Our West Ham Women predicted XI against Chelsea includes four recalls, with Oona Siren retaining her place after Wednesday’s cup double.
Rita Guarino’s challenge is to take the confidence from the 3-1 comeback win over Southampton into a match that should demand considerably more without the ball.
Chelsea visit Victoria Road on Sunday 4 October, with kick-off at 2pm BST. They have taken ten points from their first four league matches, conceding just once.
The selection below is our prediction, based on recent line-ups and the players available in midweek. It assumes no further fitness setbacks.
West Ham Women predicted XI against Chelsea
Predicted formation: 4-3-3.
Picaud-Inconnu; Riesen, Codina, Cascarino, Belloumou; Zelem, Kumagai, Siren; Wandeler, Gago, Piubel.
That would mean Nadine Riesen, Estelle Cascarino, Katie Zelem and Saki Kumagai returning to the starting side.
Yu Endo, Niamh Peacock, Ylinn Tennebø and Sienna Wareing would make way from the Southampton XI.
There is an availability caveat. Eva Nyström and Viviane Asseyi were absent from the midweek matchday squad, having started at Manchester United.
That omission alone does not establish an injury. Both remain relevant to the selection discussion, but this prediction avoids assuming their return before there is a clear update.
Should Asseyi be available, she would give Guarino another attacking option. Nyström would similarly change the competition for the central defensive places.
Why four recalls would make sense
The proposed changes would restore four players who started West Ham’s previous league match.
The club’s Manchester United team announcement included Riesen, Cascarino, Zelem and Kumagai, alongside Siren.
That gives Guarino a familiar midfield combination to consider. Our preference would be for Zelem and Kumagai to provide cover behind Siren when she moves forward, with the three staying close together when Chelsea have possession.
The full-backs would need similar discipline. If Riesen advances, Belloumou should be ready to hold her position, and vice versa. Sending both forward together would leave too much space for Chelsea to attack after a turnover.
There is also a case for keeping Laia Codina after she captained the cup side. Pairing her with Cascarino would retain some continuity from Wednesday while restoring a defender who started the last WSL fixture.
For Peacock and Wareing, making way would reflect the demands of this particular match. Their debuts remain useful additions to Guarino’s options as the season develops.
Siren and Wandeler offer reasons to retain attacking ambition
Siren scored twice against Southampton, while Leila Wandeler headed in Seraina Piubel’s cross.
Those contributions give Guarino a reason to keep all three involved. However, Southampton played more than half the match with ten players, so the comeback should not disguise the different challenge ahead.
Chelsea’s official preview records five successive clean sheets across all competitions. West Ham will need to make their attacking opportunities count.
Keeping Kelly Gago centrally would give the side a target when they regain possession. Wandeler and Piubel would then need to get close enough to support her, rather than leaving the striker isolated.
Gago had a penalty saved in the cup tie, but the broader question on Sunday is how she helps West Ham get up the pitch. If she can hold the first pass and bring a midfielder into play, the Hammers will have a better chance of relieving pressure and earning corners or free-kicks.
Siren’s two goals came from corners. That makes her another player to look for at set-pieces, particularly if Chelsea limit West Ham’s chances from open play.
Our selection balances those attacking possibilities with a more familiar midfield. The aim should be to keep enough players behind the ball without surrendering every opportunity to threaten.
Supporters can find the broadcast details in our West Ham Women v Chelsea TV guide.
