Mark Lawrenson predicts West Ham clash v Chelsea
Mark Lawrenson predicts West Ham to go four games without victory in the Premier League when they host Chelsea on Saturday (4 December).
Chelsea visit the London Stadium this weekend having not tasted defeat in the league since September 25 (0-1 v Manchester City), while West Ham are on a run of two defeats in their last three.
The Irons could only manage a 1-1 draw with Brighton on Wednesday night (1 December), and Lawrenson foresees more pain this weekend.
Writing in his BBC predictions column on Thursday night, the ex-Liverpool defender predicts a 2-0 away win.
“It looks like the international break has halted West Ham’s momentum because they have not won any of their three Premier League games since – and I don’t see them ending that run here,” Lawrenson said.
“Chelsea were fortunate to win at Watford on Wednesday, and their manager Thomas Tuchel admitted it afterwards. I am expecting a reaction from them on Saturday – and a much-improved performance – because they rarely play poorly two games in a row.”
Dip
After a sensational start to the season that saw them go shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table, results have taken a downturn for David Moyes’ side.
They’ve only collected one point out of a possible nine in their last three games, scoring just twice.
Michail Antonio has not scored for the Irons since a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in October, firing blanks in his last six club games.
The 31-year-old should be safe from rotation as Moyes weighs up whether to make some changes, but the likes of Nikola Vlasic will be hoping for a rare start.
Chelsea did the double over the Irons last season, winning 1-0 at the London Stadium after a 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
The East London side will likely have to pick up a positive result if they want to hold onto their top-four spot, with Arsenal (Everton) and Tottenham (Norwich City) facing kinder fixtures on matchday 15.
Breaching a Blues defence that have conceded just six goals in 14 Premier League games could prove difficult, though.
In other West Ham news, Gary Lineker has shared his verdict on this ‘Big’ Irons incident in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Brighton.
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