West Ham vs Chelsea: London Derby Showdown Set to Ignite as Both Clubs Battle for Season-Defining Victory!
West Ham United and Chelsea are both looking for their inaugural Premier League victory of the season as they clash on Friday evening.
The Club World Cup holders Chelsea managed only a scoreless stalemate in their season opener against Crystal Palace last weekend, failing to break down their resolute opponents. Such an early setback wasn't what Enzo Maresca would have hoped for, and the Italian manager will be expecting a strong comeback at London Stadium.
The Blues haven't enjoyed great success at this ground, though, managing just two wins in their previous eight appearances there. One of those victories did occur last term when Nicolas Jackson—who currently finds himself out of Chelsea's plans—delivered an outstanding performance with a brace and one assist.
Chelsea will still enter as clear favorites, particularly considering how West Ham's opening match unfolded. The Hammers suffered a comprehensive defeat to newly-promoted Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, shipping three goals without reply in a demoralizing result. The Graham Potter tenure continues to progress unconvincingly, and matters could deteriorate further for the ex-Chelsea manager on Friday.
Here is Sports Illustrated's preview of this London derby.
What time does West Ham vs. Chelsea Kick-Off?
West Ham vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
West Ham | Chelsea |
|---|---|
Sunderland 3–0 West Ham - 16/08/25 | Chelsea 0–0 Crystal Palace - 17/08/25 |
West Ham 1–1 Lille - 09/08/25 | Chelsea 4–1 Milan - 10/08/25 |
Bournemouth 0–2 West Ham - 03/08/25 | Chelsea 2–0 Bayer Leverkusen - 08/08/25 |
West Ham 2–1 Everton - 30/07/25 | Chelsea 3–0 PSG - 13/07/25 |
Man Utd 2–1 Everton - 27/07/25 | Fluminense 0–2 Chelsea - 08/07/25 |
How to watch West Ham vs. Chelsea on TV
Country | Channel |
|---|---|
United States | fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO |
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra, NOW TV |
Canada | DAZN, fubo TV, Fubo Sports Network, Amazon Prime Video |
Mexico | Caliente TV, Amazon Prime Video |
West Ham Team News
West Ham's injury concerns can't be held responsible for their lackluster campaign start, with only Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme presently unavailable. Summerville has been absent since January but is nearing his comeback.
Mads Hermansen committed a costly mistake on his Hammers debut but will keep his goalkeeper position, ahead of Alphonse Areola. A midfield adjustment might occur, however, with Tomáš Souček potentially returning to a tight midfield setup alongside James Ward-Prowse and Lucas Paquetá.
Edson Álvarez won't feature against Chelsea on Friday as he moves closer to a summer transfer to Fenerbahçe, but George Earthy is ready after recently resuming training.
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea (3-4-1-2): Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Souček, Diouf; Paquetá; Bowen, Füllkrug.
Chelsea Team News
Levi Colwill remains sidelined recovering from an ACL injury and is accompanied in the medical bay by Roméo Lavia, Benoît Badiashile and Omari Kellyman. Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended following a positive drug test.
Josh Acheampong was an unexpected starter against Palace in central defense as Tosin Adarabioyo was absent with a slight injury. Maresca has confirmed that the latter will be ready against the Hammers, though.
Jackson is among those who won't make the journey to the London Stadium as he seeks a new club, with Christopher Nkunku, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Carney Chukwuemeka and Axel Disasi also staying behind ahead of potential departures.
Estêvão might replace Jamie Gittens in the starting eleven after an energetic substitute appearance last weekend.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. West Ham
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. West Ham (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Estêvão; Pedro.
West Ham vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Chelsea weren't at their peak performance against a resilient Palace team but should bounce back with a win over their struggling London rivals this Friday. The Blues generated 1.9 expected goals, two clear-cut chances and 19 attempts against the Eagles, statistics that should secure them all three points at West Ham if repeated.
The Irons have been vulnerable defensively since Potter's appointment and were exposed too easily by Sunderland in their last outing. In attack they appeared toothless as well, registering 12 shots but only four on target and no major opportunities.
This should be a relatively straightforward victory for Chelsea.