A first London derby of the 2025/26 season is on the agenda for West Ham United as we welcome Chelsea to London Stadium for an evening under the lights.
The Hammers endured a challenging afternoon at Sunderland on the opening day of the Premier League season, falling to a 3-0 defeat.
Chelsea, meanwhile, led by former West Ham first-team coach Enzo Maresca, ended his maiden campaign in west London with two trophies - the UEFA Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup in July. The Blues, however, were somewhat fortunate to secure a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Therefore, as we seek an immediate response, FPL managers may see selecting Hammers as a means of solidifying or improving their team’s position in their respective leagues.
Both sides will be full of individuals looking to provide the touch of magic required to make the difference on the day, meaning there are a number of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) decisions to be made in the lead-up to kick-off.
The Gameweek 2 transfer deadline is set for 6.30pm on Friday 22 August ahead of a mouth-watering feast of weekend action that begins with West Ham’s clash with Chelsea in east London.
While we will be giving you FPL tips and tricks throughout the remainder of the 2025/26 season on whufc.com, see below for some of our picks for the upcoming round.
Also, don't forget to join the Official West Ham United FPL League by entering the code qo0jof...
Captain Bowen to lead by example…
West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) was quick to stress that the season is long and nothing is decided after defeat at the Stadium of Light last weekend.
He did, however, call for an instant response, and our first London derby provides the perfect opportunity to put the disappointment of our first defeat of the season behind us.
Bowen - who blanked in only four of his 15 outings for Potter in 2024/25 - was involved in 72 per cent of West Ham’s goals when selected by the 50-year-old and can lead the charge in east London.