Prediction: Chelsea vs West Ham

Verdict: Chelsea wins

 Best odds: 1.59

Bookmaker: ZetBet

In a London derby that appears to be more significant for the managers than the teams, Chelsea will visit West Ham. The local supporters hope for a fantastic performance from their favourites and three more points added to the league standings on Sunday afternoon when the game takes place at Stamford Bridge.

Although West Ham and Chelsea are seen as failures this season, the London teams want to restore their reputation by finishing strong. This match holds even greater significance since, in addition to preserving their reputations, David Moyes and Mauricio Pochettino could face the sack at the end of the current campaign.

Chelsea

Chelsea started a recovery run at the end of the season hoping to build on Stamford Bridge’s last win over Tottenham and get the same results against West Ham to get closer to the Conference League spot. Despite being considered a flop this term, The Blues are back on track and with a strong finish, they can salvage their campaign.

Furthermore, Mauricio Pochettino made Stamford Bridge a fortress where top sides like Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United failed to conquer. The hosts pulled some of the most impressive comebacks in the Premier League stoppage time, levelling Manchester City up in the thrilling 4-4 stalemate and defeating Manchester United 4-3.

Following the cold shower at Emirates against Arsenal (5-0), The Blues impressed in Birmingham against Aston Villa where a controversial VAR decision kept Chelsea from winning the game (2-2 final score). However, Mauricio Pochettino maintained their intensity in the following home match against Tottenham by winning 2-0, which made the 6th place up for grabs.

Following the West Ham bout, Chelsea has two games on the road at Nottingham Forrest and Brighton, ending their campaign at Stamford Bridge against Bournemouth. With Manchester United dropping points in the last rounds, Mauricio Pochettino can stir his ship towards a Conference League qualification that could save his job.

Team News

Chelsea has struggled all season with ongoing injuries that hindered their ability to compete for the highest places. Despite having seven players out of which Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Enzo Fernandez seem to bear the most importance, Mauricio Pochettini can still line up a competitive squad against West Ham.

Cole Palmer has been outstanding this term and will look to have his name on the scoreboard against The Hammers, hoping to dethrone Erling Haaland at the end of the season from the Premier League Golden Booth stand.

West Ham

Compared to the previous season, which concluded with the Hammers winning the Conference League this season’s plot is very different. West Ham’s last Europa League quarterfinal defeat against Bayer Leverkusen was another disappointment for the Londoners. Furthermore, David Moyes and his team battled in the Premier League with little chance of making it to Europe the next term.

Although the Hammers played poorly against Crystal Palace (5-2) and Fulham (0-2), the visitors capitalised on Liverpool’s recent struggles to draw 2-2 at the Olympic Stadium. While this encouraging outcome should spur a recovery in the remaining games, West Ham will face another challenging test when they visit Stamford Bridge.

The London club has suffered away from home this season, losing 8 of their 17 games; these poor results dropped David Moyes’ squad out of the European qualification slots, despite their comeback against Liverpool. The wins over Arsenal and Tottenham provided a template for the Chelsea clash.

West Ham will remain in London following their game against Chelsea to take on their local rivals Luton, who are expected to give it their best considering Rob Edwards’ team’s attempts to avoid relegation. This season’s last game between the Hammers and Manchester City at home might determine the Premier League champion.

Team News

Every player in David Moyes’ squad is ready to play for Chelsea. However, Lucas Paqueta is suspended if he receives a booking. Given their display against Liverpool, which made it possible for West Ham to tie the match, the Hammers will aim to shock Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Key factors to consider

• Chelsea lost a single match in the last five rounds: 5-0 at Emirates against Arsenal
• The home win against Tottenham (2-0) pushed the hosts closer to the Conference League position
• West Ham dropped the rhythm failing to win a single competitive game from the last five played
• The visitors lost their last three games played at Stamford Bridge

Conclusion

Chelsea has upped the ante recently by defeating Tottenham at home and overcoming a deficit to draw away at Aston Villa. Even though the visitors’ draw against Liverpool lifted the mood in David Moyes’s camp, The Blues’ performance at Stamford Bridge is exceptional and might be sufficient to edge West Ham.

Verdict: Chelsea wins

 Best odds: 1.59

Bookmaker: ZetBet