Five big things seen in West Ham training for Chelsea

West Ham’s preparations for the Chelsea showdown have offered plenty of talking points, with five big things spotted in training – from the welcome return of two key players to the sight of Lucas Paqueta cutting a lonely figure.

The jury remains very much out on Graham Potter at West Ham in his first job since being chewed up and spat out by Chelsea.

Potter was out of the game for nearly two years following his Stamford Bridge sacking.

Many would argue it has showed in his time at West Ham so far, which has yielded a paltry five wins in 20 games.

That is the worst win ratio of any permanent Hammers boss in history, outdoing the man he replaced – Julen Lopetegui – and even the hapless Avram Grant, who took West Ham down.

At Chelsea, Potter had the excuse that the transfer chaos of unprecedented investment made it impossible to manage the squad let alone the team.

In east London, the Hammers’ head coach has had the legitimate excuse that this has not been his team and he has not had a pre-season.

Five big things seen in West Ham training for Chelsea

Even Potter has admitted he can no longer use that excuse over seven months into the job, with his own changes to the team and a full pre-season behind him.

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A pre-season the manager has not stopped talking up in terms of how positive it was.

Yet West Ham opened the season in all too familiar fashion as their dismal run of form in the Premier League – 15 wins in the last 58 games since January 2024 – continued with a shambolic 3-0 defeat at newly-promoted Sunderland.

The Hammers have been widely tipped to be relegated this season and that opening day performance did little to suggest otherwise.

Things don’t get any easier for Potter and the Hammers, though, with his old club and world champions Chelsea up next.

West Ham welcome the Blues to the London Stadium on Friday night looking for a big response.

Photo by Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

The Hammers will have been given encouragement from Chelsea’s own underwhelming start to the campaign which saw them draw 0-0 with Crystal Palace.

But vast improvements are needed all over the pitch and there will be no help from new signings as West Ham struggle to make progress on the transfer front.

So how are the Hammers looking in their final preparations before their first of 12 London derbies this season?

Here are five big things seen in West Ham training for Chelsea including duo’s return to the fold and a lonely looking Lucas Paqueta.

West Ham’s media team have been understandably reserved with content in the wake of the Sunderland debacle. They know Hammers fans are in no mood to be patronised.

But as the team turns their focus to Chelsea down at Rush Green, West Ham have released footage from training.

And there were some interesting nuggets for eagle-eyed fans.

Hammers duo back in training

There was a welcome sight for Hammers fans with two missing stars stepping up training.

West Ham’s bench at Sunderland was gravely concerning, with ageing and injury-prone Callum Wilson the only attacking player among the substitutes.

Luis Guilherme has suffered a collarbone injury which ruled him out at Sunderland while young striker Callum Marshall, missed the defeat through illness.

Both have impressed in pre-season and have the much-needed pace West Ham sorely lack.

That is also true of Crysencio Summerville, who has been out since January.

Footage shows that Marshall was back in full training and Summerville is doing some training alongside his teammates.

The flying Dutchman Summerville does not seem to have taken part in full contact training as yet but is seen walking out to training and back in after with his teammates as he closes in on a return to first team action, which is scheduled for next month.

Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar Via Getty Images

Good vibe Diouf looks West Ham’s new quickest star

In a speed drill, new boy El Hadji Malick Diouf beats his teammates with his electric pace.

And he celebrates wildly showing he really is a positive vibe around the team, as Hammers fans were told when the club signed him from Slavia Prague.

Diouf showed plenty of promise in his first performance but it was marred by the team’s pathetic collapse.

There is undoubtedly more to come and West Ham will hope his infectious energy and smile will spread throughout the team.

Happy Hammers mood has visibly dropped

Speaking of vibes, the happy Hammers mood that Potter has been talking up all pre-season seems to have dampened after Sunderland.

Pre-season footage out of the club had been noticeably more upbeat than last season.

Players and staff could be seen laughing, smiling and enjoying one another’s company.

But there has been a marked shift in this footage.

The mood is visibly lower, many players already look like lethargic and less enthusiastic. Even the rondos just look less zippy and lacking in quality.

Training appears a lot quieter than it was just a week or so ago.

Clearly the Sunderland result has left everyone at the club shellshocked and concerned. It is written over many of the players’ faces.

Of course West Ham fans wouldn’t want to see the team laughing and joking after a 3-0 opening day defeat to a team they will be fighting with to stay up.

But there has been a big dip in the vibe around the training ground based on this evidence. And only a positive result against Chelsea will help lift it.

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Paqueta cuts a lonely figure in West Ham training

You would think Paqueta would be wearing a permanent grin since being cleared of spot-fixing.

West Ham hoped he would get back to his best with the weight of the case lifted from his shoulders.

But his performance at Sunderland was no better than the underwhelming standard he has served up for the last 18 months.

West Ham lack quality in the team so getting the best out of Paqueta is vital to survival hopes.

Speculation has been swirling around the Brazilian’s future again with talk of a potential exit late in the window.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from West Ham’s training footage is how quiet Paqueta is. Usually seen laughing and joking with Emerson Palmieri and Guilherme, Paqueta looks a touch lonely and fed up.

Emerson has been ostracised at West Ham by Potter and could be set for a move to Marseille.

As Paqueta’s best friend at the club, fans should not underestimate the impact that can have on a player. Especially as Paqueta has been using Emerson as his unofficial translator over the last few years.

Players need to be happy off the pitch to perform on it. Let’s hope losing his friend does not see a further nosedive in his form.

Todibo’s brand new look

If the jury is still out on Potter then it most certainly is on the Hammers’ unconvincing back three of Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman and Nayef Aguerd.

The trio were poor at Sunderland, losing far too many aerial battles and looking weak under pressure.

Todibo has cost West Ham a whopping £32m but is subbed off before 90 minutes in almost every game.

The Frenchman vowed West Ham fans would see the best of him this season after he too was linked with an instant move away upon his deal becoming permanent.

That will need to happen sooner rather than later as West Ham fans wait to see him take charge of their woeful backline.

Todibo will draw more attention to himself when the Sky Sports cameras roll into town on Friday night for West Ham’s clash against rivals Chelsea.

The 25-year-old has had blonde highlights added to his hair, which saw him get a rub on the head from teammates.

They say blondes have more fun, so let’s hope that’s the case for Todibo and West Ham – starting against Chelsea.

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