West Ham United host Chelsea on Saturday evening in a game that is set to have a huge say in the Premier League’s top four race.
The Hammers have been flying this season and have dreams of a first foray into the Champions League as the season reaches its climax. However, a damaging defeat against Newcastle a week ago has checked momentum with manager David Moyes surely desperate to right the ship against one of his side’s biggest rivals for one of the four qualification spots.
Thomas Tuchel’s side have been in fine form since the German’s arrival in January but again, a poor result last time out, this time against Brighton has tightened things up. It has been a trying week for the Blues with supporters raging against the club’s plans to break away into a new European Super League leaving Tuchel in need of a positive result for reasons both on and off the pitch.
The Chelsea boss conceded the fan protests around the now failed competition affected Tuesday’s performance at Stamford Bridge.
“Yes it has been distracting, but it’s the owner’s club, it’s not my club,” he said in a press conference. “I’m part of the club, but it’s the owner and the club’s decision, and now they change that decision. There’s no need to apologise to me directly, my job is to adapt to the circumstances. And were we distracted? Yeah clearly.
“Me personally I arrived in a state of mind on Tuesday at the stadium that was clearly not the mindset that I normally arrive in, for a match. But that’s already in the past, and like I said, I don’t think they need to apologise to me.”
We will have all the latest updates and analysis for you throughout Saturday evening here:
