Paul Merson has given his verdict on Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League clash with West Ham, and he’s predicting a hard-fought draw between the two London rivals.
Chelsea head to the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon, aiming to extend their strong away form in the league.
So far, Enzo Maresca’s side have secured two impressive victories on the road, defeating Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
A win against West Ham would see them notch up a third consecutive away win, which would match the record set by previous manager Mauricio Pochettino.
However, Paul Merson believes Chelsea will face a tough test in this latest fixture. Speaking to Sportskeeda in his weekly Premier League predictions, Merson tipped a score draw between the sides.
He said, “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.”
He continued: “This is an important derby for Chelsea, and West Ham away is always a big game for their supporters. I’ve got a strong feeling this could be tough for them.
“As the season progresses, I do expect Chelsea to be above West Ham in the table, but at the moment, there’s not much difference between the two sides. Barring that big win over Wolves, Chelsea have been quite poor by their standards.”
Merson also pointed out that both teams are still finding their feet after significant summer signings.
“The problem with West Ham is that they’re still working out their best XI after making some important signings. 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.”
He also highlighted the performance of Chelsea winger Jadon Sancho, who made a strong impact against Bournemouth.
“I won’t be surprised if Jadon Sancho starts against West Ham. 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 start of a game.”
Merson concluded with his prediction, “I think this game will end in a draw. Prediction: West Ham 1-1 Chelsea.”
Chelsea, currently eighth in the Premier League table with seven points from four matches, have the chance to set themselves up nicely before the October international break.
They have five games remaining before then, including three league fixtures. In addition, they will face Barrow in the Carabao Cup and Belgian side Gent in the Conference League.
With these upcoming matches, Chelsea should be aiming to secure maximum points, despite the challenges ahead. While it won’t be easy against tricky opponents, it’s an achievable target for Maresca’s side, especially as they look to build momentum.
As Merson noted, Maresca is still in the early stages of his first Premier League job, so a strong start to the campaign could prove crucial in setting the tone for the rest of the season.