Odds:
| West Ham | Draw | Chelsea | |
| American | +425 | +300 | -164 |
| Decimal | 5.25 | 4.00 | 1.61 |
| Fractional | 17/4 | 3/1 | 61/100 |
West Ham United and Chelsea both stumbled out of the gate on Matchday 1, with the Hammers falling 3-0 away to Sunderland and the Blues settling for a frustrating 0-0 draw at home against Crystal Palace. Now, the two sides meet in a London derby at the London Stadium on Friday, August 22, 2025, each aiming for a much-needed response.
Previous Five Head-to-Head Matches (All Competitions):
The previous three meetings between these two sides have been generally dominated by Chelsea, including the Blues’ completion of the double last season over the Hammers.
West Ham Team News:
West Ham endured a nightmare start to the season, suffering a 3-0 defeat away to newly promoted Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The Irons remain without former Leeds standout Crysencio Summerville, who has been sidelined with a long-term hamstring injury since January. They are also missing Luis Guilherme after the youngster sustained a broken collarbone in training last week.
Despite a difficult debut against Sunderland, summer signing Mads Hermansen is expected to retain his place in goal. In attack, Jarrod Bowen, fresh off a 13-goal Premier League campaign last season, will once again be the focal point in the final third.
Chelsea Team News:
Chelsea also fell short of expectations on Matchday 1, settling for a goalless draw at home against Crystal Palace.
The Blues continue to feel the absence of Levi Colwill, who remains sidelined following surgery. Manager Enzo Maresca has publicly expressed his desire for a new central defender to fill Colwill’s role, particularly for his line-breaking passing ability, but the club has indicated that strengthening in that area is not a current priority.
Chelsea are still without Colwill and Benoît Badiashile, while Tosin is also a doubt for Friday’s clash. Meanwhile, speculation around Xavi Simons continues, though he has yet to finalize a move to Stamford Bridge.
Predicted Starting Lineups:
West Ham Lineup Notes:
Jarrod Bowen remains West Ham’s key attacking outlet, once again expected to lead the line against Chelsea. Niclas Füllkrug, who struggled throughout last season, showed little improvement in the opener at Sunderland, enduring another difficult outing.
The midfield was overrun by Sunderland’s three-man setup, and manager Graham Potter is likely to consider at least one change in that area to restore balance. However, West Ham’s back line and goalkeeper are expected to remain unchanged.
Chelsea Lineup Notes:
The only potential change to Chelsea’s starting XI could come up front, with Enzo Maresca perhaps handing Liam Delap an opportunity after João Pedro’s struggles against Crystal Palace.
I would personally like to see Jorrel Hato step into the back line as the left-sided central defender, but given that he did not feature at all last weekend, it seems unlikely he will be handed a start against West Ham.
Match Preview:
Finally, the fun stuff.
West Ham struggled to cope with Sunderland’s mid and low blocks. Rather than pressing high and risking line-breaking passes through their press, Sunderland opted to stay compact and disciplined, making themselves difficult to break down.
Graham Potter’s side found little success in trying to unlock that defensive setup. Despite holding the majority of possession (63%–37%), West Ham rarely turned it into meaningful chances. Much of their play consisted of defenders exchanging passes while the midfield pivots dropped deeper and deeper to collect the ball. Instead of creating progressive options, this only allowed Sunderland to maintain their numerical advantage in midfield, with West Ham’s pivots often receiving possession while Sunderland’s midfield remained firmly set in shape behind them (see images below).
With the quality Chelsea possess in midfield, I expect West Ham to struggle to gain a real foothold in the game. When in possession, the Hammers may again find it difficult to pick the right passes to break down their opponents.
Defensive transitions were a major weakness against Sunderland, where the pace of the Black Cats’ attackers on the counter repeatedly caused problems. Facing Chelsea’s quicker, more technically gifted front line could expose West Ham even further.
In the opening stages at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were able to play through West Ham’s midfield and back line with relative ease. If that continues, Chelsea’s attacking quality and midfield dominance could allow them to overload key areas of the pitch and create the decisive chances needed to win the game.
That said, there is some hope for West Ham. Crystal Palace showed that Chelsea can be troubled on the counter, creating a handful of dangerous moments at Stamford Bridge last weekend. While Palace failed to convert, it was enough to give Enzo Maresca something to think about; it may provide a template for West Ham to exploit.
Betting Picks:
Pick 1: Chelsea Win
Odds:
- American: -164
- Decimal: 1.61
- Fractional: 61/100
I believe West Ham’s struggles under Graham Potter will persist, and this matchup against Chelsea is unlikely to provide much relief. The Blues will view this as a prime opportunity to take advantage of an out-of-form opponent, and they should fancy their chances of leaving the London Stadium with all three points on Friday night.
Pick: Chelsea Win
Pick 2: Jarrod Bowen (WHU) 1+ Shot on Target (SoT) *pick is void if player does not start
Odds:
- American: -120
- Decimal: 1.83
- Fractional: 83/100
Jarrod Bowen is West Ham’s main man. This was clearly evident as West Ham focused their attacking play against Sunderland down their right-hand side, looking for Bowen in the final 1/3 to play through on goal. Jarrod Bowen recorded a total of four shot attempts with one successfully being on target against Sunderland.
When Chelsea are in possession, left-back Marc Cucurella pushes high up the pitch, joining in with Chelsea’s midfield to provide numerical overloads higher up the pitch with Chelsea’s remaining three members of their back line shifting over and creating a back three line (see image below).
At times, Cucurella pushes even further up the pitch, joining in with their front line, inverted centrally and playing to the inside of Gittens.
West Ham will look to counter quickly and will be looking to force play down Chelsea’s left-hand side before looking to find Jarrod Bowen in a dangerous position behind Chelsea’s back line. With the odds being at -120 / 1.83 / 83/100 for a Bowen shot on target, I will be looking to capitalize on Chelsea’s susceptibility to opposition counter-attacks.
Pick: Jarrod Bowen (WHU) 1+ Shot on Target (SoT)
