JUST IN : West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui gives his assessment of Chelsea’s squad ahead of London derby

West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui has been speaking ahead of his side’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea this weekend.

West Ham host Chelsea at the London Stadium on Saturday, looking for their second win of the season.

As for Enzo Maresca‘s side, they have the chance to make it three consecutive away victories after beating Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Jadon Sancho will be eyeing a first start after his impact at the Vitality Stadium last Saturday. The winger came on in the second half against Bournemouth to make his Chelsea debut and assist Christopher Nkunku’s winner.

 

What has Julen Lopetegui said about Chelsea?

Lopetegui has acknowledged that Chelsea have a really good squad while also praising Maresca.

Speaking to West Ham’s official website and the media in his pre-match press conference, the Spaniard said: “We know we are going to play a great team, with top players. They have quality and quantity.

“They have a good coach, and good ideas about how to play. But we have to focus on our players. Every team in the Premier League has quality, but we have to think about ourselves.”

Cole Palmer is the standout player in Chelsea’s talented squad. Maresca now expects a target on Palmer’s back because of his quality.

West Ham v Chelsea score prediction

Chelsea’s record at the London Stadium is not good. They lost there last term and were also beaten there back in the 2021/22 season.

The campaign in between, the Blues drew, with new signing Joao Felix scoring on the day in what was his first spell at the club.

With that in mind, Chelsea are in for a tough game. However, they have looked so dangerous while counter attacking on the road this season.

If the likes of Palmer, Sancho and Noni Madueke are at it, a 2-1 win seems more than possible for Maresca’s men.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*