The Chelsea coaching staff will have given plenty of consideration to their starting side ahead of the clash against West Ham, and Paul Merson believes he needs to make at least one big change to his XI.
The Blues were underwhelming against Crystal Palace, really struggling in the final third in particular. Cole Palmer failed to impress as he looks to get back to goalscoring form in the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca started Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens for the first time in the Premier League, while promising youngster Estevao Willian made a strong impression in his competitive debut off the bench.
However, there will be disappointment that none of these players really had a genuine chance in front of goal. The best opportunities fell to Andrey Santos and Trevoh Chalobah.
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Paul Merson tells Enzo Maresca to start Liam Delap in ‘must-win’ game vs West Ham
Graham Potter doesn’t sound too confident ahead of a game against his former club, and they endured a nightmare start to the season with a 3-0 defeat to Sunderland.
Paul Merson believes Chelsea are going to get over the line with a 1-0 win, however has instructed Maresca to start Liam Delap for the London derby.
He told Sportskeeda: “You know what? This is a huge, huge game now for both teams. I thought both of them looked very poor last weekend. If Chelsea lose or draw to West Ham, that would be a massive blow. I actually think this will be a hard game for Chelsea, unlike what most people think! West Ham will not come out and have a go at the visitors, they will sit behind the ball and be patient.
“If Chelsea had won against Crystal Palace in their opening game, I would have tipped them to secure a comfortable win here. But they lacked any sort of cohesion in that game. West Ham were battered by Sunderland last Saturday. I believe they were the most disappointing team to watch in gameweek 1 and let themselves down with that performance. West Ham have no legs in midfield and look like they’re in danger already!
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“I would play Liam Delap in this game. West Ham are quite physical at the back and that might not suit Joao Pedro. Delap is good with his back to goal and can hold the ball up well. Away from home, he’s a better fit than Pedro in my opinion.
“West Ham will not want to open this game up. If that happens, there will only be one winner, and that’s Chelsea! So I reckon they will sit back and try to keep Palmer quiet. This is a must-win game for Chelsea, especially since they are a club with huge ambition every year. I’m going to back the Blues to secure a narrow win.”
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Delap pushing to make impact in first Premier League start for Chelsea
There is a battle going on between Pedro and Delap for the number nine jersey at Stamford Bridge, and Pedro did not take his chance in the first game of the season.
There was an argument that Delap should have started against Palace due to the physical threat he brought off the bench up against the impressive back three of their opponents.
The Englishman found the net twice in the pre-season friendly against AC Milan, and looked hungry to prove that despite not commanding the biggest transfer fee, he should be one of the first names on the teamsheet.