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Mauricio Pochettino has been told to make four changes to the Chelsea starting lineup against West Ham. David Moyes will welcome the Blues to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon as either side looks to secure their first three-points of the Premier League campaign. Chelsea head into the clash against West Ham off the back of a 1-1 draw against Liverpool last weekend. The Reds began in the ascendency at Stamford Bridge but, thanks to the stellar efforts of Enzo Fernandez, the west Londoners quickly regained control and tested Alisson numerous times with little success. Without a natural defensive midfielder at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal, he fielded an attacking lineup against Chelsea. Eager to keep it tight at the back, Pochettino opted for a back-five on paper – a formation which the Blues had rarely trialled in pre-season. Despite the 51-year-old’s tactical tweak paying dividends, Chelsea supporters have urged him to revert to a back-four and make several changes to his staring lineup. As voted for by the readers of football.london, Pochettino has been told to keep Robert Sanchez between the sticks with Malo Gusto replacing the injured Reece James at right-back. While Axel Disasi impressed on his debut against Liverpool, he’s fallen victim to a new-look backline. In midfield, Blues fans want Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to make their first starts for the club, partnering Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park.
Chelsea will be aiming to win a Premier League match for only the second time since March when they face West Ham this weekend. Last season was truly disastrous for the Blues, who finished 12th despite spending more money than any other team in the division. A reset was required this summer and the early signs are positive. In their first competitive fixture under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea were the better team against Liverpool last weekend. It took them a while to get going at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues largely controlled proceedings and were a little unfortunate to only tie the match 1-1. There has been more positivity off the pitch this week with the news that Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo have joined the club. Caicedo in particular is a hugely exciting addition, although a £115m transfer fee means he did not come cheap. Still, Caicedo has the potential to be an important player for Chelsea for years to come, and the club’s supporters will be looking forward to seeing him in action. West Ham also drew their first game of the new season 1-1. They took the lead against Bournemouth last weekend but could not prevent their opponents equalising late on. The Hammers have also been busy in the transfer market, with new boy James Ward-Prowse set to go straight into the starting XI this weekend.
