Both new and old Chelsea management clash at Stamford Bridge this Monday as West Ham United visits for their Premier League London derby.
The match between Manchester City and Enzo Maresca's team ended with a point gift that his side could not defend while West Ham United and Aston Villa shared one point in their stalemate.
Chelsea maintained an unbeaten January record just 90 minutes away after standing firm through four games to begin 2023. They found themselves leading at the Etihad Stadium after Noni Madueke received the pass from Abdukodir Khusanov.
Manchester City unleashed relentless attacks leading to goals from Josko Gvardiol in stoppage time and Erling Haaland who scored and made a flawless assist for Phil Foden before the half ended in a 3-1 victory against Chelsea.
The dead certainties of Maresca's confident statement that his team should not be legitimate Premier League title contenders became official following Chelsea's recent loss. Furthermore, the club's top-seven finish remains in doubt due to competition from Aston Villa and Bournemouth.
Chelsea's latest defeat at Etihad Stadium remains their only loss from the last five games but Maresca's team has managed to secure wins twice during their seven Premier League matches and maintains a three-way draw record in their six previous top-flight encounters.
The Blues have lost their opportunity to challenge Manchester City for the title when they allow opponents to score ten times in their eleven Premier League matches this season.
Chelsea's only clean sheet during that run came against Aston Villa, who West Ham's next opponents let up the first goal against when Jacob Ramsey scored on the eight-minute mark. However, Tyrone Mings' devastating injury changed the outcome of the match.
Emerson Palmieri's header gave Potter's team a well-earned point. The Irons' wing-back scheme caused chaos and overloads against a struggling Villa defense, which was lucky not to have been breached again by Tomas Soucek in a near-exact replica of the Emerson equalizer.
West Ham United, under Graham Potter, has faced significant challenges in recent times, with only one win to their name so far. The team has struggled to capitalize on opportunities, a recurring issue that has plagued their performances. Potter, who had a promising start as Chelsea's manager in 2022, saw his tenure unravel quickly, leading to his dismissal after just 31 games.
Despite this, he now has the chance to make history by becoming the first former Chelsea manager to win a Premier League game against the Blues at Stamford Bridge. West Ham, however, enters this match with a seven-match scoring streak in away games across all competitions, which could provide some confidence. That said, their recent encounters with Chelsea have been nothing short of disastrous, including a 3-0 home defeat in September and a 5-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge towards the end of the 2023-24 season. These results highlight the uphill battle West Ham faces as they prepare to take on Chelsea once again.
During his pregame news conference, Maresca stated that he anticipates having the same roster as the previous gameweek, which means that Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Omari Kellyman (hamstring), Romeo Lavia (thigh), Wesley Fofana (hamstring), and Benoit Badiashile (thigh) won't be available.
Sanchez, who was held accountable for Haaland's effort at the Etihad, has now committed five errors that directly resulted in a goal this season, more than any Chelsea player in history and tied for the season with Arijanet Muric of Ipswich Town.
Maresca has jumped to the defense of Sanchez, who might just about cling onto the gloves for the time being, but Filip Jorgensen has undoubtedly never been this close to being promoted to the top.
When Potter addressed the media, he gave a positive report on Jarrod Bowen, the Irons' foot victim. The former Hull City player has been training in recent days and is "hopeful" to return for the London derby.
Regarding discipline, Dinos Mavropanos has returned from suspension and may immediately return to Potter's back three, possibly replacing the seasoned Aaron Cresswell.
