Chelsea are running away with the Premier League title. But the Blues will be eager to consolidate the lead at the top of the table as they face West Ham at the London Stadium in a big derby on Monday.
Read: Why Chelsea are proving that Premier League is boring?
One of the best things to happen for Chelsea this season is the new manager Antonio Conte, who eked the best out of players like Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, N'golo Kante and others. With all players looking their part, Chelsea have become the team to beat.
Despite the seven-point lead, Chelsea cannot afford to take West Ham lightly, as the Hammers have been playing good football lately. Chelsea have faced West Ham twice this season, and the Blues had to battle it out on both occasions to pip West Ham.
"This game against West Ham for us is very important. In the last game for sure they played their football very peacefully against us. Maybe it can happen again the same against West Ham tonight, but for this reason we are preparing for this kind of situation. It can be a really tough game," Chelsea's official website quoted Conte as saying.
The respect-your-opposition attitude of Chelsea boss has helped them pick up some important points in the league. Though Chelsea are favourites, West Ham could make the life tough for Chelsea as the Hammers have been playing some good football, with only one defeat in their last six matches.
West Ham did not start the season well, and when they lost Dimitri Payet in the transfer window, the line-up looked a little weak. However, Payet's loss has been Manuel Lanzini's gain and the Argentine's playmaking has worked well for West Ham.
Players like Andy Carroll, who missed the last two games due to groin injury, have been instrumental on the offensive front.
"Of course he is now also helping the team and he's a top player who is basically making all the players around him feel more comfortable on the ball, on the pitch, playing with more confidence, knowing if they're in trouble they can pass to him and he will always make that space available for them. That is crucial. I'm a big fan of him," West Ham's official website quoted manager Slaven Bilic as saying.
"He's a very young player with his ups and downs and he has to stay focussed and totally in his game and in football he can achieve great things."
Where to Watch Live
West Ham vs Chelsea is scheduled for 1.30 am IST, 3 pm ET, 8 pm GMT start.
India: TV: Star Sports Select HD2. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 1. Live Streaming: Sky Go.
Australia: TV: Optus Sport. Live Streaming: Optus Online.
USA: TV: NBCSN, Telemundo. Live Streaming: NBC Sports Live.
Canada: TV: TSN2. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Middle East, Thailand: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Malaysia: TV: Astro SuperSport.
