So the first game for Chelsea will be against the other London side, West Ham United. The game is surely a tough one, but that will give us a glimpse of what Chelsea’s new manager Antonio Conte has to offer to the fans. The Italian gaffer has tasted a great success so far in the pre-season with a win over Liverpool, AC Milan and Werder Bremen already to his name.
The former Juventus manager is known for his tactical football; hence it will be an interesting sight to see how he lines his team up. The Blues have not been very engaging in term of transfers this season as they have only signed two players, namely, N’Golo Kante from Leicester City and Michy Batshuayi from Marseille.
On the other hand, West Ham United only won two games in their pre-season tour and will be looking forward to start their campaign on a high note. When the last time these two heavyweights met, Slaven Bilic insured that the Hammers go the entire season unbeaten against Chelse and he has reputed the Hammers to the extent that they no longer are the mid-table club.
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Chelsea vs West Ham United Team News:
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will not be facing any major injury crisis for the fixture, but will be missing the dynamism of their 21-year-old defender Kurt Zouma. The Frenchman was ruled out for the season last campaign and even though he has returned, his participation is looking highly unlikely.
The visitors, on the other hand, will be facing some major issues regarding the fitness of their players, as their star men Manuel Lanzini and Aaron Cresswell have been ruled out of the fixture due to their respective injuries.
The new arrivals Ayew, Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit will be looking to mark their debut in the game.
Predicted lineup:
Chelsea-
Antonio Conte is expected to go with his new signing N’Golo Kante in the midfield, while Michy Batshuayi’s first team chance is looking unlikely. The attacking midfield is the area where the manager will be having a headache as the players like Pedro, Cuadrado and Oscar will be fighting for the spot.
Courtois
Ivanovic; Cahill; Terry; Azpilicueta
Kante; Matic
Willian; Oscar; Costa; Hazard
West Ham United:
Many players from the Hammers’ squad will be looking to mark their debut, but only Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit are expected to start. And with Aaron Cresswell gone, the manager will surely be using Sam Byram at left back. With Kouyate and Nordtveit taking the central area, skipper Mark Noble will be charging from the attacking spot.
Adrian
Antonio; Reid; Ogbonna; Byram
Nordtveit; Kouyate
Feghouli; Noble; Payet
Carroll
Prediction:
The game is expected to be played with full throttle. The Hammers got the better of the Blues last term and will be looking forward to replicate the same form at the Stamford Bridge. West Ham United carry a real attacking threat and given the fact that Chelsea are struggling in defence, the Hammers could really punish the blues.
For the Hammers, Andy Carroll and Dimitri Payet are hitting the top form, hence Terry and Cahill will have to be on their toes. On the other hand, with Cresswell gone, the Hammers might struggle to keep a hold on Chelsea’s wing attack. All in all, the game will be an encounter no one should miss, and we believe that this will be an entertaining match with a good number of goals in it.
Chelsea 2 West Ham 2