Having earned a valuable 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday, West Ham United return to Premier League action with a short trip across the capital to take on Chelsea on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, looking to build further momentum.
The Hammers have taken four points from their opening three Premier League matches under the tutelage of Graham Potter, defeating Fulham at London Stadium before going down to a home defeat by Crystal Palace and then securing that well-deserved point at Villa Park.
Chelsea have lost just twice at home in the league all season, and - at the time of writing - sit in sixth position in the Premier League tree, while West Ham start the Gameweek 14th in the standings with 27 points from 23 matches.
Both teams will be full of individuals looking to provide the touch of magic required to make the difference at Stamford Bridge, meaning there are a number of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) decisions to be made in the lead up to kick-off.
The Double Gameweek 24 transfer deadline is set for 11am on Saturday 1 February ahead of a mouth-watering feast of weekend action that ends with the Hammers’ Premier League clash in west London.
While we will be giving you FPL tips and tricks throughout the remainder of the 2024/25 season on whufc.com, see below for some of our picks for the upcoming round.
Before we name names, don't forget to join the Official West Ham United FPL League by entering the code tezfax...
Back to our Gameweek 24 preview, and we’re looking for our stand-in striker to step up in another London derby…
Can Kudus leave Chelsea feeling Blue?
Now could be the time to add Mohammed Kudus (£6.2m) to your attacking arsenal.
The Ghana international looks set to play up front again, having operated further forward in the Crystal Palace and Aston Villa fixtures. While his FPL points output has dropped in recent matches, with just ten points collected from his previous five appearances, Kudus remains West Ham United’s fifth-highest-scoring player with 57 FPL points.
Kudus’ numbers underline his status as one of West Ham United’s biggest attacking threats, while he’s also hit the woodwork on multiple occasions over the season, so he could easily have returned more.
Given that Chelsea haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last six Premier League matches and can be vulnerable to transitions and fast breaks, Kudus’ pace and directness down the centre could cause plenty of problems on Monday.
With an ownership of just 2.4%, Kudus could therefore prove to be a difference-maker against the west Londoners.
Other options for West Ham on Gameweek 24 include Tomáš Souček (£4.9m), who certainly warrants consideration.
Wednesday 29 January 2025 marked five years to the day since the Czech became a Hammers player.
The budget-friendly midfielder has a strong FPL pedigree when playing in an advanced position, with five goals in 21 Premier League appearances this campaign showcasing his attacking potential.
With 74 points accumulated this season, Souček, who is renowned as a big-game player, is surely on track to eclipse his best-ever FPL points haul (147 in 2020/21) and could have a part to play on Monday against the Blues.
Opposition Watch: Chelsea
Chelsea winger Noni Madueke (£6.1m) will be aiming to score for the third successive Gameweek against the Hammers on Monday night.
England international Madueke is a real threat and averages a shot every 22 minutes, which is better than every other FPL midfielder - including Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) - among those who have made more than three starts in 2024/25.
Chelsea's next six home matches, including their Gameweek 24 fixture against West Ham, are all against teams sitting 14th or lower in the Premier League table, but the Hammers, of course, will be hoping he is not able to add to those totals in west London.
Cole Palmer (£11.3m) remains Chelsea’s clearest threat. The 22-year-old, who has registered three double-digit returns in the last six matches, averages 8.2 points per match in home games in the Premier League.
Palmer has tallied 167 points in 2024/25 so far, with only Salah (222) earning more.
Given these statistics and his proven potential, Palmer remains a compelling asset, and the Irons will have to be at the very top of their game to stop the England international at Stamford Bridge.
