Chelsea face a third successive Premier League London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as they host relegation candidates West Ham United.
Last Sunday, Dele Alli struck twice to hand Tottenham Hotspur their first win in West London against Chelsea in 28 years; something the Blues will be desperate to swiftly put behind them.
Meanwhile, the Hammers will be keen to build upon last weekend’s hugely important win over Southampton and continue to place more distance between themselves and the bottom three.
Chelsea vs West Ham preview
Eight points now separate Chelsea from the top four. Tottenham’s’ victory at Stamford Bridge look like it ended the Blues’ chances of playing Champions League football next season.
With little room for error, Chelsea welcome a West Ham side who will not only be desperate to get one over their London rivals, but also take all three points in their battle for survival.
David Moyes will have been delighted with his side last week as they saw off fellow relegation rivals Southampton to move five points clear of the bottom three.
Whilst the Hammers now have breathing space, there remains little room for error with a host of tricky fixtures just around the corner. Their schedule includes games against Arsenal, Manchester City, Leicester City, Manchester United, and Everton.
Premier League focus: Inevitable feeling
The inevitability that Chelsea will part company with manager Antonio Conte at the end of the season continues to look increasingly stronger each week.
The Italian’s face and body language on the sidelines tells you all you need to know – Conte looks a man no longer interested in guiding the club – he knows his fate.
Chelsea’s title defence has been extremely feeble, with the Blues looking a shadow of the side that strolled to the Premier League title just last season.
Whilst the 48-year-old’s tactics have been seemingly sussed out by opposition managers, disagreement with the board and a failure to acquire the correct players has left Chelsea in the current state which they find themselves.
The former Juventus boss is now looking to save his reputation by avoiding an end-of-season meltdown to prevent potential suitors from being put off by his negativity, off and on the pitch this season.
Chelsea team news vs West Ham
Conte looks set to be handed a major boost with the return of Thibaut Courtois and Pedro.
However, Ross Barkley, David Luiz and Ethan Ampadu will remain sidelined for this fixture.
West Ham team news vs Chelsea
West Ham were dealt a huge blow last week by the injury suffered by Michail Antonio that looks set to rule him out for the rest of the season.
James Collins and Manuel Lanzini are doubts both carrying slight injuries, whilst Winston Reid, Pedro Obiang, Andy Carroll and Sam Byram are all out.
Chelsea predicted line-up vs West Ham
Chelsea predicted line-up vs West Ham
West Ham predicted line-up vs Chelsea
West Ham predicted line-up vs Chelsea
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