CHELSEA are mounting a late push for a European place while West Ham United are heading in the opposite direction so there’s plenty at stake in this Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.
A London derby win over Tottenham on Thursday night lifted the Blues two points above the Hammers and into eighth place.
It has been a rollercoaster season for Mauricio Pochettino’s side but they are finishing strongly and another victory over local rivals would get the fans onside with the manager’s long-term vision.
David Moyes’ prospects look far gloomier at West Ham United and the Scot seems certain to move on when his deal expires in the summer. It’s now five games without a win for the Hammers and their season is in danger of fizzling out.
Chelsea have been notoriously flaky this season but they’re odds-on favourites for this one at a best 4/6 with BetMGM. West Ham are as big as 4/1 (888Sport) while the draw pays 18/5 (Betfair).
There has been nothing between these sides in recent seasons, with the last nine meetings producing four wins apiece and one draw. West Ham won 3-1 at home earlier this season but the last meeting at Stamford Bridge was a 2-1 Chelsea victory.
Nicolas Jackson has come under fire for his finishing but he keeps getting chances and scored in midweek against Spurs. The Chelsea striker is 13/8 at SkyBet for a goal while Bet365 price him at 7/5 for over 1.5 shots on target.
Michail Antonio nodded West Ham’s leveller last week against Liverpool after being flagged up as 12/1 to score a header in our daily Top Tips. The big man is 2/1 at Paddy Power to either score or assist here and that looks decent.
Pochettino is unlikely to freshen things up from Thursday night as he had such a weak bench against Spurs. Moyes surprisingly benched James Ward-Prowse last weekend but could bring the set-piece specialist back.
Chelsea: Petrovic, Cucurella, Badiashile, Chalobah, Gilchrist, Gallagher, Caicedo, Mudryk, Madueke, Palmer, Jackson.
West Ham: Areola, Zouma, Coufal, Ogbonna, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Alvarez, Paqueta, Kudus, Bowen, Antonio.
I’m surprised to see Chelsea as such heavy favourites given the quick turnaround from that Thursday night derby. So West Ham look decent value for me at 5/4 (Paddy Power) in the double chance market.
The atmosphere should be fiery again at Stamford Bridge and that should lead to a few tasty tackles. Over 4.5 cards is just 17/20 (LiveScoreBet) so going for individuals to go in the book looks better value.
Moises Caicedo looks good for a card at 13/8 (Bet365) while Chelsea team-mate Marc Cucurella is 9/5 at Paddy Power to commit over 1.5 fouls.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United will be played on
May 5, 2024 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
