View: Lanzini to replace Fornals – Predicted West Ham XI v Chelsea
West Ham make the short trip to Stamford Bridge on Monday night for a festive London derby against rivals Chelsea.
Both teams head into the game with one eye on the Premier League’s top four – a win for either club would take them to within a touching distance of the Champions League spots ahead of the Christmas fixtures.
David Moyes has some decisions to make heading into the game, with both Michail Antonio and Fabian Balbuena to undergo late fitness checks, according to the London Evening Standard.
The Hammers have been in good form since switching to a 4-3-3 system, so it would come as a surprise to see Moyes shift away from that against Frank Lampard’s side.
At the back, it should be a relatively easy decision for Moyes to make. We do not predict any changes from the team that drew with Crystal Palace last time out.
Likewise at the base of midfield, where both Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek could start against Chelsea.
The pair have been crucial to West Ham’s form this season and the former will no doubt be looking to impress against the side that has been so heavily linked with a move to sign him.
In the final third is where we could see Moyes make some important changes, after hauling Pablo Fornals off at half time against Palace.
Looking slightly jaded, we think the Spaniard could be rested against Chelsea, with Manuel Lanzini coming into the team in a central role.
The move to bring the Argentine into the team will have a knock-on effect involving Said Benrahma, who could be pushed back out to his more natural left-sided position.
Jarrod Bowen will be aiming to continue his good form on the right, while Sebastien Haller could once again lead the line after scoring a sensational goal against Palace, that should boost his confidence.
In other West Ham news, Harry Redknapp delivers verdict on West Ham’s season and recent transfer business