entertain the the world while seeking maximum points in the opening game of the weekend. (Photo credit: Opta)

West Ham vs Chelsea

London Stadium

12:30pm

The first game of the weekend is a London derby, which means so much to both sides for a variety of reasons. One thing that is sacrosanct is that it’s a game the neutrals will enjoy.

Chelsea beat Bournemouth last weekend 1-0, a result they must relish because it looked like a game they’d have lost considering how many chances the Cherries created, and they must send a thank-you card to Robert Sanchez, who came up strong many times in the game.

Apart from making all sorts of saves, the Spaniard gave away a penalty when he brought down Evanilson in the Chelsea area. He stood and saved the penalty, keeping the Blues in the game before Christopher Nkunku came off the bench to score the winner.

You can't say the same for the hosts; they had to leave it late against Fulham, but they could only get a draw at Craven Cottage. Danny Ings beat Bernd Leno at his near post after he had saved many tougher West Ham attempts.

The Hammers made significant investments in the summer to bolster their competitiveness, but they are still establishing themselves in the league. Keep a close watch on Julien Lopetegui's status; it's likely that he will lose his job soon if his results don't warrant it.

How will Chelsea approach this? After coming off the bench to win the man of the match in the game against Bournemouth, you won’t be wrong to expect Jadon Sancho to start the game at the expense of Pedro Neto, but Nkunku will still be preferred off the bench.

The midfield is quite settled at Chelsea; Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo will once again offer protection to Chelsea’s fragile defense, and, if anyone had doubts about Sanchez in goal, the game against Bournemouth gave the goalkeeper some social currency.

West Ham could be without Nicklas Fulkrug; the German is yet to find full fitness, while Danny Ings will push for a starting role after rescuing a point last weekend. Jarrod Bowen will hope to make his mark on this game; the Chelsea defense must be wary of him.

What is the X-factor for the host? It must be the unpredictability of Ghana winger Mohammed Kudus; the former Ajax man is yet to hit the heights of last season, but you know there’s something there; watch out for him.

Verdict: Both teams to score