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Chelsea make the short trip across London to face rivals West Ham in what looks to be an exciting tie to kick-off this round of Premier League fixtures. The visitors continue to gather momentum on the road in the league, while the hosts have yet to get going in front of their own fans.
It's been mixed fortunes so far for the hosts this campaign, who have been rather positive on the road (W1 D1), but have lost both of their home matches to date. You could argue the Hammers have had a tough start facing both Aston Villa and Manchester City, but conceding five goals will have everyone involved concerned.
A positive, however, has been West Ham's ability in front of goal. The East London club has scored in every match this season, and if they can fix up defensively, they might be able to notch up their first win at home.
Much has been made of Chelsea in recent times. From purchasing plenty of players, to the turnover in staff, it was always going to be a period where the spotlight was firmly on them.
Yet away from home they have shown real improvement and an appetite to punish teams. Their 6-2 victory against Wolves stood out for obvious reasons, but their 1-0 win against Bournemouth on the south coast was equally impressive.
Enzo Maresca has plenty of fans still to win over, but the former Leicester City boss has implemented tactics the players appear to be buying into. Keeping them all happy long term, will be a difficult task.
Although the London Stadium hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea in years gone by, the Blues have won three of their last five head-to-head matches.
The most recent included a 5-0 hammering at the end of last season at Stamford Bridge. Three of the four goalscorers remain at the club, with only Connor Gallagher no longer a Chelsea player.
You do have to go back to 2021 the last time Chelsea were victorious over their London rivals outside of Stamford Bridge, but now appears the ideal time to strike with West Ham's up and down form.
Although West Ham suffered that end of season humiliation, they did win the reverse fixture 3-1. Things might have been different if Enzo Fernandez hadn't missed his 43rd minute penalty, but the Hammers punished their neighbours despite having ten men.
It looks likely to come down to whether or not West Ham can eradicate their defensive errors, in particular from set pieces, but Chelsea are finding a way to beat teams on the road, and that 5-0 romp will be fresh in the players minds ahead of this clash.
With West Ham struggling to get going at the London Stadium, Chelsea will be looking to inflict another defeat on the Hammers and send their fans home with all three points.
There has been plenty of change at Chelsea. Some good, some bad, but no one can deny how effective they have been on the road. They may have an inflated squad, but with cup games already beginning, rotation will only benefit them rather than hinder.
Most clubs can only dream of having quality to replace quality at any given moment in the Premier League, and perhaps that's where West Ham are falling short - especially in the final third.
Jarrod Bowen will forever be a hero after his Europa League Conference winner, but he can't do it all on his own. Michail Antonio is now 34 and isn't the player he used to be, while Danny Ings hasn't been the answer since he stepped into the building.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have capable youngsters in all positions - especially the front line. Nicolas Jackson scored a brace against West Ham last season, and the Senegalese international can't be dismissed lightly. With 14 Premier League goals to his name last season, his criticism has been rather unfair.
With that in mind, we believe Maresca's squad is capable of adding three more points to the board. Using the bet builder option, you can back Chelsea to win and Jackson to have a shot on target at 6/4 with bet365.
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