Graham Potter has demanded intensity from his side as Chelsea look to address their poor away form at West Ham.
Chelsea are without a win in eight games on the road in all competitions, a record that stretches back to October, with a trip to the London Stadium to come this weekend.
West Ham have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and Potter is expecting a tough challenge as Chelsea look to address their struggles away from Stamford Bridge.
“It’s not a statistic that we like and something we are trying to address. I’ve been there with Brighton and have a decent record there,” he told his pre-match press conference.
“There is no love lost between the two teams and there will be a good atmosphere.”
Potter led Brighton to a win at the London Stadium earlier in the season, but does not believe that success will have any bearing on this weekend’s clash.
“It’s a totally different context and occasion. West Ham vs Chelsea brings a different edge to it. It’s totally different.”
Potter has warned his side that they must West Ham’s intensity ahead of a derby contest, insisting Chelsea must start well as the club look to secure three points.
“Whenever I watch West Ham and certainly historically they’re always tough games. David Moyes’s sides are always competitive and organised. Everyone knows what they’re doing, they have some really good players, they attack the spaces well, defend in numbers and defend well, set pieces are strong.
“So for us, it’s about understanding the environment, understanding the fact it’s a London derby and match whatever intensity is coming at us with our own, start the game well and try to take the three points.”
The 47-year-old confirmed Raheem Sterling and Mateo Kovacic remain sidelined, though Wesley Fofana and Denis Zakaria have returned to first-team training.
“They are getting closer and closer. Wesley has been training with the team, Denis has been training with the team. We’ve had a little setback with Raheem, he is doubtful. He got a kick in training. Mateo is training with the team but it’ll be too soon for him.”
