Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson doesn’t expect Graham Potter will have a happy return to Stamford Bridge when his West Ham side play Chelsea on Monday evening.
It will be the first time that Potter has been to the club he was sacked by almost 21 months ago and, writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson says the Hammers are likely to suffer defeat:
“This is a golden opportunity for Chelsea to improve their chances of finishing in the top four though. If West Ham start the first 20 minutes of this game like how they did against Aston Villa last weekend, Chelsea will put
them to the sword in no time. But if West Ham can settle down quickly, they have enough individual quality in their ranks to hurt the hosts at Stamford Bridge.”
“Bit of history in this fixture. Both teams’ fans don’t like each other and Graham Potter returning to the club where he spent just seven months in charge makes this an interesting watch on Monday night!”
What score has Merson predicted?
The former Arsenal and Aston Villa midfielder has gone with a 3-1 win for Chelsea, which is not a scoreline that will please West Ham supporters.
As Merson says, if the Irons do start the game like they did at Villa Park, it could be a long evening. However, if they perform more like they were able to in the second half of that 1-1 draw, it could be a very different story.
Chelsea v West Ham team news
Potter has received a big boost heading into the London derby. The Hammers boss says he is “hopeful” that Jarrod Bowen will be available for the match. The club captain has not played since picking up a foot injury during the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool in December.
Lucas Paqueta is a major doubt after picking up a groin problem against Villa, while Niclas Fullkrug (hamstring), Michail Antonio (broken leg) and Crysencio Summerville (thigh) are unavailable. Jean-Clair Todibo will return from an ankle injury soon but his comeback is pencilled in for the Brentford fixture.
Find out who is in West Ham’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here