West Ham United vs Chelsea Predictions

• West Ham were poor in a 3-0 away defeat to Sunderland
• Chelsea have won the last three head-to-head meetings with the Hammers, 5-0, 3-0 and 2-1
• Estevao had the second-highest expected goals (xG) of any player in Chelsea’s side against Crystal Palace

Blues left to rue late missed chances

Chelsea left it too late to change gears against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but should be able to get on top of a poor West Ham side and stay there when they travel to London Stadium on Friday night.

The Blues were left to rue their late missed chances after opening their Premier League campaign with a goalless draw against the Eagles, who had set their stall out for a point in the second half. Enzo Maresca used six attackers signed for a combined £250m, but his side took until virtually the last minute of the 90 to get their first clear sight of goal.

They then had two further decent chances in stoppage-time as substitutes Estevao and Andrey Santos were off target with efforts that could, and should, have been better.  Chelsea’s overall expected goals (xG) of 1.81 suggests they should have got at least one based on the quality of opportunities their play served up.

Hammers should beware Estevao’s end product  

That they created so much when Cole Palmer was having a quiet afternoon was a testament to some of their other creative influences stepping up. Marc Cucurella and Pedro Neto provided some spark and Rees James’ set-piece deliveries were largely on point.

Maresca will hope that Palmer can rediscover some of the form he showed in the United States when the Blues won the Club World Cup. There is a case to be made for Estevao to start over Jamie Gittens, who worked hard but produced no end product.

The Brazilian is a box of tricks and there is usually a good cross or shot coming at the end of his touches. He had the highest expected goals per 90 minutes of any substitute in the Premier League last weekend.

Potter’s powder-puff defence could succumb

The only West Ham player to perform to an acceptable level in their 3-0 defeat at Sunderland was Jarrod Bowen. He tried his best to make something happen in an otherwise lacklustre team display at the Stadium of Light.

Mads Hermansen had a shocker in his debut in goal and the Hammers’ defence parted like the Red Sea when Sunderland broke for their third, but the damage was already done by then. Graham Potter’s side were outfought on two headers and should probably have made more of an effort to cut off Sunderland’s supply line from wide areas.

If they turn up in a similar mood on Friday then they will be in trouble because Chelsea commit plenty of players into the box when they attack. Back the Blues, who won two of their last three away league matches last season and stunned Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in New York this summer, to take the spoils in this London derby.

They have won each of the last three meetings with West Ham and looked very good in pre-season when beating Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan comfortably.