Paul Merson shares why Chelsea should be worried as West Ham United prediction made
Paul Merson has shared his “worrying” verdict on Chelsea ahead of the London derby clash with West Ham United.
Julen Lopetegui had to rely on a 95th minute Danny Ings equaliser to rescue a point at Fulham last weekend, with the Hammers 14th in the Premier League after one win in four fixtures.
Merson has predicted a 1-1 draw for West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday (21 September) in his column for Sportskeeda [19 September].
He said: “I have the same thing to say about Chelsea every week, we just don’t know what we’re getting with them. They beat Bournemouth 1-0 in the last game, but goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was the man of the match in my opinion.
“And if you’re Chelsea, that’s actually worrying.
“This is an important derby for Chelsea, West Ham away is a big game for their supporters. I have a strong feeling this could become a tough game for them.
“As the season progresses, I fully expect Chelsea to be above West Ham in the Premier League table. But at the moment, there’s not much difference between the two sides. Barring, a big win over Wolves, Chelsea have been quite poor for their standards.
“The problem with West Ham is that they’re still figuring out their best XI after making some important signings this summer. Funnily enough, it’s a bit similar to Chelsea. I still don’t know what Chelsea’s best front-three would look like because there’s just too many players that blow hot or cold.”
Julen Lopetegui is facing early pressure at West Ham United
It has been far from an easy start to life in East London for Lopetegui. Still, four points in four matches is nowhere near the required standard given the amount of new signings that arrived at the Irons over the summer.
The Spaniard has been meticulous in integrating his new signings into the side and there appears to be some teething problems for the Irons as the players adapt to the new style of play.
While Merson expects Chelsea to finish above West Ham at the end of the season, the Irons have had far more to shout about than their capital rivals over the past couple of seasons.
After Ings became the unlikely hero at Craven Cottage, the Hammers are facing a fresh dilemma up front. Niclas Fullkrug is a doubt for the weekend [Nizaar Kinsella] and is set to wait a while longer for his first start, while a case could be argued to persist with Michael Antonio despite the Jamaican failing to score in his four starts.
Crysencio Summerville could be handed his first start since signing from Leeds United, meanwhile, with the boss desperately searching for answers to overturn his early season struggles.
A victory this weekend would go a long way in easing the pressure in East London and would be exactly what West Ham need to kickstart their season.
In other West Ham news, here’s how the Hammers are predicted to line up v Chelsea.
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