A Close Game
West Ham v Chelsea should be a good game for the neutrals, as both sides on the day can play entertaining football. Chelsea have just been put in as the favourites at 21/20 with West Ham at 21/10 and the draw 14/5.
Things Turning For Chelsea?
Out of the two teams, Chelsea come into this game in slightly better form. There has been a lot of talk about Chelsea’s off-field antics, but Enzo Marcesca has begun to see some positive results on the pitch. Apart from losing to Manchester City at home, the Blues are unbeaten, and they’ve won all their games on the road.
Jury Still Out On Lopetegui
Coming into this season, a lot of pundits were tipping West Ham to have a big season. They brought in a new manager with Julen Lopetegui and added some exciting talents to their squad. So far their fortunes have been mixed, and they arrive here after scoring a late equaliser away to Fulham last weekend.
Expect Goals
When it comes to this game, I think Chelsea might just have the edge. They’ve had no problem scoring goals, as they dispatched six past Wolves at Molineux last month and have lots of attacking options. Therefore, I’m looking at Chelsea to win with over 2.5 goals at 7/4.
West Ham Can Make Corners Count
Though Chelsea have had no problem scoring goals, their defence has been prone to conceding them. One area that West Ham might be able to exploit is set pieces. Chelsea have so far conceded two goals from set pieces in their opening four games, which is alarming considering they only conceded three last season.
Heads Up For Mavropanos
A player who is always a threat from corners for West Ham is defender Konstantinos Mavropanos. The 26-year-old hasn’t been with the Hammers long, but last season he was able to head in and score from a corner against his old club Arsenal. In fact, his last six goals for club and country have been headers. He’s currently 16/1 to score a header against Chelsea, which isn’t bad value to me.
West Ham v Chelsea Selections
Chelsea To Win And Over 2.5 Goals (7/4)
Konstantinos Mavropanos To Score A Header (16/1)
