WEST HAM are in desperate need of some festive cheer. So the very last thing they need is the sight of the Premier League's leaders making their way to Upton Park, keen to re-exert their authority after a recent blip in form.

Yet that is what they shall get on Sunday.

The Hammers followed up defeats to Manchester United and Birmingham with an abject display against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday night. But there will be no respite for Gianfranco Zola and his players, as the heavy yuletide schedule gets into full swing.

West Ham have been shut out in the cold, and each goal is another cruel icy blast to their hopes of survival. Seventeenth place is now their Everest, as things continue to go from bad to worse.

And the games just keep on coming. Uncertainty off the field, star players missing, and confidence shot to pieces; it would take a monumental effort from Zola and his men to emerge in the new year in touch with the rest of the relegation scrappers.

Carlton Cole remains sidelined with a knee injury and defensive stalwart Matthew Upson is still struggling with a hamstring problem and is a doubt for the visit of the Blues.

The team were buoyed by the return of Kieron Dyer to the starting line-up against Bolton, but no sooner had the midfielder got into his stride than he was hobbling off midway through the first half with a hamstring injury that could keep him out for up to three weeks.

Chung-Yong Lee’s expertly-taken goal after half-time seemed to have sent Bolton on their way to victory. But it is to West Ham’s credit that they bounced back through Alessandro Diamanti, who capped an excellent move involving Jack Collison and Guillermo Franco by smashing home from 12 yards.

Robert Green was then guilty of a terrible mistake, spilling Gary Cahill’s shot into the path of Ivan Klasnic, who tapped in. Cahill sealed the win with a late header.

West Ham have shipped 14 goals in their last five matches, while the goals have also dried up after the five-goal blitz against Burnley last month.

Those fruitful days seem a distant memory, and the team will have its work cut out to breach Chelsea’s normally steadfast defence.

The players can take heart from the fact that the leaders have undergone a mini defensive crisis of their own in recent games, conceding twice in the Champions League last week, as well as shipping three goals at home against Everton before they entertained Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge last night.