We take an in-depth look at how Wednesday's Barclays Premier League clash with Chelsea could pan out
West Ham United
West Ham United have teamed up with football stats website WhoScored.com to preview the upcoming Barclays Premier League meeting with Chelsea.The Hammers face their third consecutive London derby when the Blues make the journey across the capital on Wednesday evening. Chelsea’s confidence is likely to be high following their Capital One Cup final win over rivals Tottenham, but West Ham will be hoping to capitalise on any tiredness in the Blues ranks.
In the past, teams have lost focus on the back of a cup final win, enduring a ‘League Cup’ hangover, with Liverpool, Birmingham City and Tottenham each losing the following league game after a trip to Wembley in recent seasons. When factoring in fatigue and exhaustion that come in high-pressure games, sides who have participated in a final can struggle in the next match.
It’s here where West Ham can upset the odds. The Hammers will be keen to bounce back following Saturday’s disappointing home defeat to Crystal Palace, but the extra day’s rest to prepare stands them in good stead.
Mark Noble is once again expected to line up in the midfield and it is his energy in the middle of the park that can help Sam Allardcye’s side to a positive result in midweek.
A WhoScored.com rating of 7.10 ranks among the best of all Hammers players this season and he has the opportunity to improve this figure against Chelsea.
Statistically calculated strengths of ‘tackling’ and ‘key passes’ are ideal qualities for a central midfielder and it’s these two strengths that can hurt the Blues at the Boleyn Ground.
Noble has won 37 of the 46 tackles he has made this season, along with making 38 interceptions. He has also completed 85.6% of his passes, including an impressive 79.3% in the opposition half. He has created 30 goalscoring chances for his team-mates and chalked up two assists this term.
Mourinho’s side are without the suspended Nemanja Matic, which could be a blow in their quest to come away with all three points. The Serb has established himself as one of the finest holding midfelders in football and his absence can be exploited by the Hammers midfield.
Noble’s keen eye for a defence splitting pass can help unlock a Matic-less Chelsea. When not in possession, the 27-year-old’s tenacity will be of assistance as he possesses the ability to break up play higher up the pitch.
If Noble performs to the standards expected of him, the chances of West Ham coming away with a positive result increase significantly. His recent league performances has been impressive and should he maintain his good form in midweek; Noble has the ability to help the Hammers return to winning ways at Chelsea’s expense.
*WhoScored.com is a website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Follow @WhoScored on Twitter.
Chelsea
An in-depth look at how Chelsea could approach tonight’s Barclays Premier League fixtureThe possible lineup
Courtois
Ivanovic Terry Cahill Azpilicueta
Ramires Fabregas
Cuadrado Oscar Hazard
Costa
Ivanovic Terry Cahill Azpilicueta
Ramires Fabregas
Cuadrado Oscar Hazard
Costa
The Formation
Jose Mourinho is bordering on the obsessed with his tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation.
With a strong back four, disciplined central midfielders and a front four who interchange positions almost at will, Chelsea use the same system in virtually every match they play, regardless of the opposition.
The full-backs get forward to provide width, while the three attacking midfielders pass and move incessantly to create space and opportunities for themselves, each other and centre forward Diego Costa.
When on the attack, the shape becomes 2-4-4, with the full-backs getting forward and the three attacking midfielders almost playing level with the central striker.
The Playing Style
Defensively, Chelsea are strong, disciplined and simply do not allow their opponents time and space to play through them in the centre of the pitch.
When they are back and in position, the Blues have six players whose role is to keep the ball out of their net – a back four and two deep-lying midfielders.
All six are physical specimens, whether they be big centre-backs or smaller, more athletic full-backs or midfielders.
Chelsea play possession football when they have it, starting out from the goalkeeper and playing through the centre-backs and midfield up to the three attacking midfield players.
Cesc Fabregas will likely drop deeper than the position he filled at Wembley on Sunday, playing alongside Ramires in front of the back four.
From there, the Spaniard can manage the game with his vision, technique and outstanding range of passing.
The three attacking midfielders all possess outstanding mobility and skill, causing all manner of confusion and difficulty for defenders.
Up top, Costa is strong, quick and can finish with both feet and his head.
You might call them weaknesses, but it is probably better to label them as characteristics in the circumstances.
Chelsea can be prone to overplaying in and around the opposition penalty area, seemingly unwilling to pull the trigger and shoot when the opportunity arises.
At the defensive end, the Blues can be caught out from set pieces, while the full-backs propensity to attack can leave spaces in behind them for teams to exploit with a ball over the top.
The Players
Mourinho has a small but incredibly strong squad at his disposal for tonight’s match, with everybody available bar suspended Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic.
Because Chelsea’s squad is so strong, however, it is difficult to predict which players will be chosen in certain positions.
At the back, Thibaut Courtois was replaced by Petr Cech for Sunday’s Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile Gary Cahill was re-called at centre-back alongside captain John Terry, with youngster Kurt Zouma moving into the defensive midfield position vacated by Matic.
The full-back positions will almost certainly be filled by Serb Branislav Ivanovic – in fine goalscoring form recently – and Spaniard Cesar Azpilicueta.
Cesc Fabregas – the Premier League’s assist leader with 15 – and Eden Hazard will also start in midfield, but Brazilian Willian could lose his place to Oscar or Colombian Juan Cuadrado.
Tall, strong and clinical, Diego Costa is the perfect lone centre forward and is the division’s joint-leading scorer with 17 goals.