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Chelsea ready to hammer nail into Grant's coffin

While Carlo Ancelotti's champions have started the new season by winning their first three games with a goal tally of 14-0, the Hammers have stumbled to three successive defeats and, along with Stoke City, are the only club yet to collect a Premier League point.

With league action resuming after a two-week break, second-placed Arsenal host Bolton Wanderers and third-placed Manchester United visit Everton, who have drawn once and lost twice.

Tottenham Hotspur, England's fourth Champions League hopefuls, go to West Bromwich Albion looking to bounce back after their shock 1-0 home defeat by Wigan Athletic two weeks ago with new signings Rafael Van der Vaart and William Gallas set for their debuts.

Win, lose or draw, all those clubs at least have points on the board, unlike the Hammers whose form has shown little improvement on last season's when they flirted with relegation after five years in the Premier League.

"We are building a new team under a new manager and transition is a tough time but game by game I anticipate an improvement over the coming months," Sullivan told the London Evening Standard.

"When we looked at the early fixtures we knew we faced a tough time but we only managed two points from the same fixtures last season."

Last season Chelsea hammered a nail into Zola's coffin when they crushed the Hammers 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in March and a similar scoreline would only add to the pressure on Grant.