West Ham vs Chelsea: Friday Night Lights in East London:
Welcome to game two of the brand new Premier League season — under the glow of Friday Night Lights, deep in East London. The London Stadium is buzzing, and if we’ve got even a flicker of Coach Taylor in us tonight, maybe we’ll be heading back to the West side with all three points in our pocket.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has shuffled the deck. Tosin Adarabioyo returns to the back line, fit again and ready to anchor the defense in place of young Josh Acheampong. But the real surprise? João Pedro and Liam Delap both get the nod to start — a bold move that leaves Estêvão and Jamie Gittens on the bench. It’s the first time we’ll see Pedro and Delap share extended minutes. Could be fireworks.
Meanwhile, West Ham — still licking their wounds from a brutal 3–0 loss to Sunderland — are hoping to bounce back. Graham Potter’s side features a sturdy back five and a midfield built for grit. Füllkrug leads the line, with Bowen wearing the captain’s armband.
And yes, somewhere in the football ether, Landon Donovan is still provoking international beef with Mexico — trash-talking, peeing, and winning. Legend.
Lineups
West Ham XI:
Hermansen | Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd, Diouf | Souček, Ward-Prowse | Paquetá | Bowen (c), Füllkrug
Bench: Areola, Walker-Peters, Wilson, Mavropanos, Rodríguez, Scarles, Potts, Irving, Marshall
Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1):
Sánchez | Cucurella, Tosin, Chalobah, Gusto | Enzo, Caicedo (c) | João Pedro, Palmer, Neto | Delap
Bench: Jörgensen, Acheampong, Fofana, Hato, James, Essugo, Santos, Estêvão, Gittens
📺 How to Watch
Date / Time: Friday, August 22, 2025
– 20:00 BST | 3:00 PM EDT | 12:30 AM IST (Aug 23)
– Venue: London Stadium, East London
– Referee: Michael Oliver (on pitch); Jarred Gillett (VAR)
TV Channels:
– UK: Sky Sports Main Event
– USA: USA Network, Universo
– India: Star Sports Select HD1
– Nigeria: SuperSport Premier League, Canal+ Sport 3
Streaming:
– UK: Sky Go
– USA: NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
– India: Disney+ Hotstar
– Nigeria: DStv Now
