Chelsea vs West Ham
Premier League 2018-19
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
Date: Monday, April 8, 2019
Kick-off time: 8:00pm GMT
Chelsea will look to maintain their challenge for a top-four finish when they return to Premier League action with a London derby against West Ham on Monday evening.
The Blues moved up to fifth on Wednesday as the perennially under-fire Maurizio Sarri made changes to inspire a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Brighton.
The next visitors to Stamford Bridge are a West Ham team who currently sit 11th in the top-flight after slipping to a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Everton last weekend.
Chelsea vs West Ham team news and predicted line-ups
Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressed with a goal for Chelsea against Brighton, but another starting berth on Monday night will likely depend on the status of a long-term back injury.
Sarri did not guarantee that either the 23-year-old or teenage forward Callum Hudson-Odoi would retain their places with a number of important fixtures on the horizon and the manager keen to keep his squad fresh.
Marcos Alonso could return to contention after a hamstring injury, while Pedro is expected to be fit after a muscular issue.
Meanwhile, young Ethan Ampadu is still struggling with his own back problem and long-term absentee Marco van Ginkel (knee) remains sidelined.
Chelsea XI: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Barkley, Hazard, Pedro, Giroud
Provisional squad: Kepa, Caballero, Azpilicueta, Zappacosta, Palmieri, Rudiger, Luiz, Christensen, Kante, Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Barkley, Kovacic, Willian, Pedro, Hudson-Odoi, Hazard, Giroud, Higuain
As for West Ham, Manuel Pellegrini will be boosted by the respective returns of Felipe Anderson, Samir Nasri and Ryan Fredericks for the short trip to west London.
The Argentine remains without Andy Carroll, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko, Carlos Sanchez and Winston Reid.
West Ham XI: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Snodgrass, Noble, Lanzini, Anderson, Arnautovic
Provisional squad: Fabianski, Fredericks, Balbuena, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Lanzini, Anderson, Hernandez, Antonio, Adrian, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Obiang, Nasri, Snodgrass, Arnautovic
Score prediction: Chelsea 2-0 West Ham
Chelsea have not lost a home league match against West Ham since 2002 and cannot afford to slip up here if they are to keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive.
Another comfortable win may not completely ease the pressure on Sarri, but it would provide a nice confidence boost ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first-leg tie against Slavia Prague and a trip to Liverpool.
Chelsea vs West Ham tickets
To check ticket availability, click here to head to Chelsea's website.
West Ham have sold their entire ticket allocation.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Match odds
- Chelsea to win: 3/10
- Draw: 9/2
- West Ham to win: 17/2
First goalscorer odds
- Gonzalo Higuain: 3/1
- Eden Hazard: 16/5
- Olivier Giroud: 7/2
- Pedro: 5/1
- Willian: 5/1
Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
TV channel and live stream, and online coverage
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Premier League and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £8.99. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app.
You can also follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE blog.
Head to Head history and results (h2h)
These two familiar foes have met on 45 occasions in the Premier League era, with Chelsea boasting 24 wins to West Ham's 12. There have been nine draws.
September's meeting at the London Stadium ended 0-0, curtailing a run of five successive league wins for the visitors.
