This is a Chelsea predicted lineup for their second consecutive London derby of the campaign. After starting their Premier League campaign with a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, the Blues have an onus to get one over on their former manager, Graham Potter and earn a first win of the competition.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs West Ham in Premier League Clash
How Chelsea Have Lined Up Recently
The last two outings have confirmed the strongest eleven as it stands. Rob Sanchez is the go-to goalkeeper in the squad. Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Josh Acheampong have been starting defenders. After seeing some experimentation in the Club World Cup, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are the preferred double pivot.
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Cole Palmer, Jamie Gittems, and Pedro Neto are the preferred attacking midfield options with Joao Pedro making the starting striker spot his own.
Chelsea Recent Form & Tactics
Enzo Maresca has stuck reliably with his fluid 4-2-3-1 setup which moves into a 3-2-4-1 in possession more often than not. There have been some interesting ideas with the full-backs both moving into midfield towards the end of the Palace draw, with Caicedo covering the right-back spot. Where players move is usually the big tweak made with Cucurella, especially found as either a left winger, left ten, or pivot member depending on opponent and game state.
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The team’s momentum ground to a halt against the Eagles with a poor performance seeing them lose a lot of the inventiveness that fans saw in the wins over Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Bayer Leverkusen. One positive is the team kept a clean sheet, something they’ve started doing regularly in 2025 as they’ve gotten more steely in the back line.
Chelsea Injuries to Consider
The manager confirmed the status of some of the doubts ahead of this clash with the Hammers. Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile remain sidelined as short-term absentees. Long-term Levi Colwill is out with an ACL tear, and Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs West Ham United
Wesley Fofana is back fit and was an unused substitute last time out. He will likely be eased back in and won’t start right away after a long layoff. There are also calls to start Estevao from fans but Neto’s hard work and defensive industry provide the balance the manager prioritises so he’s likely to start this one.
GK – Rob Sanchez
LB – Marc Cucurella
CB – Tosin Adarabioyo
CB – Trevoh Chalobah
RB – Reece James
DM – Moises Caicedo
DM – Enzo Fernandez
AM – Cole Palmer
W – Jamie Gittens
W – Pedro Neto
ST – Joao Pedro