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Chelsea will play their 23rd Premier League fixture of the season, hosting West Ham United in their first London derby of 2014. Regardless of the result, Chelsea will be no lower than third at the conclusion of Wednesday's match, though a win could see them topping the table if other results go their way.
The Blues have been in great form of late, having won their last seven fixtures in all competitions. The Hammers haven't been playing quite as well, managing just one win and one draw in their last nine fixtures.
Historically, Chelsea have had the better of West Ham. They've played 98 times to date, with Chelsea managing 45 wins, 18 draws, and 37 losses. At home, the Blues have a 27-10-12 record, and since Roman Abramovich bought the club, Chelsea have won 13 of the 16 derbys, drawing two and losing just one.
In our first matchup with West Ham this season, Jose Mourinho rolled out a 4-3-3 formation at the start. It worked remarkably well, and Mourinho's side produced one of the best performances we've seen from this Chelsea squad.
Chelsea last played on Sunday, so the bulk of the squad will likely be available for selection without any sort of concern over rest. With our next game not taking place until Monday, February 3, It's unlikely that Mourinho will have any players resting in anticipation of that fixture.
Opponent: West Ham United, currently 18th in the table on 18 points, with a -11 GD
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 29, 2014, 19:45 GMT; 2:45 pm EST; 1:15 IST (next day)
Venue/Location: Stamford Bridge, London, England
Forecast: Cold with a good chance of rain and possibly some snow. Bundle up!
Chelsea squad news: The Blues have a pair of players out with injury, Fernando Torres and Marco van Ginkel. Mohamed Salah will not be available for this one either, as he hasn't arrived in time to to factor into Mourinho's squad. We're also unlikely to see any of the U21 crowd involved, as they played 120 minutes on Monday evening.
West Ham squad news: Sam Allardyce will have more to work with on Wednesday than he has in quite a while. Joe Cole will miss the match with injury, but Kevin Nolan will be returning from suspension to help out. Antonio Nocerino and Marco Borriello will both be available for debuts as well, though it's unclear if either will be thrust straight into the West Ham lineup. I wonder if Arsene Wenger would think that's fair?
Television/Streaming: UK viewers appear to be stuck with Tottenham vs. Manchester City, though subscribers will be able to hear the game live on Chelsea TV. In the US, Premier League Extra Time and NBC Sports Live Extra will have the broadcast. In India, Star Sports 2 HD and Star Sports 4 will show the game live, and you can check other listings here.
