Chelsea resume their Premier League campaign against relegation-threatened West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Liam Rosenior’s side are fresh off a dramatic 3-2 win away to Napoli on the final day of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League, which ensured Chelsea finished sixth in the table and guaranteed a last 16 spot.

It was Chelsea’s fourth consecutive win in all competitions, following their 3-1 win away to Crystal Palace last weekend that saw the club rise to fifth in the PL table.

A 3-1 win at home to Sunderland last weekend saw West Ham breathe new life into their quest to avoid relegation, as it meant Nuno Espirito Santo earned three wins in a row in all competitions, having previously ended a run of 10 winless games with nervy victories over QPR in the FA Cup and Tottenham Hotspur in the league.

Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s game.

How to watch:

The match will be will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK, NBC / Peacock in the U.S., JioHotstar in India and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN’s live updates.

Key Details:

Kick-off time: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m. GMT (12:30 p.m. ET; 11 p.m. IST and 3:30 a.m. AEST, Sunday).
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
VAR: Michael Salisbury

Injury and Team News:

Chelsea:

Romeo Lavia, M: thigh, OUT, est. return early February.
Dário Essugo, M: muscle, OUT, est. return late February
Tosin Adarabioyo, D: thigh, OUT, est. return mid February
Levi Colwill, D: ACL, OUT, est. return late April
Mykhailo Mudryk, F: suspended, OUT

West Ham United:

Lukasz Fabianski, GK: back, OUT, est. return mid February.

Talking Points:

Chelsea’s Top 4 ambitions mean this is a must-win

Chelsea‘s run of wins has come at quite a crucial time, but the club still find themselves fifth in the table. Manchester United‘s resurgence under Michael Carrick as well as Aston Villa keeping up their form has meant that there’s precious little leeway in the battle for UCL spots.

Games against teams in the relegation zone like West Ham have to count for all three points, or Chelsea risk losing ground on their rivals.

England are on course for earning five UCL spots once more, but with Liverpool only a point behind, Chelsea can ill-afford to drop points.

Yet, West Ham’s recent run of victories will give Rosenior pause for thought, as the Premier League has repeatedly proven — anyone can beat anybody.

Chelsea have won all of their last four games against West Ham however, triumphing by an aggregate scoreline of 15-2.

West Ham’s last win at Stamford Bridge came in 2019, with Chelsea only losing at home against them twice this century.

Paqueta sale / JWP loan signal West Ham’s lowered ambitions

Lucas Paquetá‘s £35.8m sale to Flamengo, a record purchase by a Brazilian club, has boosted West Ham’s coffers as they make moves in the January market. Yet, despite bringing in a plethora of new faces like Valentín Castellanos, Pablo and Adama Traoré, the outgoings are a bit concerning.

Paqueta’s quality is well-established, and his departure amidst a relegation battle speaks volumes about the club’s ambitions. Yes, the Brazilian’s looked out-of-form after a move to Manchester City collapsed, but he still could have proved crucial for a West Ham team in desperate need of points.

In a similar vein, while James Ward-Prowse‘s exit from the club was a foregone conclusion after being frozen out of the first-team lineup by Nuno Espirito Santo, it’s his destination that has raised eyebrows.

The midfielder’s been loaned to a direct relegation rival in Burnley, and offers crucial qualities missing from Scott Parker’s side that can see them pick up points.

Palmer’s impact against Napoli puts the kibosh on exit rumours

Cole Palmer provided the perfect response to reports of him being unsettled at the club, with a match-winning performance after coming on against Napoli at half-time. Palmer provided two assists as Chelsea came back to win 3-2 in Italy, courtesy a brace from João Pedro.

An injury-hit season has meant Palmer’s output has dwindled to only four goals in the league, with plenty of frustration evident in his body language. It opened up speculation that a move to Manchester United was in the works, but Rosenior was keen to play it down in no uncertain terms.

Palmer’s performance in Naples only serves to bolster his manager’s insistence that the boyhood Chelsea fan is fully committed to the club.

A fit-and-firing Palmer will no doubt be crucial for Rosenior’s ambitions of success, and easing him into a game against West Ham — an opponent he has made a goal contribution against in the last three games — would be ideal.

Hammers’ defensive improvement key to survival

It may sound a bit disingenuous to speak of West Ham’s defensive improvement when the club have yet to keep a clean sheet under Espirito Santo, but there are signs of improvement even in the numbers.

The club remain the second-worst defence behind Burnley, having conceded 346 shots (124 on target) in the league this season.

However, the 3-1 win over Sunderland saw West Ham only give away two shots on target — their lowest total this season.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka‘s return from AFCON duty has helped, and Espirito Santo’s played the same backline in the club’s last two games — both of which have been wins.

The Hammers defence came under plenty of pressure as they saw out victories, and the signing of Adama Traoré could prove useful, serving as a release valve late in games to relieve pressure.

Chelsea will prove difficult opponents on Saturday, yet with fresher legs, West Ham’s defence could prove the difference makers in the London derby.

Rosenior’s temperament ideal for young Chelsea squad

With five wins in six games, Liam Rosenior has made a fine start to his spell in charge of Chelsea, including guiding the club to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Rosenior could become only the fourth English manager to win their first three PL games if Chelsea defeat West Ham.

It’s an impressive run of results as Rosenior has brought an air of calm to a chaotic Chelsea season, despite his relative managerial inexperience.

He’s batted away difficult questions with ease, and his quiet confidence has meant there’s not as much anxiety to Chelsea’s play, with more freedom on offer.

It has meant that youngsters like Estêvão are growing into match-winners, with João Pedro and Alejandro Garnacho also finding form under Rosenior.

Chelsea boast one of the youngest squads in the Premier League, and with one of the league’s youngest managers, they’ve perhaps stumbled into the ideal recipe.