Image copyright: Getty Images
2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 2
West Ham United v Chelsea
London Stadium
London, England
Sunday, 20 August 2023
Kick-off is at 17h30
Chelsea will be seeking their first win under Mauricio Pochettino when they make the short trip across the capital to face West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday, August 20.
Former Tottenham manager Pochettino, who took over the reins at Stamford Bridge in the off-season, began his tenure with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool in London.
The Blues found themselves trailing to Luis Diaz's opener after 18 mnutes, but new signing Axel Disasi equalised 19 minutes later to secure a share of the spoils.
The Hammers also had to settle for a point on the opening weekend after they played out to a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Jarrod Bowen had given David Moyes' side the lead on 51 minutes, only to be pegged back by Dominic Solanke's equaliser eight minutes from time.
Moyes wrote his name into the club's folklore when he won the Europa Conference League after masterminding a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the final to claim their first piece of silverware since 1999.
The Scot subsequently lost Declan Rice, who joined local rivals Arsenal for a staggering £105 million, although James Ward-Prowse was brought in on August 14 to strengthen his midfield. The set-piece specialist racked up 344 top-flight appearances for Southampton, scoring 49 goals in the process, 17 of which were free-kicks which put him just one shy of equalling David Beckham's record.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Raheem Sterling will be hoping to flourish under Pochettino, having endured a disappointing debut season at Chelsea following his switch from Manchester City in July 2022. The England international managed just six goals in 28 league games - his worst return in six years - although he was hampered by a hamstring injury.
Moyes suggested that Bowen could become the Hammers' new focal point in attack after he finished last season as their joint-top scorer in the league with six goals and netted the winner in the Europa Conference League final.
"It was a brilliant goal. Jarrod is becoming our major goalscorer," Moyes said after the clash with the Cherries. "There's a lot of talk about needing to buy a centre-forward but I'm going to see if Jarrod could do the job.
"He's got the instincts and the sharpness. Hull played him at centre-forward so it's not me trying to be a genius."
Pochettino felt his team should have come away with all three points against the Reds as their performance improved markedly in the second half.
"I am so pleased with the performance and I think we deserved to win. We only conceded one shot on target against a team like Liverpool - that is a big credit to the players," he said.
"It's only the start, only the beginning. After six weeks working together, all I can say is thank you to all the staff in all the areas of the clubs. But the players, they are the principle actors."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
West Ham - 1
Chelsea - 3
Draws - 1
Matchday 2 fixtures:
Friday, August 18
20h45: Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United
Saturday, August 19
16h00: Fulham v Brentford
16h00: Liverpool v Bournemouth
16h00: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion
18h30: Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
21h00: Manchester City v Newcastle United
Sunday, August 20
15h00: Aston Villa v Everton
17h30: West Ham United v Chelsea
Monday, August 21
21h00: Crystal Palace v Arsenal
Bet on the English Premier League
Sign up at Betway and enjoy solid action and heart-racing thrills when you
bet on soccer leagues such as the
Spanish La Liga, the
English Premier League, the
Italian Serie A and many more
Ready to take your shot?
Are you ready for some heart-pumping, adrenaline-rushing fun? Then it's time to step onto the field and show off your skills in the electrifying casino game.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Download the Betway App.