A DRAW was the last thing Blues gaffer Tom Tuchel wanted last weekend when Man Utd (supposedly at sixes and sevens) visited the Bridge and performed with high intensity.

Now Chelsea face a Saturday lunchtime trip across town, for another potentially fiery battle against arch rivals West Ham, having a great season of their own under David Moyes.

Tuchel was shown a yellow card by ref Anthony Taylor in stoppage time against United, for doing an exasperated touchline dance that fell between an audition as a synchronised swimmer and an epileptic fit.

He took his punishment with a cheeky grin, and dutifully sat down for the dying seconds of the 1-1 draw… his being one of eight bookings meted out by Taylor in a match which was fractious rather than dirty.

The Irons will fancy stealing all three points against Chelsea at the old Olympic stadium. The passion this fixture stirs up has grown and grown in the past 20 years, and no one will need motivating.

Ben Chilwell’s knee injury, sustained in the 4-0 demolition of Juventus in the Champions League, will keep him out of the team until early 2022, just at a time when he and Reece James were providing perfect two-pronged attacks down the flanks.

Marcos Alonso looked slightly rusty against United at the Bridge, and Tuchel could be tempted to bring back Cesar Azpilicueta and play him on the left wing against the Hammers.

While Jorginho is happy wearing the captain’s armband any time Azpilicueta isn’t picked for the starting line-up, no one can equal the club captain’s wholehearted commitment to the cause.