Comments on the match West Ham vs Chelsea, 2:00 a.m. August 23: Nightmare repeats?

West Ham vs Chelsea form

Before the start of last season, West Ham were considered to be in contention for a European place. But in the end, The Hammers were extremely disappointed when they were continuously pushed down the table and only finished in 14th place.

This summer, despite having parted ways with the inspiration Mohammed Kudus, the Hammers still showed their ambition to compete well with highly anticipated newcomers such as Jean-Clair Todibo, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Mads Hermansen.

However, in the opening round, the London team received a cold shower. Visiting the field of rookie Sunderland, West Ham was rated better than the opponent who had just returned to the Premier League after nearly a decade of absence.

However, the reality on the field completely overturned the initial assessment. Despite controlling the ball up to 63%, the team under the direction of coach Graham Potter could not create many opportunities towards the opposite goal. On the contrary, many mistakes in defense made the London team pay a heavy price.

Leaving The Light with their heads down and a 0-3 defeat, West Ham were pushed to second to last in the standings after the opening round. The scenario made The Hammers' fans start to worry that the difficult journey of last season will repeat itself, or even worse.

Comments on the match West Ham vs Chelsea, 2:00 a.m. August 23: Nightmare repeats? - photo 2 — Chelsea had an unsatisfactory start in the 2025/26 Premier League

West Ham fans' worries are not without basis. Because in the next 3 rounds, coach Potter and his team will have to face very tough challenges named Chelsea, Nottingham and Tottenham. The possibility of the Hammers going completely empty-handed after the first 4 matches of the season is not small.

Chelsea are now determined to regain momentum after the disappointing draw in round 1 against Crystal Palace.

The team under coach Enzo Maresca cannot afford to make any more mistakes if they do not want to see their main rivals like Liverpool, Arsenal, and Man City fall far behind right at the starting line.

In the match against Palace, The Blues created a better game but almost had to face empty-handed if Eberechi Eze's goal had not been denied.

While the attack line was strongly reformed thanks to branded "blockbusters" such as Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap faltered before the well-organized defense of the opponent.

The shortcomings will need to be improved. Chelsea are no longer in the position of a team that only competes for the top 4. Now is the time for the London giants to prove that the huge investments of the past few years have been effective.

West Ham vs Chelsea squad information

West Ham: Full squad.

Chelsea: Levi Colwill is absent due to injury. The ability of Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo to play is also unclear. Nicolas Jackson is back from suspension but the possibility of being registered for the match is not high.

Expected lineup West Ham vs Chelsea

West Ham: Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez, Soucek, Diouf; Bowen, Wilson, Paqueta

Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Neto, Palmer, Estevao; Joao Pedro

Prediction: 1-2

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/nhan-dinh-tran-dau-west-ham-vs-chelsea-2h00-ngay-238-ac-mong-tai-dien-162939.html