Graham Potter's Chelsea are in desperate need of a victory today as they travel across London to face West Ham United.
It's a capital clash that rarely fails to deliver fireworks. And with neither team able to afford a defeat, Saturday's lunchtime London derby between West Ham and Chelsea in the English Premier League looks primed to be explosive.
After a surprisingly poor start to the season, West Ham have picked up in recent weeks, and followed up their crucial win over relegation rivals Everton with a hard-fought draw away at Newcastle last Saturday.
Despite those two strong results, the hosts still find themselves precariously placed in 17th in the standings, and come into this capital clash having lost eight of their last 10 London derbies.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have made an inauspicious start to life under new manager Graham Potter, winning just one of their seven games since the start of 2023 -- a string of results that has seen them plunge to ninth in the Premier League.
A $360 million spending spree during the recent transfer window, which saw Mykhailo Mudryk, João Félix and Enzo Fernández join the Blues, only appears to have added to Potter's selection problems, while in turn adding to the pressure already surrounding the former Brighton coach.
Neither side head into the clash in especially positive form, with just one Premier League win each since the start of 2023, and Potter and his opposite number David Moyes are under pressure.
Despite being given a multi-million-pound transfer budget during the January window, and signing a number of high-profile stars, Potter has seen little signs of improvement during his time as Chelsea boss. Meanwhile, Moyes is looking to keep the Hammers away from the relegation zone.Watch now