The Claret and Blue Army’s famous terrace chant claims Arthur Masuaku is ‘better than Lukaku’, but the flying West Ham United full-back’s focus will not turn to outperforming the Manchester United striker until next week.
Instead, Masuaku is 100 per cent concentrated on helping the Hammers prove they are better than table-topping Chelsea.
The Blues arrive in Stratford unbeaten, boasting a perfect record and, in Eden Hazard, boasting arguably the Premier League’s standout performer so far this season – but Masuaku is not going to lose any sleep worrying about either the Belgian or any of his in-form teammates.
We want to win our first home games and then the fans will be happy and we will be happy also and it will give us confidence for the future
Arthur Masuaku
“We need to take the game first against Chelsea, then the next one [against Macclesfield Town in the Carabao Cup third round], then the one against Man United and we will see,” the No26 told the Official Programme for Sunday’s derby at London Stadium. “First, we need to think about Chelsea and Chelsea only.
“It’s a strong team they have, but if we play with confidence and our quality, then we can beat them. They are human beings like us. The strongest team will win I think, that’s it.”
Indeed, with the confidence taken from last Sunday’s outstanding win at Everton, and their own 1-0 defeat at London Stadium last season fresh in their minds, Masuaku says Chelsea should be concerned about what West Ham can do to them and not the other way around.
“I just want and think to play my game; not think about the players on the other side,” he confirmed. “I want to maybe make them worry about me! As a team, we just need to play our game, be as strong as possible and defend well, and then we might get opportunities.
“It’s very important to win our home games, we want to win our first home games and then the fans will be happy and we will be happy also and it will give us confidence for the future.”
Order your Official Programme now!
To read Masuaku’s full interview, including his delight at winning back the love of the supporters he let down in last season’s FA Cup, download or purchase Sunday’s 100-page Official Programme.
Also inside, supporters can enjoy exclusive columns penned by manager Manuel Pellegrini, captain Mark Noble, Tony Cottee, Ken Dyer and Chris Scull, flick through former Hammer Matt Taylor’s West Ham Scrapbook and catch up with ex-West Ham and Chelsea defender Scott Minto.
Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski reveals the goalkeepers who have influenced his own career, while women’s team captain Gilly Rafferty and U18s skipper Ajibola Alese give their take on the season so far.
With all this, plus the lowdown on Sunday’s visitors from Stamford Bridge, Hammers history and heritage and the latest news and views from London Stadium, you cannot afford to miss the Official Programme!
The print edition will be available to buy in and around the London Stadium on matchday and can be ordered online here.
The Digital Official Programme is available to download to your iPad or iPhone, Android devices, PC and Mac and via the Pocketmags app on kindle fire and Blackberry Playbook.
Whether you live overseas or just want to consume your content on the way to London Stadium, that means you can download your Digital Programme before kick-off, with the game being televised live in a large number of countries across the world.