The most common answer among West Ham supporters is that their most hated rival is Millwall. But since both clubs are in a different division for ages and only occasional Cup derbies have taken place in recent years, the Champions Legue winners will do. Chelsea is after all, their second most hated rival and ‘stealer’ of their best players. Long before Chelsea’s Youth academy, which now produces players like Mason Mount, Callum Hodson-Odoi or Reece James, the Blues had a simple solution for their transfer ‘problems’: rob the West Ham’s academy. ⚒ @WestHam v @ChelseaFC 🔵Iconic goals from this London rivalry 👇#WHUCHE pic.twitter.com/tODi0paOsy— Premier League (@premierleague) December 4, 2021 If you name some of the Chelsea’s best players over the recent period, you will certainly include Frank Lampard, John Terry and Joe Cole, and they all came from West Ham, along with Glen Johnson or some other players, not Academy related, like Demba Ba. And the Hammers already have one new ‘recruit’ for the Blues: Decklan Rice. The England international has already grown into a midfielder warrior and was subject of much transfer reports, mainly for bitter rivals Chelsea. Dating back to 2019, the Rice has started 84 Premier League matches from a possible 90.Kurt Zouma:“I want to beat Chelsea because I want to beat everybody. I play for West Ham now and I’m very happy to be here. It’s going to be a tough game as we know they have a lot of strength, but we have to use our strength to make them suffer.”#WHUCHE pic.twitter.com/nm14f7mdRe— Chelsea Accumulator.. (@Chelseafooty9ja) December 3, 2021 Rice could be deemed as Thomas Tuchel’s long-term answer to Kante, who is now 30 years-old and struggles to get on the pitch as often as he once did. In fact, the Frenchman with Malian decent will miss this game as well, due another injury, along with Mateo Kovacic, Ben Chilwell, and Trevoh Chalobah. On the other hand, Timo Werner, Reece James and Jorginho are all back in contention having not been selected in midweek and all three could start at London Stadium. Dani Alves is old, Serginho Dest is old news – Barca want Chelsea’s Dave to fill their right-back slotBut it’s worth knowing that Decklan Rice was released from Chelsea academy where he played alongside Mason Mount when he was 14, and signed for West Ham instead. “Well these things happen and I cannot comment on this because it happens at every single club in the world, that sometimes players get released in one moment and they have their career in a different way, so this is a pretty normal thing. I am absolutely aware that he is a Chelsea boy and he comes through the academy and he is very close to our guys. He’s a very strong player. Declan is an important member of the England team, so it speaks for itself. I am absolutely impressed by Soucek and Rice. Both of them are simply doing everything. Very strong in build up, very intelligent in passing and, of course, they are quality players” said Tuchel ahead of the match. Patrice Evra: We are the ‘monkeys’, no one cares about the African Cup of Nations, Lewandowski was robbedOn the other side of the London town, West Ham are preparing to face league leaders, and apart from Aaron Cresswell, who is back to light traning, and long term absentee Angelo Ogbonna everybody are fit and up for it. “I am looking forward to it, it is a game we have played well in recent seasons. Yarmolenko scored a late winner when the three points was vital and we did and last year we played well and were unlucky not to get something out of the game. Chelsea are a top team and it will be a tough game” said coach David Moyes. Chelsea have won their last seven away London derbies in the Premier League, an all-time record in the top four tiers of English football, includind a double over West Ham last season. West Ham United have won three of their last six home Premier League matches against Chelsea.
