Premier League Matchday 22: West Ham vs. Chelsea

Start Time: 6:30 a.m. CST on February 11, 2023

Location: London Stadium, England

FanDuel Betting Odds: Chelsea +120; Draw +220; West Ham +240

West Ham (17th in the Premier League); Manager: David Moyes

Recent Results: 1-1 draw vs. Newcastle (Premier League); 2-0 win vs. Derby County (FA Cup); 2-0 win vs. Everton (Premier League).

Chelsea (9th in the Premier League); Manager: Graham Potter

Recent Results: 0-0 draw vs. Fulham (Premier League); 0-0 draw vs. Liverpool (Premier League); 1-0 win vs. Crystal Palace (Premier League).

FotMob Projected Lineups:

After a well-earned point at St. James' Park, West Ham will welcome Chelsea to the London Stadium for a pivotal fixture in the Premier League.

You could honestly write a book on Chelsea's 22/23 campaign, and it's only February. When Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge last May, Blues supporters knew there would be changes at the club, but what has happened so far is staggering.

The American owner has completely overhauled this squad, bringing in 17 players for over £600 million during his short tenure. Most recently, he purchased World Cup star Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for over £120 million. Time and results will tell whether Chelsea actually has a plan under Boehly, or if it's just chucking money at talented young stars and seeing if it works.

Chelsea have tasked Graham Potter with carrying out this plan, and I hope the Blues give him the necessary time. A manager like Potter cannot reach his full potential unless given a few seasons to implement his style and create the culture he wants in the dressing room.

Look at Mikel Arteta. It took time and financial investment from the Arsenal board to help Arteta organically grow his young squad. After back-to-back eighth-place finishes, and then narrowly missing out on the Champions League, the Spaniard has his side in pole position in the Premier League.

But in the meantime, Chelsea have looked terrible as of late, currently sitting 9th in the table. The combination of new signings, mixed with injuries and overpaid bench players typically does not work in the Premier League.

However, the Hammers aren't without struggles of their own. They're in the midst of a relegation fight, and could use a huge result like this to bolster their survival chances.

I liked what I saw out of West Ham against Newcastle. This season, I hadn't seen the group fight after going down early, and it shows there may be some team spirit building under Moyes again. Paqueta had another goal, Rice dominated the midfield, and Aguerd is shaping up to be one of the signings of the summer.

5 years ago, West Ham hosted Chelsea at the London Stadium in the early fixture, and I remember yelling on my couch as Marko Arnautovic netted the lone goal of the match in the sixth minute. I sense a similar result in 2023, which would give the Hammers some much-needed breathing room in the bottom half of the table.

Premier League Match Day 22 Prediction: West Ham 1 Chelsea 0

If you enjoyed this post, follow me on Twitter @topcornerEPL and Instagram @topcornerepl!