West Ham United arrested a three-match losing streak last weekend, when they beat a struggling Southampton side at home, to jump a couple of places to the 14th place in the points table. They are now five points away from the drop zone and David Moyes will be desperate to finish the season on a high. But they face a tricky test this weekend when they travel to Stamford Bridge, in a weekend full of derbies.
The Blues lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the last round and are now 8 points off a place in the top-4. They cannot afford to drop any more points for the rest of the season but the Hammers have a decent squad and will surely test the visitors this weekend. A win in this game can take the Hammers to the 12th place in the points table and Moyes will settle for nothing less but playing away from home, they will have to be at their best to take anything from this game. Here is the predicted lineup Moyes might field for this tie:
Team News:
The likes of Winston Reid, Sam Byram, Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio and Pedro Obiang are still nursing injuries and are ruled out of this game for West Ham. Javier Hernandez however, is back to full fitness and will be up for selection but James Collins and Manuel Lanzini are just back in training and might not be risked.
Expected lineup (3-4-3):
Defence:
The manager has preferred Joe Hart after the international break for some reason and might stick with the English international for another game. Angelo Ogbonna has been West Ham’s best defender this season and will start at the heart of the backline while Declan Rice and Aaron Creswell, both of who had decent outings against Southampton, are expected to start on either side of Ogbonna this weekend.
Midfield:
West Ham have a number of midfield options but Moyes will want some experience in the middle and should stick with Mark Noble at the heart of the side. Chiekhou Kouyate has also been consistent and should partner Noble in the midfield against Chelsea.
Arthur Masuaku is finally back in action and had a productive night against the Saints. He will keep his place as a wing-back on the left flank while Pablo Zabaleta is Moyes’ best option for this role on the right flank.
Attack:
With Antonio out for the rest of the season and Lanzini not fully fit, Edimilson Fernandes might get his chance to impress at Stamford Bridge while Joao Mario, who scored against the Saints, will start on the left flank in attack.
Marko Arnautovic deserves to lead the attack for West Ham, for another game.
Here is how they might line up:
