Chelsea v West Ham United
Premier League, Stamford Bridge, Sunday 5 May 2024, 2pm BST
West Ham United’s 2023/24 season moves a step closer towards its conclusion this weekend, with a mouth-watering visit to London rivals Chelsea lying in store on Sunday afternoon.
The Hammers remain in touch of European qualification, four points behind seventh-placed Newcastle with three games to go, but know anything other than victory at Stamford Bridge would likely knock them out of the running.
Dropping points against the Blues would be particularly damaging considering Mauricio Pochettino’s men go into this clash two points above the Hammers in the table, and on the back of a strong run of form that has seen them defeated just once in the Premier League in eleven games.
The Irons haven’t registered a win in the top flight since the start of April, away at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but a commendable draw at home to Liverpool last weekend and a productive week of training will have fuelled them with plenty of belief ahead of this one…
Tickets…
West Ham fans are advised that the Club’s allocation of 3,065 tickets have sold out.
The first 90 per cent of tickets sold out to Bondholders and Season Ticket Holders with 37+ Loyalty Points. The remaining ten per cent (306 tickets) were then made available by a ballot process to Season Ticket Holders who had yet to purchase for this fixture. The ballot closed at 12noon on Wednesday 17 April.
Travel…
Stamford Bridge is usually well served by public transport, like most London stadia.
The nearest London Underground station is Fulham Broadway, which is on the District line’s Wimbledon branch, BUT that branch will be closed on Sunday!
A replacement bus service will operate, but if you are able, it is probably just as quick to take the Piccadilly line to Earl’s Court station, from where it is about 20 minutes’ walk to Stamford Bridge.
Alternatively, one can reach Stamford Bridge by London Overground direct from Stratford, with West Brompton and Imperial Wharf stations on the Clapham Junction route a 15-minute walk away from the ground.
Various buses pass the stadium on Fulham Road, including the 14 (from Euston Square to Putney), 211 (from Waterloo Station to Hammersmith), 414 (from Maida Vale to Putney Bridge), 11 (from Liverpool Street), 28 (from Kensal Rise), 296 (from Ladbroke Grove and Clapham Junction), and 391 (from Richmond).
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
How To Follow…
Sunday’s 2pm kick-off will NOT be broadcast live in the UK, but will be shown across the world by the Premier League’s international broadcast partners.
If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC Radio London, and worldwide on our official website and app.
Team News…
Defenders Dinos Mavropanos and Nayef Aguerd will be assessed having both been absent from West Ham United’s last two Premier League outings through injury.
Young midfielder George Earthy has also been on the sidelines in recent weeks, after suffering a nasty head injury against Fulham at London Stadium last month.
Chelsea have a host of injury concerns ahead of the Hammers’ visit, with the likes of Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernández, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva expected to miss out.
Opposition…
Following a summer of change at Stamford Bridge, 2023/24 has largely been a season of transition for Chelsea, who are fighting to secure European qualification as the campaign comes to an end.
The May 2023 appointment of Mauricio Pochettino offered hope of a step in the right direction in the wake of a turbulent period that saw Todd Boehly take over from Roman Abramovich as owner, a wave of high-profile players come and go, and Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard each take their turn in the dugout.
A squad of undoubted talent lay at the former Tottenham boss’ disposal, but moulding a new group according to his and the club’s philosophy proved a difficult task from the off, with the Blues indeed recording just one win - over newly-promoted Luton - in their opening six Premier League fixtures.
Something of a far cry, then, from the relatively recent trophy-laden days that yielded multiple Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League titles.
Things have been better of late, and a run of eight games without defeat between February and April - that included a creditable 1-1 draw at Manchester City, a thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United and a 6-0 routing of Everton - suggested that the hierarchy’s patience had started to pay off.
A 5-0 thumping at title challengers Arsenal towards the end of last month served a brutal reminder of how far Chelsea have to go to return to former glories, but a point at Aston Villa last weekend and a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night moved them ahead of West Ham United into eighth in the table, with a game in hand.
And so it is that Pochettino’s men are firmly embroiled in the fight for a top-seven finish with four games to go, hoping to finish with a flourish and seal a return to continental competition after a season away.
Having fallen at the final hurdle in February’s EFL Cup final, agonisingly losing out to Liverpool in extra-time, and coming unstuck against Manchester City in the FA Cup last four, they will be desperate for something to show for their efforts across the board.
Previous Meetings…
While Stamford Bridge hasn’t been an especially happy hunting ground down the decades, the Hammers have enjoyed some memorable days there in the Premier League era, including a vital 1-0 victory achieved in November 2019 through the unlikely source of debutant David Martin and Aaron Cresswell’s right boot.
Prior to that, West Ham also won there in October 1994 (2-1), February 1996 (2-1), March 1999 (1-0) and September 2002 (3-2).
Before the Premier League’s introduction in 1993, our most memorable visit to Chelsea was a 4-0 First Division victory achieved in March 1986, when Frank McAvennie, Tony Cottee (two) and Alan Devonshire got the goals as John Lyall’s side continued their march towards a record-high third-place finish.
Last season’s trip across the capital yielded a 2-1 win for Chelsea, with Michail Antonio’s 62nd-minute opener being cancelled out by Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz strikes.
Since then, the sides have met twice at London Stadium, with a 1-1 draw in February 2023 being followed by an impressive 3-1 West Ham victory, courtesy of goals from Nayef Aguerd, Antonio and Lucas Paquetá.
Match Officials…
Referee: Andy Madley
Assistant Referees: Harry Lennard and Nick Hopton
Fourth Official: Darren England
VAR: Peter Bankes
Assistant VAR: Mark Scholes
Andy Madley has been confirmed as the man in the middle for Sunday’s clash.
Originally from Huddersfield, the 40-year-old has been a part of Professional Game Match Officials Limited’s (PGMOL) Select Group One since 2019, having made his refereeing debut in the top flight during 2017/18.
He took charge of the 2015 and 2019 EFL League One Play-Off finals, won by Preston North End and Charlton Athletic respectively, while he has held the whistle in seven games involving West Ham United.
Two of those seven came at home to Manchester City and away at Manchester United this season, while he has also taken on fourth official and VAR duties at Hammers matches this term.
Elsewhere, 2023/24 has seen Madley referee in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying, and in an international friendly between South Korea and Saudi Arabia at St James’ Park.
For more information about the officials, click HERE.
