Premier League: West Meets East In Capital Clash

Chelsea vs West Ham United

Well, it was a Premier League result I was not expecting.

For Chelsea to lose at home to a weakened Arsenal side which had just lost three on the bounce was one thing; for them to ship four goals in the process was very much another.

In fact, it got all too much for one home fan who confronted captain Cesar Azpilicueta after he both scored and conceded a penalty in the 4-2 defeat – even manager Thomas Tuchel admitted he empathised with the Chelsea supporter.

So can Chelsea, who remain third, bounce back or are they in the midst of a wobble after conceding 11 goals in their last three home games?

West Ham are in town as West London hosts East London.

Talking Points

Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge was almost as if Chelsea had never seen Arsenal before and the alarming thing for Tuchel is that this performance did not come out of the blue.

The clumsiness, typified by Azpilicueta dragging down Bukayo Saka to concede a needless penalty when Chelsea still had time to score a third equaliser, did not appear out of nowhere; it was there when Brentford and Real Madrid ran riot at Stamford Bridge in recent weeks.

The laxness has infuriated Tuchel who did not want to pin the collapse against Arsenal on Antonio Rudiger’s absence. For the German boss knows defensive vulnerabilities, uncharacteristic until recently, cost them in their Champions League quarter-final and there is a danger of being dragged into the top-four race with Arsenal and Tottenham unless they quickly respond.

Undoubtedly off the field events have naturally impacted on some on-field performances over the past two months.

The Blues are operating under a special licence from the UK Government after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned and the fact the club is up for sale triggers uncertainty. – the Broughton consortium is reportedly one of three groups in the running to purchase the Premier League club for £2.5 billion.

Perhaps it will help them this weekend that West Ham will probably have their mind on an upcoming Europa League semi-final.

The Hammers have produced super showings to see off Sevilla and Lyon so far and, with Eintracht Frankfurt awaiting in the semi-finals, manager David Moyes may well have pinpointed European success as a priority, even if they are not certain of finishing in the top seven – and a guaranteed European berth – in the top flight.

There have been plenty of Premier League highlights between these two in recent years and this could be no exception.

The onus, however, is on Chelsea who remain – for a month anyway – the reigning European and world champions and also have next month’s FA Cup Final to look forward to. Certainly, it would not surprise me one bit if they end the season with more silverware.

First though, they will want to cement third place and a return to next season’s Champions League.

Victory in this will edge them closer,

History

The Hammers have actually lost only two of their last seven league matches at Stamford Bridge.

One of those games was last season when Thiago Silva gave Chelsea a first half lead before a late double from Tammy Abraham put a one-sided slant on the scoreline.

The return fixture saw Timo Werner net the only goal.

Earlier this season, Chelsea travelled to West Ham top of the table and led twice through Silva and Mason Mount in East London.

However, a Manuel Lanzini penalty, Jarrod Bowen equaliser and a fortuitous late Arthur Masuaku goal sealed a thrilling 3-2 home victory.

Overall, the record stands at 52 Chelsea successes, 43 West Ham victories and 22 draws.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Premier League betting odds favour the hosts, including odds 1X2 @ 1.54, Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 1.73 and -1.25 @ 2.25.

West Ham are priced 1X2 @ 6.00 and Asian Handicap +0.75 @ 2.25.

For goals, it’s worth considering Over 2.75 @ 2.17, Total Goal 0-1 @ 3.35, 2-3 @ 1.91 and 4-6 @ 3.45.

A re-run of last season’s fixture is available @ 11.50 with Correct Score 3-0, whereas if West Ham are going to seal a league double with an identical win, how about Correct Score 2-3 at a massive @ 95.00.

The 1X2 Draw @ 3.95 will earn a decent pay day but I am plumping for Chelsea to win this one and lead both at the break and at the end.

 

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