The final match of Blank Gameweek 33 takes place this evening, as West Ham United make the short trip across London to face Chelsea. Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is at 20:00 BST.
Eden Hazard and Callum Hudson-Odoi keep their places in Maurizio Sarri’s starting XI and are joined in Chelsea’s front three by Gonzalo Higuain, who replaces the benched Olivier Giroud.
Given Chelsea’s congested fixture schedule and Sarri’s comments on Friday about “having to change”, there are perhaps not quite as many alterations as we anticipated to the Blues’ line-up.
Sarri’s only other change is an expected one, with Antonio Rudiger replacing Andreas Christensen at centre-half.
Pedro has recovered from injury to take his place among the substitutes alongside Christensen, Giroud, Willian, Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic.
There is no Marcos Alonso in the squad, with the Spanish left-back having been a doubt for this match after suffering a hamstring injury.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has recovered from back and hamstring problems to start, however.
After the Hammers’ dismal display against Everton in Gameweek 32, there is perhaps no surprise that Manuel Pellegrini has made five changes to his starting XI.
Marko Arnautovic isn’t one of those changes, however, despite Javier Hernandez‘s return to the West Ham team.
Felipe Anderson and Ryan Fredericks have recovered from injury to start, while Fabian Balbuena is in the Hammers’ starting XI for the first time since December.
Mark Noble is also recalled as Issa Diop, Pablo Zabaleta, Robert Snodgrass, Pedro Obiang and Lucas Perez make way.
All bar Zabaleta of that quintet are among the substitutes tonight.
West Ham were the first team to prevent Hazard from registering an attacking return this season when the two clubs drew 0-0 in Gameweek 6.
The Belgian winger was the third-most-bought and third-most-captained Fantasy asset of Gameweek 33.
Noble is the only member of West Ham’s starting XI to score or assist an away goal this calendar year.
The Hammers are without a victory away from the London Stadium since December.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have kept clean sheets in seven of their last ten home league matches.
Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Emerson, Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Higuain, Hazard.
West Ham United XI: Fabianski, Fredericks, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Anderson, Lanzini, Arnautovic, Hernandez.
5 years, 2 months ago55