West Ham United take on Chelsea in the Premier League this Saturday, and tensions are already simmering after a new Chelsea player decided to stir things up on social media.
The rivalry between the two clubs may not be as fierce as in previous decades, but there’s still plenty of bad blood, especially when you look beyond Millwall and Tottenham.
This season, both West Ham and Chelsea are under new management. At the London Stadium, Julen Lopetegui has been tasked with achieving what David Moyes struggled to do—combine attractive football with solid results.
Meanwhile, former West Ham assistant coach Enzo Maresca faces the challenge of moulding Chelsea’s expensive, but bloated and disjointed, squad into a competitive force.
West Ham come into this match having lost both of their previous Premier League home games, falling to Aston Villa and Manchester City.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have shown attacking promise, meaning this will be no easy fixture for the Hammers.
However, after spending £155 million on nine new signings over the summer, expectations are running high in east London. The pressure is firmly on Lopetegui to make his mark.
One player who was expected to be part of West Ham’s summer rebuild was former Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo.
Available on a free transfer, Adarabioyo had been on West Ham’s radar for months, with technical director Tim Steidten eyeing him as a priority signing since January.
But as the summer window progressed, Lopetegui chose to pursue other targets, namely Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo, leaving Adarabioyo out in the cold.
Chelsea then swooped in to snap up the defender, despite questions over whether Adarabioyo was making the right choice by joining an already crowded squad.
Now, with the West Ham fixture looming, Adarabioyo has made the curious decision to taunt his former suitors on social media.
Ahead of Saturday’s clash, Adarabioyo posted a series of training pictures on his social media, captioned with the phrase, “Bubbles to burst,” alongside a bubbles emoji—an obvious dig at West Ham’s iconic anthem “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.”
But rather than getting under the skin of Hammers fans, the post has backfired. Adarabioyo, who hasn’t even made Chelsea’s matchday squad, now looks somewhat foolish, with fans and pundits alike pointing out that he may be watching the game from his living room rather than the pitch.
The post hasn’t gone unnoticed by West Ham supporters, with one fan cheekily replying that Adarabioyo will “probably be watching the game on TV.” Indeed, it seems that Adarabioyo’s jab has done more to embarrass himself than it has to unsettle his opponents.
If anything, his ill-advised comment could serve as extra motivation for Lopetegui’s side. If the West Ham manager has any sense, he’ll plaster Adarabioyo’s taunt on the dressing room wall ahead of kick-off.
For Adarabioyo, this might be a case of sour grapes after Lopetegui pulled the plug on his transfer. But the player’s attempt to rattle West Ham may have just backfired spectacularly.
If West Ham can deliver a performance to match their potential, they’ll be looking to send a clear message to both Chelsea and their former target—bubbles will be flying high if the Hammers can burst Chelsea’s hopes on Saturday.