Head coach discusses putting a recent record straight and Saturday’s Premier League opponents…
Chelsea travel across the capital city tomorrow seeking a first away win since we defeated Salzburg in the Champions League at the back end of October.
Our opponents West Ham United were successful in their most recent home game when they defeated Everton but prior to that, they endured a similar winless run in their own stadium, with their previous victory at home coming in the Europa League the same week as our win in Austria.
Added to the mix is that this weekend’s Premier League outing is a traditionally spicy local derby, something not lost on Graham Potter as he seeks to improve on our points tally on the road.
‘It's not a statistic that we like, that's for sure,’ said our head coach on the wait for an away win.
‘Going away from home in the Premier League is not straightforward, everybody knows that, and there’s the problems that we've been having in terms of injuries etc. But it's something we're trying to address.
‘We have to start against West Ham. I've been there with Brighton and have a decent record there but it's a totally different context. It’s a London derby, there is no love loss I think between the two teams in terms of how the atmosphere will be - which is great. It is a good atmosphere for us to test ourselves in.’
Potter’s Brighton succeed in the London Stadium in August, winning 2-0, but he is not making comparisons in terms of the challenge.
‘I think West Ham-Chelsea brings a different edge to it. The relationship between the two clubs, the fans etc. is totally different. But it was nice to win there and hopefully we can do it again.
‘Whenever I watch West Ham I think historically they're always tough games. David Moyes’s sides are really competitive. Everybody knows what they're doing. They've got some really good players.
‘They attack big spaces well, defend in numbers and defend well, and are strong at set-pieces.
‘So it's about understanding the environment, understanding the fact that it is a London derby, understanding that we have to match whatever intensity is coming at us with our own, and start the game well and try to take the three points.’