West Ham United welcome relegation battling Huddersfield Town to the London Stadium in a potentially pivotal Premier League clash at two ends of the league table.
For West Ham, this is a huge opportunity to move closer to the seventh place battle and put the pressure on Wolves and Watford, who are away on FA Cup duty this weekend.
As for Huddersfield, defeat here would mean that they have to win every game after the international break if are to potentially survive.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesAndy Carroll is ruled out for West Ham as he battles an ankle injury which kept him out of last weekend’s away defeat at Cardiff City.
Winston Reid is close to a return from knee surgery but won’t be risked until after the international break.
Andriy Yarmolenko (Achilles) and Carlos Sanchez (knee) are both ruled out until next season, with Jack Wilshire a major doubt with an on-going ankle injury.
Huddersfield will hand late fitness tests to Terence Kongolo and Erik Durm as the defensive duo battle muscular injuries.
Demeaco Duhaney (hip), Laurent Depotire (foot) are absent alongside Adama Diakhaby (thigh), Isaac Mbenza (calf), Danny Williams (knee) and Jonathan Hogg (rib).
All six however could be available after the international break to face Crystal Palace.
Form
West Ham enter this game unbeaten in four of their last six and are unbeaten in their last five home league games.
Huddersfield have taken just four points from their last 17 league matches coming into this game, with just one away win which came at Wolves in November.
Stat Attack
- West Ham have lost just one of their last six meetings with Huddersfield in all competitions (W4, D1, L1).
- Six of West Ham’s last seven goals against the Terriers have come in the second half.
- Huddersfield have produced just 15 goals this season across their opening 30 games, compared to 25 at this stage last season.
- Marko Arnautovic has produced only three assists for West Ham so far this season compared to six in entirety of last season.
- Both teams have kept five clean sheets apiece this season in the league.
Prediction
If the attacking West Ham turn up then this should be quite an one-sided game but if we see another slack performance which we saw last weekend at Cardiff, Huddersfield might just win this.
Manuel Pellegrini however is the sort of person who will get the Hammers rejunvated with changes, so am going for a comfortable if unspectacular home victory.
Prediction: West Ham United 2-0 Huddersfield Town
Jake predicts: West Ham United 0-0 Huddersfield Town
Result: West Ham United 4-3 Huddersfield Town
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