West Ham vs Chelsea 20/08/2023: Blues can edge Irons in tightly contested derby
There’s a big game feel in London this weekend as West Ham welcome Chelsea to the London Stadium for a much-anticipated derby in the capital.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Premier League, Sunday, August 19, Kick-off 4:30pm, live on Sky Sports
Predicted score
- West Ham 1-2 Chelsea
Premier League betting tips
- Bet: Chelsea to win
- Bet: Both teams to score
*Prices subject to fluctuation.
Team news
Chelsea have a few injury worries ahead of the match and will be without Christopher Nkunku, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Marcus Bettinelli. There are also doubts over Reece James and Benoit Badiashile.
West Ham, on the other hand, have a fully fit squad at their disposal.
West Ham vs Chelsea 19/08/2023 – betting preview
West Ham came close to kicking off the new season with an away win at Bournemouth, only to concede a late equaliser at the Vitality Stadium.
David Moyes and his men are still adapting to life without influential midfielder Declan Rice, though the club have at least started making some much-needed moves in the transfer market – most notably with the signing of James Ward-Prowse.
While the Irons were being held at Bournemouth, Chelsea picked up a point at home against Liverpool in a lively affair.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino is still in the early stages of his re-build at the club, though the early signs are certainly promising.
Winning points away from home is an area which Chelsea will need to improve if they are to compete for a possible top four return.
Last term, the Blues picked up just five wins from 19 games on the road – a shocking stat for a side who recently lifted the Champions League trophy.
West Ham boast a strong home record against Chelsea since moving to the London Stadium, winning four and losing two of their last eight against their London rivals.
Worryingly for goal-lovers, the last five meetings between Moyes and Pochettino have all produced less than 2.5 total goals, with an average of 0.8 per game. Despite this, we are expecting a far livelier affair this weekend in the English capital.
West Ham striker Jarrod Bowen is already up and running in the Premier League after bagging a goal against Bournemouth.
Chelsea, meanwhile, created a number of goal scoring opportunities against Liverpool and are slowly beginning to find their groove.
With that in mind, our recommendation is to back both teams to score. However, with Chelsea enjoying another big summer of transfer investments, we’re backing the Blues to edge a narrow victory.
