ESPN FC’s Paul Mariner and Mark Donaldson preview West Ham’s midweek fixture against Chelsea at Upton Park.
It could all have been so different. Chelsea could have been entering their match with West Ham United on Wednesday night with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Had a butterfly on the other side of the world flapped its wings to an alternative beat on Sunday then maybe Tottenham would have prevailed in the Capital One Cup final and Manchester City might have turned their defeat to Liverpool into a victory. Chelsea could have found themselves sitting second in the Premier League by the time the final whistle blew on Wednesday night in the event of them losing and City winning their match against Leicester.
Instead, Chelsea will go to Upton Park in high spirits having claimed the first part of a potential treble and with their advantage in the Premier League still intact. There is even a slim possibility that they could be eight points clear at the top with a game in hand over their main rivals before the week is out.
As delighted as the players clearly were after they climbed the famous steps at Wembley to lift the first silverware of the campaign, they know they can enjoy a real party at the end of the season if they claim the Premier League title. With that in mind and with a spring in their collective step, the immediate objective is not to pat themselves on the back but to put on the right performance to claim the necessary points against West Ham. Management and players have spoken with great maturity of the need to maintain their focus and not get carried away with their recent success. The squad have got their game face on.
Although Manchester City lost at the weekend and their home form has not been as strong this season as they might have hoped, they are still expected to beat the Foxes with ease. The prospect of the gap between first and second place in the table being narrowed means that Chelsea will be looking to match City’s result when they travel across the capital.
The Blues are rarely afforded an easy game at Upton Park with the east-west rivalry in London always making for a passionate affair, and they will be preparing for the usual caustic reception from the local supporters. With Frank Lampard no longer featuring for the visitors, the vitriol might not be quite as voluble as previously experienced, but the mutual disdain among the two sets of fans will ensure that the decibel level remains high.
In Chelsea’s favour though is the stuttering form of Sam Allardyce’s team. They have now gone five games without a win in the Premier League with just three points acquired while also being on the receiving end of a 4-0 hammering by West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup. Talk of a rift with co-owner David Sullivan has placed Allardyce under increasing pressure that will only have grown following their 3-1 home reverse to Crystal Palace last weekend.
Chelsea will look to exploit West Ham’s weakness in the air, just as they did in December when John Terry scored from a set piece.
That Alan Pardew’s team scored each of their goals from set pieces will not have gone unnoticed by Jose Mourinho, whose team excel in that department. It is an area they will be keen to exploit, just as they did when John Terry netted the opener against them when the teams met at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day. Back in December, Mourinho’s men put on an exhibition against their London neighbours, though it is fair to say that Chelsea’s standards have slipped a touch since then. Equally though, West Ham were flying high at that point and were still found wanting.
Nemanja Matic is still suspended and Mourinho has stated that Kurt Zouma’s brief remit as a midfielder is now over, so there will certainly be a change to the starting lineup. No clues have been given as to what it might be, so with options limited and a sense of weakness in the opposition, the Special One might decide to go for the jugular and play an attacking lineup with a return to first-team action for Oscar. Even if they seek to dominate, the defence will still need to be fully concentrated to deal with the goal-scoring threats of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia.
In the gritty environs of East London, it will be a night for professionalism and not resting on laurels. You can be certain Mourinho will have his players sufficiently motivated and well drilled on that score.
Phil is one of ESPN’s Chelsea bloggers and author of Chelsea-centric blog ShoutyandSpitty.com. You can follow him on Twitter @PhilLythell.