Account
West Ham United vs. Chelsea: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
December 8, 2017
Chelsea will travel across London to face West Ham United on Saturday, as they look to continue their Premier League unbeaten streak.
The Blues have not suffered a domestic loss since October 14, when another London-based club, Crystal Palace, shocked the champions. West Ham are tied on points with the Eagles, and a Hammers win would be an equally big upset.
West Ham are winless in the Premier League since September 30 and have won just two league matches all year―both at London Stadium. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming match.
Date: Saturday, December 9
Time: 12:30 p.m. GMT/7:30 a.m. ET
Venue: London Stadium, Stratford, London
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)
Team News
Chelsea received some good news on Wednesday, as the Football Association announced manager Antonio Conte will be fined but not suspended after he was sent off against Swansea City, per Sky Sports:
According to WhoScored.com, Kenedy, Charly Musonda and David Luiz are expected to miss out for the visitors, while Marcos Alonso and Danny Drinkwater are likely to start after they were rested in midweek.
The Hammers will be without a whole host of injured players, including Sam Byram and Winston Reid. Adrian is likely to start ahead of Joe Hart after his solid showing against Manchester City.
Preview
West Ham's season has been something of a calamity so far, with just two wins in 15 Premier League outings and a share of 18th place with Crystal Palace in the standings―although the Eagles have the better goal difference.
David Moyes has been in charge of the club for a month now, and in that span, the Hammers have earned one point―from a home draw against Leicester City.
The former Everton and Manchester United boss has become a punchline at this point, and SportsJOE got in on the fun:
Chelsea have won five of their last six Premier League outings, only dropping points against an in-form Liverpool.
Conte's troops haven't been consistently great, but they've done enough to grind out wins and did so again after going behind against Newcastle United in their previous league outing.
The Blues came from behind on Tuesday to earn a point against Atletico Madrid, and while they didn't top their UEFA Champions League group, Eden Hazard remains confident:
On paper, Chelsea have little to fear from the Hammers, but local derbies are always tricky. The Blues should know that better than most after the defeat against Crystal Palace and should be well-prepared for this fixture.
West Ham field the Premier League's worst defence―32 goals conceded already―so expect Chelsea to fire in crosses early and often, making full use of Alvaro Morata's dominance in the air.
Prediction: West Ham 1-3 Chelsea