West Ham – Chelsea
West Ham welcomes Chelsea to the London Derby in a situation that could hardly be more different. While the Hammers are already under pressure after their sobering 0-3 defeat against Sunderland and are languishing in 18th place in the table, the Blues are riding high on the confidence of four wins in five games, even if their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace ended goalless.
Graham Potter faces his first test as West Ham manager. His criticism after the Sunderland debacle was clear: the team dominated the first half but completely lost their way after falling behind and lacked any defensive discipline. With Crysencio Summerville and Maxwel Cornet out, important attacking players are missing, while Wes Foderingham is unavailable in goal. Transfer activity surrounding Feyenoord’s Quinten Timber and Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes signals that Potter wants to strengthen his midfield, while Lucas Paquetá is available for £60-70 million.
Chelsea are in a more stable position despite the goalless draw against Palace. The Blues are unbeaten in their last five games, winning four, including the impressive Club World Cup title with victories over Benfica, Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Paris Saint-Germain. However, Enzo Maresca will be without Levi Colwill, whose cruciate ligament injury leaves a significant gap in the defense. Benoît Badiashile is also out until September, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended.
The head-to-head record clearly favors Chelsea: three wins from the last five encounters, including a 5-0 victory in May 2024 and a 2-1 win in February this year. West Ham’s only win in this series dates back to August 2023, when they won 3-1 at home. It is noteworthy that Chelsea have scored before half-time in four of their last five meetings, while all five games have seen at least two goals scored.
From a betting market perspective, there are some interesting opportunities. The tip for over 2.5 goals is supported by the statistic that both teams have exceeded this mark in 80% of their last five games. West Ham’s defensive problems in their 3-0 defeat to Sunderland and Chelsea’s personnel worries in defense suggest a high-scoring game. The odds for under 1.5 goals in the first half also look promising, as both teams have stayed below this mark in 80% of their games. Chelsea’s controlled build-up play under Maresca and West Ham’s tendency to start cautiously at home suggest a slow start. A bold tip is a draw in the second half, which has occurred in 80% of Chelsea’s games.
West Ham are likely to line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation. Hermansen is likely to start in goal, with Todibo, Kilman, and Aguerd forming a back three. Wan-Bissaka and Diouf are likely to occupy the wing positions, while Ward-Prowse and Rodríguez could provide stability in the center. Paquetá will probably play behind the strike duo of Bowen and Füllkrug.
Chelsea are likely to start with their tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation. The center-back pairing will be interesting, with Josh Acheampong likely to start alongside Trevoh Chalobah. The youngster already showed against Crystal Palace that he can justify the trust placed in him. Pedro is likely to start as center forward, while Palmer and Pedro Neto will provide the creative impetus.
West Ham – Chelsea info
- Venue: London Stadium, London
- Date and time: 22.08.2025, 21:00
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 2)
West Ham form & record check
West Ham are in a precarious position ahead of the second matchday of the Premier League. After a 0-3 defeat at Sunderland on the opening day of the season, Graham Potter’s team are in 18th place, level on points with other relegation candidates such as Brentford and Burnley. The goal difference speaks for itself: while the Hammers failed to score at Sunderland, they conceded three goals from Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard, and Wilson Isidor.
Potter was critical of his team’s fundamentals after the game. Interestingly, West Ham dominated the first half but completely lost their way after falling behind and looked passive in possession in the second half. The defensive discipline that Potter describes as fundamental was completely lacking in all three goals. Particularly noteworthy: the team showed no reaction after conceding the first goal and allowed themselves to be completely taken apart.
The current injury worries are further exacerbating the situation. With Crysencio Summerville and Maxwel Cornet out, important offensive players are missing, while Wes Foderingham is out in goal. Potter has given positive signals regarding Summerville, but the uncertainty remains. The last five games paint a mixed picture: three wins and two losses, with the current streak of four games with goals being interrupted by the Sunderland debacle.
Transfer activity points to a shake-up. Reports of interest in Feyenoord’s Quinten Timber and negotiations for Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes show that Potter wants to strengthen his midfield. At the same time, Lucas Paquetá is available for £60-70 million, which signals further changes.
West Ham are expected to line up in their usual 3-4-1-2 formation under coach Graham Potter. However, the coach will have to do without several key players: Crysencio Summerville is out with a thigh injury, while Maxwel Cornet is also unavailable due to a muscle injury.
Hermansen is likely to start in goal, with Todibo, Kilman, and Aguerd forming a back three in front of him. Wan-Bissaka and Diouf are expected to occupy the wing positions, while Ward-Prowse and Rodríguez could provide stability in the center. Paquetá will probably play behind the strike duo of Bowen and Füllkrug.
Chelsea form & record check
Chelsea have made a mixed start to the new Premier League season. The goalless draw against Crystal Palace on the opening day was not a false start, but it was not the mark Enzo Maresca had hoped to make in his first game in charge.
Interestingly, the current form across all competitions paints a much more positive picture. The Blues are unbeaten in their last five games, with four wins and a draw. Particularly impressive was their run in the Club World Cup, where they secured the title with wins over Benfica in extra time, Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Nevertheless, the game against Palace revealed typical weaknesses. Despite possession and territorial advantages, the team lacked punch in the final third. The fact that Joao Pedro failed to score in his first league appearance underlined the problems in attack. With just one point from their first game, Chelsea are already behind their direct rivals.
In terms of personnel, Maresca continues to be plagued by the long-term absence of Levi Colwill, whose cruciate ligament rupture leaves a huge gap in the defense. Benoît Badiashile is also out with injury until September. Added to this is the club-wide suspension of Mykhaylo Mudryk, which further limits the offensive options.
Nevertheless, the statistics from recent games show promising signs. Chelsea won 80% of their games and conceded virtually no goals in the first halves. This points to a stable basic structure, even if there is still room for improvement in front of goal.
Chelsea are likely to start with their tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation, even though coach Enzo Maresca has some important personnel concerns. Levi Colwill’s injury is a heavy blow, with the center back out for virtually the entire season with a cruciate ligament tear. Benoît Badiashile is also unavailable with a muscle injury.
The center-back pairing will be interesting, with Josh Acheampong likely to start alongside Trevoh Chalobah. The youngster already showed against Crystal Palace that he can justify the trust placed in him. With Mudryk suspended, Chelsea are also missing an option in attack.
Pedro is likely to start as center forward, while Palmer and Pedro Neto will provide creative impetus. It could well be that Maresca sticks to his basic formation and only makes selective changes after the team has recently been solid defensively.
H2H West Ham – Chelsea Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The recent record between West Ham and Chelsea is sobering for the Hammers. In the last five direct encounters, four games went to the Blues, with West Ham winning only once. That was in August 2023 with a convincing 3-1 win at home.
Interestingly, the tide has turned completely since then. Chelsea are on an impressive run of three consecutive wins against West Ham, including a resounding 5-0 victory in May 2024 and most recently a 2-1 win in February this year. The Hammers conceded a total of eleven goals in those games.
There is a noticeable pattern in the first half: Chelsea have scored before the break in four of the last five encounters, while West Ham have regularly fallen behind early on. Only in the 2023 draw did the score remain goalless at half-time.
Tactically, it could be significant that at least two goals were scored in all five games. The matches usually developed into open exchanges, with Chelsea showing the stronger nerves. West Ham will have to ask themselves how they can break Chelsea’s early dominance this time around.
