West Ham host Chelsea at the London Stadium on Friday night with both sides looking to bounce back from disappointing results in their Premier League openers.
The Hammers were thoroughly outplayed in a 3-0 defeat at Sunderland, while Chelsea dominated possession but failed to convert chances in a frustrating goalless draw with Crystal Palace.
With Chelsea having won the last three meetings between these London rivals and West Ham's defence looking vulnerable, Graham Potter's side face an uphill battle against Enzo Maresca's attacking threat.
West Ham vs. Chelsea prediction: who will win?
For tonight's West Ham vs Chelsea matchup, our predictive model gives the Blues a 75% chance of defeating the Hammers.
West Ham: 25% win probability
- Woeful defensive display in opener, shipping 3 goals without reply against a promoted side
- Rock bottom of the table with 0 points from their first match
- Failed to find the net in their opening fixture, managing 0 goals scored
Chelsea: 75% win probability
- Defensive solidity shown in opening fixture (0 goals conceded vs 4 allowed by West Ham)
- Better early season form with a point earned compared to West Ham's opening defeat
- Superior goal difference of 0 versus West Ham's -3, indicating better overall balance
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model harnesses insights from top Premier League football experts.
Instead of scouring hundreds of analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to gauge the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analysing football predictions, statistics, and expert opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to create an 'expert opinion' win probability—capturing the collective intelligence of the football industry's most respected Premier League analysts.
West Ham vs. Chelsea Odds
| West Ham | Chelsea | Draw | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match Result |
West Ham vs. Chelsea preview
West Ham's dismal 3-0 collapse at Sunderland exposed a powder-puff defence that could be in serious trouble against a Chelsea side still smarting from their wasteful 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
The Hammers have now conceded 10 goals in their last six matches, with only Jarrod Bowen showing any real fight in their latest defeat, while Graham Potter's backline parted like the Red Sea for Sunderland's third goal.
Chelsea dominated possession and created plenty against Palace but lacked the clinical edge in the final third, though Brazilian starlet Estevao looked sharp off the bench and could earn his first start after registering the highest expected goals per 90 minutes of any substitute last weekend.
The Blues have won their last three meetings with West Ham by comfortable margins of 5-0, 3-0 and 2-1, and with Cole Palmer hoping to rediscover his Club World Cup form alongside the creative spark of Pedro Neto and Marc Cucurella, they'll fancy their chances at the London Stadium.
West Ham remain without a home league win in five attempts, and with key injuries to Wes Foderingham and Crysencio Summerville limiting Potter's options, they'll need a dramatic improvement to avoid extending their poor run against their London rivals.
This London derby could hinge on whether Chelsea can convert their dominance into goals, while West Ham desperately need to tighten up defensively if they're to stand any chance of ending their barren spell.
West Ham vs. Chelsea form
