The West London club enter the season with lofty ambitions, with some tipping them as outside contenders for the Premier League title. A clash with West Ham, therefore, provides an ideal chance to collect their first three points.
In contrast, there is growing concern in East London after the Hammers slumped to a 3-0 defeat away to newly promoted Sunderland. Graham Potter’s side looked disjointed and lacked fight, leading to early suggestions they could be dragged into a relegation battle.
Potter, a former Chelsea manager, has already faced criticism for his approach at West Ham and will be desperate to take something from the game against his old club.
Date, kick-off time and venue
West Ham vs Chelsea is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off on Friday, August 22, 2025.
The game will take place at the London Stadium.
How to watch West Ham vs Chelsea
TV channel: The game will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK, broadcast on their Main Event and Premier League channels.
Live stream: UK viewers can watch the game online via the Sky Go website or app. The match is also available on NOW with a Sky Sports subscription.
Highlights: Available on the Sky Sports app in a mobile-friendly vertical format, and Chelsea’s own app and website will have highlights ready to go after the game at 10pm.
Live blog: You can also follow all the action with Standard Sport’s live blog!
West Ham vs Chelsea team news
Romeo Lavia also remains a doubt, will Levi Colwill has been sidelined for most of the season with an ACL injury.
Nicolas Jackson is available again after suspension but, along with Christian Nkunku is unlikely to be included due to ongoing transfer speculation over their futures.
Chelsea are still in the market for new additions and are reportedly confident of securing the services of Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho.
Elsewhere, the Hammers could be without Edson Alvarez, who is reportedly on his way out and close to joining Fenerbahce.
Crysencio Summerville is nearing a return from a long-term hamstring problem, but this game may come prematurely.
Despite conceding three goals on his debut, expect Mads Hermansen to keep Alphonse Areola out and continue between the sticks.
West Ham vs Chelsea prediction
Chelsea couldn’t have asked for a better fixture to secure their first win of the season.
Maresca will want to show fans they’re a serious outfit and that the discourse regarding their progress is true.
With the attacking talent at their disposal, I expect Chelsea to be on the front foot and create chances and score goals.
Graham Potter’s side looks bereft of ideas at the moment. They seemingly have come into the season without being fully prepared and were punished against Sunderland.
Expect more of the same from this game, as many are tipping The Hammers to go down this season.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Chelsea came out on top last time these two sides met, winning 2-1 in a Premier League meeting in February 2025, courtesy of a Pedro Neto goal and Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s own goal.
West Ham vs Chelsea match odds
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
