Paul Merson has made his score prediction ahead of Chelsea’s trip to West Ham this weekend.
Chelsea travel across London on Saturday afternoon to face rivals West Ham in the Premier League.
For the Blues, they’re bidding to win a third consecutive away match in the league this season. Enzo Maresca will match Mauricio Pochettino’s record if Chelsea beat West Ham.
Maresca’s side have travelled well so far with victories over Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, so can they now add West Ham to their list of successes?
Paul Merson predicts West Ham vs Chelsea
Paul Merson has made his weekly prediction for the Premier League fixtures, which includes West Ham hosting Chelsea at the London Stadium. Interestingly, he’s tipping a score draw between the clubs on Saturday.
Merson told Sportskeeda: “I have the same thing to say about Chelsea every week, we just don’t know what we’re going to get 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 the 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 who blow hot and cold.
“I won’t be surprised if Jadon Sancho starts against West Ham though. He played very well against Bournemouth and made the right decisions with the ball at the right times. It’s definitely a good start to life at Chelsea for him, but coming off the bench and making an impact is completely different to doing the same from the beginning of a game. I think this game will end in a draw.
“Prediction: West Ham 1-1 Chelsea.”
Chelsea could make it a great start
Chelsea are currently eighth in the league table with seven points from four matches, but there’s a real opportunity to put themselves into a great spot before the October international break.
They play five more games before next month’s break, including three in the league. There’s also a Carabao Cup tie with Barrow and a Conference League match versus Gent.
Chelsea should be eyeing up these next three matches and be aiming for maximum points. Of course, it’s going to be a tough ask against some awkward opponents but it’s not out of the question.
We shouldn’t forget that Maresca is taking charge of his first ever Premier League job, so the importance of a positive start can’t be underestimated.
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