Chelsea are substantially favored to beat West Ham United on Sunday, but this London derby is a fairly even series. At least historically. The Blues have the upper hand, of course, with 54 wins, but the Hammers have emerged victorious 43 times.
The two free-spending clubs have split the spoils on 23 occasions. Let’s take a look at what kind of team Irons boss David Moyes might put out there for the season’s home opener, in an effort to make it 44.
Chelsea at West Ham United FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Aug 20, 4:30pm, London Stadium, London, UK
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea West Ham
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Google Result Probability: Chelsea FC 45% West Ham United 28% Draw 27%
PL Form, Position: West Ham United D, 1pt, 13th Chelsea FC D, 1pt, 11th
Chelsea enter this match injury-riddled, and still working on their makeover/rebuild, so maybe they are ripe for the plucking here?
But like we said, West Ham are underdogs; to the tune of 29/10. A draw is priced at 5/2, while the Blues are backed as strong 10/11 favorites here.
But perhaps Moyes and his men will pull a Han Solo and embrace the spirit of “never tell me the odds!
What does an upset-springing lineup look like?
West Ham United Starting XI Prediction vs Chelsea FC
Alphonse Areola; Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd, Emerson; Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse; Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Said Benrahma; Michail Antonio
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.