Chelsea vs West Ham: Blues face crucial London derby in hunt for European spots

CHELSEA could all but end West Ham's European hopes on Sunday.

The Hammers travel to Stamford Bridge in a battle between eighth and ninth place in the Premier League.

Both clubs are chasing a top seven finish, with eighth no longer enough for European qualification next season.

English clubs have failed to secure an extra Champions League berth, leaving just seven spots up for grabs.

Chelsea can climb into the top seven with a win over West Ham, potentially leapfrogging Newcastle and Manchester United.

Meanwhile, David Moyes' side will overtake their opponents and move into eighth with a win of their own.

West Ham won the reverse fixture back in August despite playing the last 20 minutes with 10 men.

Nayef Aguerd was sent off after opening the scoring, with Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta also on target.

Carney Chukwuemeka was the only scorer for the visitors at the London Stadium nine months ago.

Chelsea's 2-0 win over Tottenham on Thursday extended their unbeaten home run in the league to five matches.

Mauricio Pochettino's side have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League matches, last week's 5-0 thrashing at Arsenal, a run dating back to February.

Their recent upturn in form has seen the Blues solidify their place in the race for Europe.

It is a different story for West Ham, though, who are winless in three and have just one victory in their last eight league outings.

Last weekend's 2-2 draw against Liverpool halted a two-match losing run but the Hammers have dropped from seventh to ninth during their recent poor run.

Chelsea could welcome back Levi Colwill (ankle), Raheem Sterling (back) and Christopher Nkunku (thigh) on Sunday.

All three players face late fitness tests to make the matchday squad, but the fixture is