Just one win in 10 Premier League games now for West Ham United and surely they won’t be picking up a rare three points on Wednesday.
The Hammers were riding high at Christmas under manager Sam Allardyce but the 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day saw the rot set in and they have plundered the maximum haul just once since, a 3-0 win over struggling Hull City in mid-Janaury.
Rumours circulated that Allardyce was set for the sack a fortnight ago and, while that talk proved wide of the mark, for now, Big Sam will be concerned that his players already have their eyes on their summer holidays.
I actually thought the Irons played well at White Hart Lane, when sharing four goals with Tottenham on their penultimate start, but they conceded twice late on that day and were possibly still feeling sorry for themselves when clear second best to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The 3-1 reversal at the hands of the Eagles on home soil was greeted by boos from the home faithful at full-time and the Upton Park crowd seemingly have little to look forward to in midweek either.
Chelsea have bossed their upcoming hosts in this fixture in recent seasons, six wins in their previous eight trips across the capital, and arrive full of confidence after Capital One Cup final success last time out.
Goals from John Terry and Diego Costa in the 2-0 win over Spurs saw Jose Mourinho’s side lift the trophy at Wembley and they now have their sights set on further silverware.
While Chelsea were triumphing at the famous stadium, their nearest title rivals were floundering at Anfield and the Blues now hold a five-point lead at the summit, with the advantage of having played a game less than Manchester City.
City’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool on the weekend means Chelsea are now no bigger than 1/7 to finish top of the pile come May and, under Mourinho, it is hard to look beyond them.
I certainly don’t expect them to hand back any initiative to the chasing pack on Wednesday and the 4/6 will do for me.
2pts Back Chelsea (vs. West Ham) @ 4/6 (various)
