Chelsea v West Ham: Football match or first fight?
The Blues look to maintain their impressive form atop the Premier League as they visit the Hammers at London Stadium in what both teams are hoping to be an uneventful match as previous fixtures have been marred by fan violence.
Chelsea currently sit 10 points clear of the second placed Tottenham Hotspurs and Antonio Conte just needs 29 points out of 12 matches to clinch the premier league in what has been a dream maiden season for “The Godfather”. On the Other hand, West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is confident that his squad can conjure up another upset and impede Chelsea’s match to the title, hoping that breakout star Manuel Lanzini will continue his heroics for the team against the Blues.
Both teams’ winning percentages have been spectacular of late with Chelsea winning all of their last 12 outings in all competitions whereas West Ham has won five of their last six and appear to be on a steady ascent.
Bilic looks to relive his past successes against the Blues and believes that beating them in their last two visits swings the momentum in favour of his men. Antonio Conte on the other hand looks to exorcise his demons by learning from past mistakes after their previous outing ended in a 2-1 defeat in the EFL Cup earlier this season, and as if to add insult to injury, saw their fans harassed by an unruly West Ham crowd.
Steve Clarke, who has coached both teams, is of the opinion that the ball is on West Ham’s court - literally and figuratively speaking and that Antonio Conte is likely to have a hard time when the two sides clash. He also admitted that the harsh environment that the Hammer fans create will equally be a challenge as they enjoy beating the Blues.
The Verdict: It would be imprudent to root against Chelsea as they are the standard right now as far as football is concerned though overconfidence on account of their recent string of victories can be their undoing.
That said, it is hard to envision a scenario where the Hammers will lay down and take a beating in front of their passionate fans. If the off-pitch theatrics are avoided, which is highly likely as fans from both teams have been warned by the police who allegedly have a “robust” plan in place to deal with any hooliganism, then this will be a highly entertaining match, bound to keep fans at the edge of their seats and talking for days to come.
Drama already surrounds the fixture as West Ham has reportedly only banned half of the 200 fans they vowed to exclude after what previously transpired that consequently saw some fans receive up to a five-year ban from the London Stadium.
