Chelsea vs West Ham Preview: Blues Seek Revenge

John Obi Mikel echoed these comments to the London Evening Standard:

Sometimes it doesn't help when the fans are not happy... This is when we need them the most. Let's hope we can all go through the rest of the season together. Chelsea fans have always been great and I know they will continue to be great with the players.

In contrast to Chelsea's recent slump, West Ham are on a decent run of late. Lacking the fixture congestion that the Blues' back room is struggling with, Sam Allardyce's side have won two of their last four games - including last win's excellent win away at Stoke, which moved them well away from the relegation zone. That win was, however, only their third win from 14 games away from the Boleyn Ground this season. To make matters worse for the men in claret and blue, West Ham have historically found it particularly difficult on the Kings Road: the Hammers have not won at Stamford Bridge since 2002, when Paulo Di Canio scored a brace win a 3-2 win. To add to his troubles, Allardyce is faced with a selection headache, with a number of players out injured. Rafa Benitez, while not so badly plagued with injuries, is faced with similar problems. He will likely be made to rest some of his internationals heading into the World Cup qualifiers. If he doesn't, key players like Eden Hazard could be faced with playing three matches in a week (two for his country), leaving them prone to injuries - and they're the last things that Rafa needs, with the international break being followed by six matches in 16 days for the Blues. This is a must-win game for Chelsea - anything other than three points could see Arsenal, who have a tricky trip to Swansea, within touching distance of the coveted fourth spot. For West Ham, however, there seems to be less riding on it; being nine points away from the relegation zone and seven points from the top half, a loss tomorrow will do little to worry the West Ham faithful. But that's not to say that they wouldn't love to beat their London rivals on their own turf tomorrow. Chelsea vs West Ham has always been a hugely important game for both sets of fans - and, even if it were just a friendly, the fixture means that those all-important bragging rights are there for the taking.