Chelsea will be hopeful of making further progress in their recovery when they visit London rivals West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.

The Premier League champions will be aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time this season, while the Hammers are looking to close the gap on the only three sides above them in the table.

West Ham

It is difficult to remember the last time West Ham supporters had the right to feel so confident heading into every match, but the success they are enjoying under the guidance of Slaven Bilic means that not even the visit of the champions will strike fear into the squad.

Currently sitting four points behind leaders Manchester City in fourth spot, the only disappointment for the fans might be that this fixture against Chelsea comes at home, rather than on the road where they have enjoyed so many memorable wins already.

A fourth away win from four away trips arrived last weekend when the Hammers capitalised on Dwight Gayle's red card to earn an impressive 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and that result means that confidence is high in Bilic's squad heading into Saturday's test.

The optimism was clear when Bilic arrived as Sam Allardyce's replacement in the summer, but few could have expected that the Croatian would get so much out of the players so quickly, and his success in helping the new players settle in has been key to their form.

In previous years, it has always been safety first for the Hammers, but with Bilic's approach appearing to suit this side, there is a real belief that they are capable of staying towards the top of the table for much longer.

After already beating Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City, the hosts will not fear the challenge of taking on Chelsea, and another positive result would convince their doubters that a top-six finish is a strong possibility this season as they look to make it six unbeaten in the league.

Recent form: WWWDDW
Recent form (all competitions): WWLDDW

Chelsea

There has been more than one false dawn in what has been a turbulent start to the season for Jose Mourinho and his players, but the Chelsea boss will be hopeful that last weekend's 2-0 home victory over Aston Villa was a turning point.

Chelsea were still not at their best as they battled to all three points, but the ability to get over the line was key, and there were plenty of positives to take from the performance at Stamford Bridge.

Diego Costa returned from suspension to play a key role in the victory, while it was clear just how much better Cesc Fabregas performed, especially when employed further up the pitch to combine with his Spain teammate.

Mourinho's side followed the win by playing out a goalless draw with Dynamo Kiev in midweek in a display which may not excite many, but in the context of the group could prove to be a good result as they target a spot in the knockout stage.

Despite avoiding another defeat in the past week, much of the focus has been on a player who was left on the bench against Villa after Mourinho urged Eden Hazard to step up his game and improve his defensive effort for the side.

Hazard's own dip in form coming during a frustrating start for the team is certainly not a coincidence. Chelsea rely on the Belgian to unlock defences in the final third of the pitch and they lack a cutting edge when he is not at his best, but whether Mourinho's tough love approach helps or not is another question.

Starting the week 10 points behind the leaders, another win would help put their poor start to the campaign behind them and it should also do wonders to improve the mood of Mourinho, who faces one of his biggest challenges as he aims to ensure that this side is feared once again.

Recent form: LLWDLW
Recent form (all competitions): WDLLWD

Team News

Mourinho declared himself pleased with Chelsea's defensive display in midweek, and he could decide to name an unchanged back four, which would see Kurt Zouma start at right-back once again with doubts remaining over the fitness of Bratislav Ivanovic.

The big question will be whether Mourinho starts Hazard, who started against Dynamo, but with Pedro battling to be fit after picking up a knock prior to the Champions League game, last season's PFA Player of the Year could keep his spot.

Bilic is unlikely to be facing the same issues as his opposite number, but he will once again be without Winston Reid, who has still not recovered from a hip injury.

Despite not playing in the league yet this season due to injury, Bilic hinted that Enner Valencia could earn a start against the champions and he may be used in a wide attacking role as a replacement for Victor Moses, who is unavailable due to being on loan from Chelsea.

West Ham possible starting lineup:
Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Tomkins, Cresswell; Kouyate, Noble; Valencia, Lanzini, Payet; Sakho

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Begovic; Zouma, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Costa

Head To Head

West Ham will be full of confidence ahead of Saturday's game, and the club's supporters will be hopeful of improving their dismal record against Chelsea in recent years.

The Hammers have won just one of the last 19 fixtures between the two sides, with Chelsea winning 15 of those games in a run that stretches back to October 2004.

Chelsea head into the fixture on the back of five successive clean sheets against Saturday's opposition.

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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:

We say: West Ham 1-2 Chelsea

West Ham certainly deserve to be sitting in fourth at this stage of the season, but much of their success has arrived on the road and they are under pressure to deliver their best in East London at the weekend. Chelsea could just be beginning to find some confidence at the back after successive clean sheets and their recovery may continue with a narrow win.