West Ham United Vs Chelsea Prediction: Hunting For First Victory At Derby London

West Ham started the Premier League season with a bad record (photo; x @WestHam)

JAKARTA - The two teams who are both looking for their first win of the season will face each other at the London Stadium in the second Premier League match on Friday night, August 22, when West Ham United host Chelsea.

Both teams had a disappointing opening season. West Ham were humiliated by Sunderland with a landslide score of 3-0, while Chelsea only played a goalless draw at home against Crystal Palace.

West Ham started the Premier League season in a bad way, where Graham Potter's men were beaten by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The result made West Ham's chances of being relegated immediately questioned, with problems in the squad as well as tactics exposed immediately in the first week.

Potter is now under great pressure. After winning just one win in last eight home games last season, supporters are demanding instant fixes. Unfortunately, the opponents faced this time are not ideal. Chelsea won their last three meetings and Potter has never beaten the former club in seven meetings as manager.

Chelsea in this match came with an unconvincing note. Although last season managed to finish in the top four, won the Conference League, and raised the Club World Cup, their performance in the opening week was disappointing. Enzo Maresca's men were only able to play a 0-0 draw against Palace, even almost losing if Eberechi Eze's free kick was not ruled out due to technical problems.

The Blues are now trying to avoid a bad record by failing to score in their first two league opener games since the 1995-96 season. Even worse, they have only won two away wins in the last 11 league games. With the next three London derby matches against West Ham, Fulham, and Brentford, Chelsea must secure full points if they are to remain competitive in the title race.

West Ham are expected to make a number of changes after a poor performance last week. Callum Wilson has the opportunity to make his full debut as a starter. Midfield duo experiments Guide Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse likely could not continue, with Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez, or Andy Irving ready to fill the position. Cisencio Summerville is still injured, so the burden of re-attack relies on Jarrod Bowen who last season scored 13 goals and 8 assists.

In Chelsea's camp, Levi Colwill is still a long-term absence. Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarbioyo are also experiencing problems, so Josh Acheampong is again installed with Trevoh Chalobah, while Wesley Fofana is not fully fit. Nicolas Jackson is back from a three-match sanction, but Joao Pedro, who has a record six goals against West Ham, is likely to remain trusted as a starter. Romeo Lavia is still sidelined due to repeated minor injuries since last season.

Chelsea have yet to show signs of significant improvements from last season, plus poor away records are of concern. However, even though West Ham suffered the worst defeat in the opening week, the game at home in the spotlight of the night could be a momentum for their revival.

Estimated Lineup of West Ham United Players (3-4-3): Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez, Soucek, Diouf; Bowen, Wilson, Paqueta

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Neto, Palmer, Estevoo; Joao Pedro

Score Prediction

West Ham United 1-1 Chelsea