After clinching the Capital One Cup this weekend, Chelsea will now resume league action as they prepare to take on West Ham on the road.
The Blues will certainly be pleased with the result of the game between Liverpool and Manchester City, with the Reds downing the Citizens 2-1 to ensure that Jose Mourinho's men enjoy a comfortable five point lead with a game in hand. Despite having not lost since their 5-3 defeat to city rivals Tottenham on the first day of 2015, they were frustrated by their 1-1 draw at home to Burnley in their most recent match.
Meanwhile, the Hammers have failed to win any of their last five games, with three draws and two losses, including a demoralizing 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace this past weekend. As things stand, they are still in the top half of the table and have no real concern of relegation, but Sam Allardyce's side would certainly like to turn thing around against the league leaders. Yet, given their historical performance against Chelsea, that will be easier said than done.
How West Ham and Chelsea compare in the Premier League ahead of their meeting
Under Mourinho, Chelsea have never lost in seven games against West Ham, with six wins and one draw. All in all, the Blues have lost just one of their last 17 games versus the Hammers, with 13 wins and the other three finishing as draws. And to compound the difficulties facing the hosts, they have failed to find the back of the net in their last four meetings. In fact, the last time they were able to score was back on December 1, 2012, when they blitzed a Chelsea side coached by Rafa Benitez with three second-half goals to win the match 3-1.
In terms of personnel, Allardyce will be missing Morgan Amalfitano due to suspension, whilst Carlton Cole, who was one of the goal-scorers on that day back in December 2012 is struggling with a hamstring injury and may not be able to feature. For the visitors, John Obi Mikel is still out with a knee problem and Nemanja Matic will be serving the second game of his ban following his dismissal during the draw with Burnley last month.
Will the hosts be able to do what they have failed to do in their last quartet of meetings and consign Chelsea to their third loss this season? Or can the Blues potentially truly dash Manchester City's title hopes by temporarily establishing an eight-point gap at the top of the table?
Fans definitely will not want to miss this one!
West Ham vs Chelsea team sheets
West Ham's Starting XI: Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Nolan (c), Downing, Valencia, Sakho.
Chelsea's starting XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Zouma, Ramires, Fabregas, Oscar, Hazard, Diego Costa.
West Ham's subs: Jaaskelainen, Demel, O'Brien, Collins, Song, Jarvis, Nene .
Chelsea's subs: Cech, Filipe Luis, Loftus-Cheek, Cuadrado, Willian, Remy, Drogba.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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