West Ham face Bournemouth in an important Premier League clash affecting the race for survival and European qualification respectively.
Victory by four goals or more would lift West Ham out of the relegation zone until at least Sunday afternoon, whilst Bournemouth can climb to eighth with a win.
Team News
Freddie Potts is suspended for West Ham’s next three matches after he was sent off during their FA Cup victory at Burton Albion.
Jean-Clair Todibo however is back from his own three-match ban, whilst Pablo (knock) and Lukasz Fabianski (back) remain sidelined.
Bournemouth could welcome Marcus Tavernier back after he missed their last four matches due to a hamstring injury.
Julio Soler (unspecified), Ben Doak (hamstring) and Justin Kluivert (knee) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
West Ham host Bournemouth at London Stadium on Saturday 21 February at 5:30pm GMT, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- West Ham are unbeaten in their last six league meetings against Bournemouth (W3, D6).
- Bournemouth have won one of their last seven league matches away at West Ham (W1, D3, L3).
- Enes Unal has scored in both of his two Bournemouth appearances against West Ham (D2).
- West Ham have lost one of their last five league matches (W3, D1, L1).
- Rayan has scored in both of Bournemouth’s last two matches (W1, D1).
Prediction
Having made mass changes for their FA Cup victory at Burton which led to a clunky lethargic performance which lacked any real quality, Nuno Espirito Santo is lucky that his experienced substitutes scraped them past the jaws of a cupset and hopefully this is better if the returning regulars settle quickly.
Bournemouth meanwhile certainly found themselves in a tight game at Everton where their better end product saw them snatch a deserved 2-1 comeback win, which would of given them confidence given their week-and-a-half gap before this game because they have a chance now to get back into the European hunt.
London Stadium though has been bit of a bogey trip for Andoni Iraola’s Cherries and with the Hammers’ improved form, a draw feels like a safe call given the improvements in both teams but I fancy the visitors to nick this given their extra fresh legs.
Prediction: West Ham 1-2 Bournemouth
Result: West Ham 0-0 Bournemouth
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