WHU vs CHE: The Chelsea team of last year that finished 12th in the Premier League has been revamped on a grand scale. Owner Todd Boehly bought almost anyone new manager Mauricio Pochettino wished for. With the latest signings of Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Romeo Lavia from Southampton, Chelsea boasts of a team filled with potential. But will it be enough to beat David Moyes’ West Ham? We will soon find out.
Chelsea’s recent form in the Premier League has been lacklustre. The Blues are on a three-match winless run, two of which have been draws. They suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against Man United in the penultimate game of last season, followed by a 1-1 draw with Newcastle. They started this season’s campaign with another 1-1 draw against Liverpool. On the road, Chelsea managed two wins in their last six Premier League away matches, losing the rest.
Pochettino expecting tough game
Chelsea boss Pochettino is not taking West Ham lightly. He delivered a warning to his players about the game in his pre-match press conference.
“It’s going to be tough,” Pochettino said when asked about his expectation from the game.
“We know how they are going to play. They are beginning to change the shape but it’s always going to be tough. All of the Premier League games will be difficult. They are a very good team doing a great job. Last season, they lifted a trophy, so they are very confident. For sure, it’s going to be tough,” he said.
The Argentine also heaped praises on his squad and claimed he was happy with the current size of it.
“I think 22, 23 players plus three, four or five players to use every week. We were using some young players from the academy yesterday and I was very surprised and happy about the performance and the quality. I think it’s very good. We can add some players but this number, 22, 23 or 24, seems perfect for the moment.”
The Blues manager also confirmed the injury news of Reece James.
It’s a hamstring injury. It’s not a few days, it’s maybe a few weeks. The good thing is that it’s not a good issue. The most important thing now is to worry about anticipating problems. When he plays again, we hope he’s stronger than he was before. We will assess him day-by-day and make a plan every day,” he said.
Other than Reece James, Broja, Badiashile, Nkunku, Chalobah and Fofana are all set to miss the tie against The Hammers.
Chelsea predicted XI: Sanchez; Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Gusto, Fernandez, Caicedo, Chilwell; Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
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