West Ham take on London rivals Chelsea away from home in the Premier League on Monday night.
The Hammers go into the derby on the back end of a pleasing 1-1 draw away to Aston Villa and will look to build on this result against a Chelsea side who have won just one of their last seven Premier League games.
West Ham fans will look at their point at Villa Park and see both the result and the performance as a sign of progress under Graham Potter, with the Hammers going toe to toe with a Champions League side and statistics suggesting a more attacking style of football.
West Ham could have some joy against Chelsea should they put in a similar attacking performance, with the Blues having kept only two clean sheets in their last 18 Premier League games.
More reason for West Ham to hold hope for the encounter is due to their Monday night success so far this season. Up to now, the Hammers have played in three Monday night games in the 2024/25 campaign and have picked up seven points in the process. This included a 2-0 win at St James Park, a 2-1 win over Wolves at the London Stadium, and then a 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth.
Bowen return imminent
West Ham’s hopes will certainly be higher if West Ham skipper and star man Jarrod Bowen is playing. Graham Potter revealed the forward is back in training and is hopeful he can make the squad for the game.
It goes without saying how much of a major boost this would be to the Hammers for their top scorer in the league this season to feature. Bowen also has a particular eye for goal in London derbies, with the captain finding the net 12 times against London clubs in all competitions during his time as a West Ham player.
Some not so good injury news for West Ham fans however is that Crycensio Summerville is said to be unlikely to make the squad. The Dutchman’s recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered in the FA Cup 3rd round tie with Villa is said to be taking longer than expected.
Despite this, the general feel at the club seems to be a lot more positive since the appointment of Potter, and despite showing nothing but respect for his former club when asked questions about him making a return to Stamford Bridge in his Thursday press conference ahead of the game, there is no doubt the manager will have a fire in his belly to prove a point against his old side.
