West Ham United vs Chelsea Match Preview
Dec 17th 2009
West Ham sees the Chelsea clash as an opportunity to lift themselves out of their current malaise. Chelsea sees the West Ham clash as an opportunity to put a new shine on their tarnished image.
A dismal season so far finds West Ham second from the bottom of the Premier League table as they square up to host their mighty London neighbors Chelsea at Upton Park on Sunday.
Injuries and Dyer Straights
With just 3 wins to their credit manager Gianfranco Zola will undoubtedly rue the extent of his team’s disabled list, which includes Luis Boa Morte and England Internationals Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole.
Further injury troubles arose in the Bolton clash on Tuesday when Keiron Dyer limped off with a hamstring problem. Injury troubles have plagued Dyer since his arrival at Upton Park, and he has started only three league games in more than two years. Dyer is now listed as unavailable for at least two weeks, and frustration must surely be rising in the Hammers boardroom as well as in the stands.
To reinforce their squad for the long haul the Hammers are looking at Eidar Gudjohnsen, a former teammate of Zola’s at Chelsea, who is currently out of favor at Monaco. But Gudjohnsen’s services are likely to be coveted by other clubs with deeper pockets than West Ham currently has. (Think Birmingham!)
Can the “x-factor” help West Ham?
Still, West Ham’s immediate issue is Chelsea, whom Zola and his men will see as a potential turning point in their season if they can pull off a victory. Stranger things have happened in football, and in a derby match, where local bragging rights are at stake, there is a certain lack of predictability, an “x-factor,” if you will, and surprises are often the norm.
For his part Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti must surely rue the moment he plugged Michael Essien into the line-up for the meaningless Champion’s League match against Apoel. Essien is now out with a knee injury. This would be a blow to any team, but Chelsea’s squad is so rich with talent that several players can fill the void, if not necessarily the Ghanaian International’s shoes.
Set-piece frailty,…thy name is Chelsea
But Chelsea’s biggest concern won’t be Essien’s injury, it’s more likely to be the quality of their defending in set-pieces. Their 3-3 draw with Everton last weekend showed their frailty at the back, as did the goal they gave up to Premier League doormat Portsmouth midweek. Ever since his collision with Reading’s Stephen Hunt three years ago, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is no longer the stopper he once was, and if shaky performances continue he will be unlikely to last as Number 1 between the Chelsea posts for long.
Another issue for Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti must be the impending loss of several African players who’ll be called away on international duty to compete in the African Nations Cup, which kicks off in Angola on January 10. Ancelotti will be anxious to tuck away every possible point before his African stars depart.
For now, however, the Blues can look forward to Sunday’s derby match knowing that Didier Drogba’s presence up front has been massive all season and they are surely confident that his form will show no sign of waning anytime soon. Backed by Lampard, Terry and the rest of the Stamford Bridge stars, Chelsea will view the West Ham match as a platform to re-establish their image of invincibility.
A pivotal match for very different reasons
This match is a key one for both clubs. On the one hand West Ham, deeply mired in the relegation zone, quite simply need the three points. More importantly, however, with a bit of luck, a lot of hard work, and a firmament whose stars are all in alignment on the day could bring a victory to the Hammers that would bolster their confidence and may be enough to propel them out of the lower three for good. Chelsea, on the other hand, will be looking to shore up their defense and reinforce their image as Premier League champions-in-the-making. A weakened West Ham offers the Blues a perfect opportunity display their quality; only the x-factor leaves the outcome in doubt.
