A first London derby of the 2025/26 season is on the agenda for West Ham United as we welcome Chelsea to London Stadium for an evening under the lights.
The Hammers endured a challenging afternoon at Sunderland on the opening day of the Premier League season, falling to a 3-0 defeat.
Chelsea, meanwhile, led by former West Ham first-team coach Enzo Maresca, ended his maiden campaign in west London with two trophies - the UEFA Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup in July. The Blues, however, were somewhat fortunate to secure a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Therefore, as we seek an immediate response, FPL managers may see selecting Hammers as a means of solidifying or improving their team’s position in their respective leagues.
Both sides will be full of individuals looking to provide the touch of magic required to make the difference on the day, meaning there are a number of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) decisions to be made in the lead-up to kick-off.
The Gameweek 2 transfer deadline is set for 6.30pm on Friday 22 August ahead of a mouth-watering feast of weekend action that begins with West Ham’s clash with Chelsea in east London.
While we will be giving you FPL tips and tricks throughout the remainder of the 2025/26 season on whufc.com, see below for some of our picks for the upcoming round.
Also, don't forget to join the Official West Ham United FPL League by entering the code qo0jof...
Captain Bowen to lead by example…
West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) was quick to stress that the season is long and nothing is decided after defeat at the Stadium of Light last weekend.
He did, however, call for an instant response, and our first London derby provides the perfect opportunity to put the disappointment of our first defeat of the season behind us.
Bowen - who blanked in only four of his 15 outings for Potter in 2024/25 - was involved in 72 per cent of West Ham’s goals when selected by the 50-year-old and can lead the charge in east London.
Elsewhere, Callum Wilson (£6.0m) came off the bench with 19 minutes to play at Sunderland and immediately looked lively. The forward’s energy almost paid off with two minutes to play when his header from a free-kick was tipped over the bar by Robin Roefs.
Just 0.5% of FPL managers have selected Wilson in their squads, which shows he could be a strong differential for the Hammers’ first home match of 2025/26.
El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.5m) was perhaps the standout for West Ham from Sunderland, having created two chances and taken three shots against the Black Cats, and with players now getting defensive contribution points in FPL this season, Diouf, who also won five of his nine duels and registered four clearances and three recoveries, offers a triple threat potential.
Opposition Watch: Chelsea
Managers in FPL clearly took notice of Cole Palmer’s (£10.5m) displays in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, and as Chelsea’s No 1 penalty-taker, his potential for huge hauls made it no surprise he was the most-owned player in Gameweek 1.
The 23-year-old has a proven pedigree in Fantasy, following back-to-back campaigns of 244 and 214 points, making him an attractive proposition for the visitors.
Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella (£6.0m) was the top-scoring defender in the second half of 2024/25, delivering 89 points from Gameweek 20 onwards.
The Spaniard continued where he left off with a nine-point haul against Crystal Palace, courtesy of a clean sheet and three bonus points.
Finally, João Pedro (£7.5m) scored three goals in his first two matches, including against Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, since joining Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Ahead of Gameweek One, he was found in over 50 per cent of squads, more than twice the total of any other forward, but failed to deliver for the managers who brought him in and will look to bag his first Premier League goal for the Blues in east London.
