CHELSEA
Premier League, Stamford Bridge, Monday 3 February 2025, 8pm GMT
West Ham United contest a fourth Monday Night Football fixture of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge. There, Head Coach Graham Potter will lead the Hammers into a London derby against his previous employers, Chelsea.
It is nearly two years since Potter departed the Blues, having spent 31 games in charge, and the 49-year-old will no doubt be eager to prove Chelsea they were wrong to part company with his services.
Incredibly, Chelsea have had three full-time managers since Potter’s departure in April 2023, with former Hammers midfielder Frank Lampard lasting eleven matches and Mauricio Pochettino 51 before current incumbent, former Irons coach Enzo Maresca, took charge in July 2024.
The straight-talking Italian has so far enjoyed an encouraging spell in west London, turning the Blues into a young, energetic, entertaining side led by England international Cole Palmer.
How to get there…
Stamford Bridge is 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. From there, it’s a five-minute wander to the stadium.
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).
Where to stay…
Most supporters are unlikely to be staying overnight for a Monday evening kick-off in west London, but if you’re travelling to London from outside the capital, there are literally thousands of hotels, guest houses, apartments and more to choose from all over the city if you need overnight accommodation.
If you’d like to stay near the stadium, the local area is served by a huge range of accommodation options from affordable to luxury!
What to do…
London, of course, has attractions for all the family and to suit all budgets and tastes.
While the capital’s top tourist spots are well-known, if you’re looking for something specific to do, hop online and go to visitlondon.com!
Locally, Hyde Park and Kensington Palace are situated a couple of miles to the north.
Kensington Palace has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is currently the official London home of, among others, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Eugenie.
The State Rooms are open to the public and managed by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces and house a number of interesting historical exhibitions about Royal life.
The 350-acre Hyde Park features the Diana Memorial Fountain, Speakers’ Corner, the famous Serpentine and much more.
What’s happened there before…
While Stamford Bridge hasn’t been an especially happy hunting ground for West Ham United down the decades, we 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 goalkeeper David Martin and Aaron Cresswell’s right boot.
Prior to that, we also won there in October 1994 (2-1), February 1996 (2-1), March 1999 (1-0) and September 2002 (3-2). However, we have lost on our four most-recent visits, including a 5-0 humbling in May last year.
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.
