West Ham United v Chelsea
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 21 September 2024, 12.30pm BST
West Ham United's 2024/25 Premier League season continues with a home test against fellow Londoners Chelsea in Saturday's early kick-off.
Having come from behind to rescue a late point at Craven Cottage last weekend thanks to Danny Ings' last-gasp strike, Julen Lopetegui’s Hammers welcome Enzo Maresca’s Blues to London Stadium on 21 September, with kick-off set for 12.30pm in front of the TNT Sports television cameras and a worldwide TV audience.
The Hammers sit 14th in the Premier League table with four points from four matches played so far, while Chelsea have collected seven points and sit eighth.
Tickets…
Tickets for this sold-out game are still available on the Ticket Exchange, with Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend this fixture relisting their seats for other supporters to buy.
Click HERE to check availability or relist.
Supporters are urged to arrive early at London Stadium on Saturday as security and ticket checks will be in place at all entry points.
Travel…
There is no planned disruption to TfL Underground services on the Jubilee and Central lines, though there are set to be part closures on Metropolitan (Harrow-on-the-Hill to Uxbridge) and Piccadilly (Acton Town to Uxbridge) services. Supporters using these lines are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford Station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.
On mainline railways, c2c services will run as normal, while there are planned disruptions on the Greater Anglia line between Ely and Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds and Peterborough/Cambridge.
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.
There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.
How To Follow…
West Ham United’s home Premier League match against Chelsea has been selected for broadcast in the United Kingdom by TNT Sports. 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 5 Live.
We are West Ham. United...
At West Ham United, we are proud to be based in one of the most multicultural areas of the country where equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. Regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or beliefs, everyone is welcome at our Club.
Our aspiration is to be the equity leader in football and alongside our supporters, this is something we are continually looking to build on and improve. We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and for helping us to eradicate the bad behaviours which do not represent our Club, our community or our West Ham United family.
To report any concerns on matchday, text SUPPORT plus your message to 83121 or speak to the nearest steward, SLO or Police Officer. Text messages are treated in the strictest confidence, and, for our staff, it is better to monitor the situation as it is happening and to be able to take action at the time of it occurring. Our Conduct Charter is created to further support the provision of a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all West Ham United supporters and staff at home and away matches, on social media, Club related meetings or events, or in any other forum.
Official Programme…
Our fifth issue of the season is led by an extensive interview with highly-decorated UEFA Europa Conference League winner and former Blues left-back Emerson, who features on east London illustrator Daryl Rainbow's eye-catching cover enjoying a plate of traditional pie and mash with Lucas Paquetá.
We also have words from new Club captain Jarrod Bowen, Head Coach Julen Lopetegui and Steve Blowers’ chat with former striker Billy Jennings as part of the 50th anniversary series celebrating our 1975 FA Cup win, while 'Baby Reindeer' actor Tom Coombes reveals his love for the Hammers!
We've got, exciting new features with Tomáš Souček and Andy Irving, exclusive columns galore, stats and in-depth analysis from Analytics United, too!
With the latest news from our Academy, women’s team and Foundation, plus puzzles, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from the Stamford Bridge, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!
Team News…
Left-back Emerson will be assessed after being withdrawn in the early stages of the second half against Fulham, as will forward Niclas Füllkrug, who missed the game at Craven Cottage after picking up a knock while on international duty with Germany.
Chelsea will be without captain Reece James, as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. However, the Blues have received a quadruple boost, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Enzo Fernández, Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia all returning to training.
Opposition…
It has been almost all change at Stamford Bridge this summer as the Blues continue to make headlines off the pitch for their transfer dealings.
Enzo Maresca, who led Leicester City to promotion from the EFL Championship to the Premier League last season, became the fourth different permanent head coach to work under the Todd Boehly/Clearlake consortium in two years, when he replaced Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues have now gone seven years without challenging for the Premier League title, with former West Ham United coach Maresca, who worked under Manuel Pellegrini at London Stadium, tasked with improving that situation in west London.
The Italian’s appointment has been followed by squad revamp, with no fewer than eleven new additions. The likes of goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, defender Tosin Adarabioyo, midfielders Renato Veiga and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, forwards João Félix, Pedro Neto, Marc Guiu and most recently Jadon Sancho all arriving at the club throughout a busy summer transfer window.
Academy graduates Connor Gallagher, Lewis Hall and Omari Hutchison all departed for significant fees, while Ian Maatsen, Romelu Lukaku, Thiago Silva and Hakim Ziyech were other notable departures.
With key squad members, such as Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo, Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernández and Malo Gusto having had the benefit of playing with each other for a full season, Chelsea will be targeting UEFA Champions League qualification.
He might not have been their most expensive summer signing, but the addition of Dewsbury-Hall is already looking like a shrewd piece of business. The 26-year-old thrived under Maresca’s management in the Championship last season, scoring 12 goals from midfield, and has enjoyed a positive start to life at Chelsea despite a minor recent setback.
With Maresca at the helm and a positive start to the new campaign, Chelsea fans will be hoping for a return to the top four.
A sixth-place finish last term saw the Blues enter the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League, the 32nd European campaign in club’s history. The Blues entered the tournament at the play-off round stage, where victory over Swiss side Servette in a two-legged tie secured a place in the league stage, and they have been installed as overwhelming favourites to win the competition.
Previous meetings...
The Hammers will play match number 123 against Chelsea on Saturday.
While the overall record between the two sides is in the visitor’s favour, the Irons have enjoyed decent success at home against the Blues.
In the last ten matches across all competitions played at the Boleyn Ground and London Stadium, West Ham have won six matches. Chelsea have won just two matches, while two have ended in draws.
The most recent Premier League meeting at London Stadium ended 3-1 in the Hammers' favour back at the very start of last season, when Nayef Aguerd, Michail Antonio and Lucas Paquetá netted in a convincing win.
The very first match between the two teams, in the Premier League in October 1993, was also won by West Ham. A Trevor Morley finish late in the first half secured a 1-0 victory for the Irons at the Boleyn Ground, in a match that saw Dennis Wise sent off for the Blues just a minute later!
Match Officials...
Referee: Sam Barrott
Assistant Referees: Lee Betts and Wade Smith
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson
VAR: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin
Sam Barrott has been confirmed as the referee for Saturday’s Premier League match at home to Chelsea.
Barrott has been selected as the man in the middle for the Hammers’ third London derby of 2024/25 and will take charge of his first West Ham United match of the campaign, having refereed the Irons’ 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion and the 2-1 win away at Burnley last season.
The West Ridings native took charge of his first Premier League match back in October 2023, as Fulham beat Sheffield United 3-1 at Craven Cottage, and has refereed three top-flight games so far this season.
However, Saturday’s referee may never have picked up a whistle had it not been for a nasty injury in his teens when coming through the ranks as a promising youth player at Halifax Town. His grandfather persuaded him to take up a refereeing course during his nine months of rehab aged 15, and he has never looked back.
The official also has two major finals under his belt, refereeing the 2022 FA Vase showpiece between Littlehampton Town and Newport Pagnell Town, before taking charge of the EFL League One Play-Off final between Bolton Wanderers and Oxford United in May 2024.
