English Premier League – Match Preview: West Ham United versus Chelsea
West Ham United is all prepared and ready to take on the English Champions Chelsea F.C at Upton Park. West Ham is going through an abysmal run which has seen them drop to the bottom of the English Premier League table with zero points from their first three Premier League games. West Ham’s manager Avram Grant is also under pressure, as his team has been on the bad end of some terrible results.
In West Ham’s first game of the English league season, Grant’s men were humiliated at the Villa Park by Aston Villa as they conceded four goals without even scoring a single one. Against Bolton at home, West Ham again self destructed as they missed a penalty kick and went onto lose the match. The tale continued against the runners up of the English Premier League season 2009-2010, Manchester United.
At Old Trafford, West Ham were thumped by Sir Alex Ferguson’s team as Nani, Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov engraved their names on the score sheet ending the match with a three goals to nil defeat for the Hammers. There has been speculation in media that Grant has only got the next few games left to save his job as the manager of West Ham United. In face of such reports, West Ham’s owners have come out and given the Israeli national their vote of confidence but such belief in the ex-Chelsea manager can turn out to be a risky gamble for the London club.
West Ham’s first game after the international break in the English Premier League is not an easy one as their opponents have been on a destructive blaze, destroying all those who challenge their authority. Chelsea has won all of their first three games of the English League season so far. In most of them, they have displayed an amazing array of attacking talent in the shape of Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka along with Frank Lampard.
West Ham can take refuge in the fact that Lampard and John Terry are both struggling for fitness before the mini-London derby between the two English clubs. The fortunes of both the clubs have been very different in the past ten years, West Ham United have not had success in the English club setup whereas Chelsea have risen from strength to strength ever since they were bought by the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Chelsea recorded two straight six nil wins over Wigan Athletic and West Bromwich Albion before smashing two goals past Stoke City to make it three wins on the trot. Drogba along with Malouda have been Chelsea’s most remarkable players so far and they will be a good bet to be the first ones on the score sheet against West Ham. For the Hammers’ their striker Carlton Cole was linked with a deadline summer transfer move away from Upton Park but that never materialized, therefore it will be interesting to see how he copes up with life at West Ham after the transfer window concluded on the 1st of September 2010.
The Hammers are also going through some injury troubles with regard to their squad. Robert Green is a doubt for the game against Chelsea with a hip injury whereas the ex-Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger might not make it to the first team due to his thigh injury. Also, West Ham’s midfielder Hines and defender Collison are both out with knee injuries and are expected to make their comebacks in October and November respectively.
For Chelsea their full back, Branislav Ivanovic might not be fit in time for the match against the Hammers. There are some confirmed absentees for Chelsea. For example, Jose Bosingwa is not available for selection to Carlo Ancelloti as the Portuguese right back is struggling for match fitness. Regardless of the fact that West Ham are at home for this Premier League encounter, nonetheless Chelsea is outright favorites to get the three points from this match.
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