CHELSEA and West Ham United have both made disappointing starts to the new Premier League campaign so there's more than just bragging rights up for grabs in this London derby.
It was hard to believe that the Blues were European champions just over a year ago when they crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Southampton on Tuesday night.
Thomas Tuchel's men were supposed to push on and challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the title after that European triumph but instead they seem to have regressed.
The fact Roman Abramovich was forced into selling the club towards the end of last season didn't help and there doesn't seem to be a cohesive strategy under new owner Todd Boehly.
Chelsea have dropped eight points in their first five games and need to get their season up and running soon if they're to challenge for one of the Champions League places.
West Ham's start to the season has been even worse, collecting just four points, but David Moyes' side have been showing some signs of life in recent weeks.
They beat Aston Villa on the road then followed it up with a battling 1-1 draw against Tottenham, busting the coupon of our man Gabriel.
If you add in victories in both legs of their Conference League qualifier with Viborg then it's just one defeat in five for the Hammers so they will be confident of piling even more pressure on Chelsea.
How the bookies view it
I'm surprised to see Chelsea at just 6/11 with SBK given how poor they were at St Mary's in midweek. West Ham United's price of 6/1 (Coral) might be worth a look for long-odds punters while the draw pays 15/4 at Bet365.
Recent head to head
There has been nothing between these sides in recent years, with four West Ham victories, four Chelsea wins and two draws. Home advantage made the difference last term with the Blues coming out on top 1-0 at Stamford Bridge after a 3-2 victory for the Hammers at London Stadium.
Players to watch
Raheem Sterling's form has been one of the few positives for Chelsea in recent weeks, with the winger netting three times in his last two appearances. He's 15/8 at Paddy Power for anytime scorer and 11/2 with the same firm to break the deadlock.
Jarrod Bowen was the main man up front for West Ham last term but his only goal so far in the new campaign came in Europe against Viborg. He could be due a domestic strike and Bowen is 9/2 at Betfred for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
This derby can often be feisty and Craig Dawson saw red in the last meeting to bring up my 4/1 card bet. It could be another busy day for the ref and I like Declan Rice for a card in this one at 9/2 with Bet365. Over 3.5 match cards also stands a chance and that pays 23/20 at Unibet.
Chelsea have been averaging over nine corners at home this term while West Ham haven't won over four on their last two away days. That makes the Blues a good shout in the corner handicap with Chelsea -3 paying 21/20 at Bet365.
I'd be surprised if either side won this convincingly so a one-goal winning margin appeals at 13/8 with McBookie while the half-time draw is 29/20 at Unibet.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United will be played on Sep 3, 2022 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs West Ham United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
