Might as well get it over with - Chelsea (H) 8pm Friday 22 August Live on Sky
Chelsea fans must be relieved to have the same manager as last season for a change although on Sunday there are some noticeable absences from last season’s squad
Top of the list is Nicolas Jackson who sat out the last match of a 3-match ban. He could play on Friday there has been rumours of discontent from manager and player along with transfer talk. Last season he scored two and provided the assist for the other in the 3-0 home defeat so if he's not available it won't be unwelcome
Another noticeable absence was RW Noni Madueke who was allowed to move to Arsenal despite 11 goals and 5 assists in 41 appearances (31 starts) last seasosn that earned him a place in the England squad
They were replaced in the starting XI by newcomers England U21 LW Jamie Gittens (£48.5m Borussia Dortmund) and CF Joao Pedro (£55m Brighton) with 2nd half debuts for Liam Delap (£30m Ipswich) and 18yo RW Estevao (£29m Palmeiras). Along with Carl Palmer and Pedro Neto that’s six forwards who have cost Chelsea a combined £250m.
Neto and Gittens gave Palace a lot of trouble down the wings but although Chelsea dominated possession and amassed 19 shots on goal only three troubled the Palace keeper; Maresca will have given his players plenty of shooting practice this week
In central midfield Caicedo and Fernandez continued the partnership they established last season with youngster Andrey Santos coming on towards the end of the match.
Romeo Lavia is injured again but managed to fit in another 10 matches since we last met to bring his grand total of Chelsea appearances to 23 in two seasons
Last season's first choice centre back pairing Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo were both injured along with Benoit Badiashile. Wesley Fofana was fit enough for the bench after hamstring surgery which gave starting places to Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah
Finally captain Reece James is fit but was replaced by Malo Gusto for the last 10 minutes with Marc Cucurella and Roberto Sanchez retaining last season's places in the starting XI
Sanchez
James Acheampong Chalobah Cucurella
Fernandez Caicedo
Neto Palmer Gittens
Pedro
While some might despair at our inability to “shift” unwanted players our problems are minor compared to those at Chelsea. Despite 10 players leaving (four of them goalkeepers) they still have Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and five more banished to the "bomb squad"
One player they won't be able to get rid of is Mykhailo Mudryk, still suspended after testing positive in December
A draw would be nice...
Top of the list is Nicolas Jackson who sat out the last match of a 3-match ban. He could play on Friday there has been rumours of discontent from manager and player along with transfer talk. Last season he scored two and provided the assist for the other in the 3-0 home defeat so if he's not available it won't be unwelcome
Another noticeable absence was RW Noni Madueke who was allowed to move to Arsenal despite 11 goals and 5 assists in 41 appearances (31 starts) last seasosn that earned him a place in the England squad
They were replaced in the starting XI by newcomers England U21 LW Jamie Gittens (£48.5m Borussia Dortmund) and CF Joao Pedro (£55m Brighton) with 2nd half debuts for Liam Delap (£30m Ipswich) and 18yo RW Estevao (£29m Palmeiras). Along with Carl Palmer and Pedro Neto that’s six forwards who have cost Chelsea a combined £250m.
Neto and Gittens gave Palace a lot of trouble down the wings but although Chelsea dominated possession and amassed 19 shots on goal only three troubled the Palace keeper; Maresca will have given his players plenty of shooting practice this week
In central midfield Caicedo and Fernandez continued the partnership they established last season with youngster Andrey Santos coming on towards the end of the match.
Romeo Lavia is injured again but managed to fit in another 10 matches since we last met to bring his grand total of Chelsea appearances to 23 in two seasons
Last season's first choice centre back pairing Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo were both injured along with Benoit Badiashile. Wesley Fofana was fit enough for the bench after hamstring surgery which gave starting places to Josh Acheampong and Trevoh Chalobah
Finally captain Reece James is fit but was replaced by Malo Gusto for the last 10 minutes with Marc Cucurella and Roberto Sanchez retaining last season's places in the starting XI
Sanchez
James Acheampong Chalobah Cucurella
Fernandez Caicedo
Neto Palmer Gittens
Pedro
While some might despair at our inability to “shift” unwanted players our problems are minor compared to those at Chelsea. Despite 10 players leaving (four of them goalkeepers) they still have Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and five more banished to the "bomb squad"
One player they won't be able to get rid of is Mykhailo Mudryk, still suspended after testing positive in December
A draw would be nice...
Comments
Hermansen
Todibo - Kilman - Aguerd
Wan-Bissaka - Potts - Souček - Diouf
Paquetá
Bowen - Füllkrug
We need a very good response from the team after Sunderland, certainly in terms of performance and ideally in result also.
I think Potter came across very well in the presser.
Hope its one of those times
I hope Paqueta finds some form.
Crazy as it may sound but I feel upbeat about this one
NURSE!!!!
2) a point on the board (ideally 3)
2-1 to the Mighty Hammers
COYI ⚒
Centre backs Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana are available
Forwards Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku will not be in the squad
Tosin will start if he's fit enough (33 starts last season) but the other CB could be anyone from Chalobah (15 starts for Chelsea, 12 for Palace), Acheampong (10) or Fofana (14 but injured a lot)
Subs: Areola (GK), Walker-Peters, Scarles, Mavropanos, Potts, Rodríguez, Irving, Marshall, Wilson
Just one change to the starting XI, Soucek in for Rodriguez.
If you take the relegated teams out of the equation, West Ham rank bottom in the Premier League per 90 for expected goals, shots, shots on target, chances created from open play and passes played into the box since Graham Potter took charge.
There's a clear problem with converting their possession and territorial advantage into quality chance creation and scoring goals - not the first time we've said that about a Potter team.
It can be possession for the sake of possession. The structure is there, but the soul isn't. It's just not very West Ham. The locals want a team that plays with grit and conviction. It could just be that Potter is a bit too spreadsheety for the Hammers. And things could become worse in the short term.
#alderzfaints
COYI ⚒️