English FA Premiership/ Chelsea 1 West Ham Utd 0: Managers tend to claim the next match is the only one they are thinking about but Jose Mourinho did not pretend that was the case with the week that lies ahead for Chelsea. Werder Bremen may await on Wednesday but the manager is already eagerly anticipating Sunday's clash of the Premiership's biggest beasts at Old Trafford. "Personally, I feel very sorry the next game is Werder Bremen and not Manchester United," he said.

Whereas Chelsea's Champions League progress is all but guaranteed, the domestic situation is less comfortable and a meeting with Alex Ferguson's side is one to get Mourinho's juices flowing: he is not used to second-best and wants normal service to be resumed.

Chelsea were effectively top from start to finish last season and led from early November in Mourinho's first campaign. After watching a deserved win over West Ham with a lukewarm performance, Mourinho said: "We're second in the Premiership and I want to be first. That's the only thing I'm not totally happy with but we have a chance to go top next Sunday."

Overtaking United looks unlikely then, because Chelsea would need to win by four or more goals, but victory would move them level and send out a huge psychological message. The clubs' last meeting saw Chelsea ease home 3-0 here in April and Mourinho made sure Ferguson knew how comfortable that was by shaking hands before the end.

Wayne Rooney broke a metatarsal that day but looks ready to pose a sustained threat to Chelsea, who could sit an unaccustomed six points off the lead this time next week.

"We go to Old Trafford to win," said Mourinho, who saw his side lose there last season. "We have to respect their sense of football. If Manchester United beat Chelsea it's not an earthquake, because it's a big team beating a big team."

Chelsea beating West Ham did not even register on the Richter scale. Mourinho's players will need to raise their level in Bremen and Manchester but it felt as though they would have stepped up a gear had West Ham equalised Geremi's nicely curled free-kick.

Alan Pardew's side never seriously threatened a goal, though, despite plenty of possession, and Chelsea would have won with greater ease but for a post denying Michael Essien and John Terry sending a free header bouncing over in the last 20 minutes.

Essien was Chelsea's best performer once he began to make typically driving runs and astute passes in the second half. There were occasional surges from Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba, who won the decisive free-kick. Frank Lampard had useful moments and Ashley Cole continued to bed in with an aggressive display but, overall, the team were uninspired.

Despite the Old Trafford trip, Mourinho promised to field a strong team in Bremen. He does not want to be accused of helping the German club at Barcelona's expense and hopes to secure top spot and use youngsters against Levski.

"This game against Bremen can influence the future of the Champions League, so we have responsibilities," he said, with Ricardo Carvalho considered doubtful due to an ankle injury. "We need to play a serious game."

West Ham will be aware of the seriousness of their next match, at home to Sheffield United. They were largely sound but lacked quality in their shooting and crossing, with Paul Konchesky's and Matthew Etherington's deliveries disappointing, and were short of presence in the box; they had only one central striker for most of the time.

Pardew exaggerated the impact of Carlos Tevez but there were flashes of promise and a high work-rate from the Argentinian. His future and that of Javier Mascherano are uncertain, though. Kia Joorabchian, who effectively controls them and looked into buying West Ham, may now seek alternative clubs in January if, as expected, a consortium led by Eggert Magnusson takes control of the club.

Pardew said he felt sorry for Mascherano, kept out by Hayden Mullins and not even on the bench. The midfielder was faultless in his application, he said, but "a bit frustrated" - rather like Mourinho at being behind Manchester United.

• Guardian Service