Another week, another London derby.... This time, league leaders Chelsea head to East London to take on West Ham, who are currently second-to-last in the WSL table. Given the 28-point gap between both teams, should you be writing off West Ham this weekend in Fantasy WSL?
Last time the teams met in the WSL, Chelsea came away with a convincing 2-0 victory. However, West Ham managed to get one past the goalie in their FA Cup Round 4 match against Chelsea, which ended 3-1 to the Blues.
West Ham will be aiming to win back-to-back London derbies for the first time in the WSL, having beaten Arsenal 2-1 at home last month. Chelsea on the other hand could lose back-to-back away London derbies in the WSL for the first time, having lost 4-1 away to Arsenal in December.
West Ham manager Rehanne Skinner has emphasised the home advantage this weekend, saying the players are up for a tricky match in front of their fans. With a tired Chelsea arriving back from their UWCL game in Amsterdam midweek, could this set the scene for a shocking victory for the Hammers?
Who is going to play in West Ham vs Chelsea?
West Ham
Viviane Asseyi will likely lead the line, having played a full 90 minutes in her last eight league games with West Ham. She has one of the highest return rates in the WSL, meaning if West Ham score, there's a good chance she'll have been involved.
West Ham will need a strong midfield on Sunday if they're going to tackle the likes of Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nusken, so we can expect the likes of Gorry, Smith, Hayashi, and Shimizu to try and block Chelsea's press. Meanwhile, West Ham's star January signing Kristie Mewis remains out of contention for this game with an ongoing injury.
🩹 Rehanne Skinner confirms Kristie Mewis will be sidelined again this weekend due to a ‘tendon issue’ that she’s been nursing since her arrival at the club. #WHUFC ⚒️
Defender Amber Tysiak has put in some strong performances recently, so we can expect her to take her place at centre-back, with Hammers captain Mackenzie Arnold between the sticks.
Chelsea
Despite their long injury list, Chelsea have been on excellent form recently across all competitions. Having dominated Arsenal last weekend, and gained a decisive victory over Ajax this week, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has suggested she may use this fixture to rest some of her top players amidst a busy fixture schedule.
In her pre-match press conference, Emma Hayes praised Kadeisha Buchanan and Ève Périsset on their recent performances at the back, so they could well be rewarded with more game time this weekend. There's also a chance we see some action from Aggie Beever-Jones, who's had five goals and one assists in just 245 minutes this season.
Of course, we can't talk about Chelsea without talking about Nusken. The number one performing midfielder in Fantasy WSL, with only 8.17% ownership, she's a must have for this weekend's fixture.
Who were the top scorers last time?
The last time these two sides faced each other in the WSL was in October, when the Chelsea side looked a lot different to how it does now. However, all defenders scored six points or above in that match, with Niamh Charles leading the line at nine.
West Ham, on the other hand, didn't manage to rack up any points - their highest scoring players clocked in a mere two points.
Chelsea is a safe bet, but if you're willing to take a chance on West Ham getting a goal in the back of the net, there are fantasy points up for grabs that could give you the vital leg up on your competition.
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