Key events
Chelsea will sport their new third kit this evening. Take a quick glance, and you could be forgiven for thinking they’re cosplaying as Scotland. Closer inspection of the commemorative golden disc will reveal two words that categorically put paid to that particular confusion in double-quick time. Chelsea also become the latest club to go retro with their crest, reviving the mid-80s lion sprawled across the letters CFC, as though elegantly wasted on a chaise longue.
(For the sake of balance, West Ham are also giving their latest shirt its competitive debut tonight. It’s more claret than blue. An oblique nod to the McAvennie-Cottee glory years?)
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca speaks to Sky. “We can attack better [than we did against Crystal Palace] … we defended quite well … in any game you can do something better … overall it was a good performance … Joao Pedro gives us many, many options … Tosin gives us experience … he is going to help us with the long ball.”
It’s only matchday two. So we’re not so far down the road as to make these season previews redundant. Hope! Fear! Excitement! Apathy! It’s all within.
Potter continues: “We need to be better in the boxes … understand when we can press … open up too soon and it can cause you problems … make it a London derby … get on the front foot … be aggressive … positive … not too much, too soon … get the balance right … we need the crowd … we’d like to get some players … we’ve got some time left.”
West Ham boss Graham Potter, facing his old club tonight, talks to Sky Sports. “We have to be ready … when you have a defeat and you are disappointed with the result, you have to analyse what you did well and what you can improve … as an away performance we were OK … you plan until you get smacked in the nose and we got smacked in the nose … the demand is that you win … any defeat is tough to take … it’s also part of the job and you have to deal with it the best you can … we’ve been honest … we have to show we can be better.”
A late kick-off this evening, so you’ve got plenty of time to grab a snack before the game. Here’s what’s being served up outside the London Stadium tonight. Pulled pork, a dish synonymous with the east end of … Memphis.
London-infused flavours are however still available. Pie, mash, liquor and jellied eel all round!
West Ham United make one change in the wake of the 3-0 debacle at the Stadium of Light. Tomáš Souček returns in midfield to take the place of Guido Rodríguez, who drops to the bench.
Chelsea make three changes after their goalless draw with Palace at Stamford Bridge. Tosin Adarabioyo, Malo Gusto and Liam Delap are in; Jamie Gittens, Josh Acheampong and captain Reece James are benched.
The teams
West Ham United: Hermansen, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Diouf, Lucas Paqueta, Bowen, Fullkrug.
Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Wilson, Mavropanos, Rodriguez, Scarles, Potts, Irving, Marshall.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella, Fernandez, Caicedo, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Joao Pedro, Delap.
Subs: Jorgensen, Bynoe-Gittens, Essugo, Santos, Hato, James, Wesley Fofana, Acheampong, Estevao.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).
Preamble
Here we are, then, one game into the new season, with two managers already under pressure. West Ham are coming off a three-goal spanking at newly promoted Sunderland, which, coupled with a run of just two wins in 11 at the end of last season, has plonked Graham Potter on the Premier League hot-seat. He’s the bookies’ favourite to become the first boss in the division to be given the heave-ho, after a mere 20 games in the job. He’s lost half of them. Oh Graham.
Enzo Marseca’s not in immediate danger of the sack, one wouldn’t have thought. He’s just won the Club World Cup and Conference League, for goodness sake. But he is working for trigger-happy Chelsea, and his team were thoroughly unconvincing at home against Crystal Palace last weekend. So expect noises off to be turned on should the cold start to their title challenge continue this evening. It’s the nature of the beast.
But there are straws to grab. West Ham might have finished last season poorly, but they nevertheless snagged big wins against Arsenal and Manchester United, and were the better team against champions-elect Liverpool. Chelsea meanwhile, to belabour the point, have just won the Club World Cup and Conference League. Oh, and they started sluggishly at home last season as well, before rebounding with a 6-2 away win in their second match. Eh, and they won this fixture 3-0 last year, and are currently on a three-match winning run against the Hammers to the cumulative score of 10-1. So they’re favourites to prevail here tonight, all told. Still, football is football, so let’s see if that’s right. Kick-off is at 8pm UK time. It’s on!
