Tuchel on West Ham test and Rangnick’s Chelsea rejection
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel spoke about the team of West Ham United and Rangnick’s statement about having turned down a job offer at Chelsea in February.
West Ham vs Chelsea: Line-ups
West Ham
Chelsea
Hammers Have What It Takes to Hold Chelsea
#1
West Ham have won seven, drawn three and lost four of their 14 Premier League matches this season to collect 24 points, which has left them in fourth position in the table and very much in the mix for a top-four finish. There is a chance that the Hammers could have dropped to fifth by the time that this match kicks off, with fifth-placed Arsenal away to Manchester United on Thursday night, but a win would see David Moyes’s side end the next set of fixtures in the top four regardless of what happens elsewhere.
#2
A victory over Chelsea would lead the Hammers nicely into back-to-back away games against Burnley and Arsenal, but a defeat would certainly leave them vulnerable, with plenty of teams looking to capitalise behind them. West Ham lost both league matches against Chelsea last season, including a 1-0 defeat at the London Stadium, but they did record a 3-2 victory over the Blues on home soil last July.
#3
Thomas Tuchel’s side are seemingly involved in a three-way title race with second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Liverpool, and the European Cup holders could easily find themselves down in third position if they fail to overcome the Hammers.
#4
Chelsea have a relatively kind festive fixture list, facing Leeds United, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Brighton before the end of the month, but January’s first two league matches are against Liverpool and Man City.
#5
Tuchel claimed that his side were “lucky” to triumph at Watford on Wednesday, and the German will undoubtedly be looking for an improvement in this weekend’s contest with Moyes’s side.
DPP Verdict
There has not been a draw between these two teams since September 2018, but we are struggling to separate them in this contest. A point would be a better result for West Ham than it would be for Chelsea, and we believe that the Hammers have enough about them to hold the league leaders to a score draw.
