West Ham vs Burnley
Date: 03/11/2018
K/O: 15.00
Venue: London Stadium
Referee: Roger East
West Ham welcome Burnley to the London Stadium this weekend in a tie which both teams will be desperate to win as they try to drag their way up the Premier League table.
It is fair to say that both sides have started the season poorly with West Ham playing in a way which led many to consider them a certainty for relegation. Despite a slight renaissance, the Hammers are winless in three with their last victory coming in the 3-1 demolishing of Manchester United.
As for Burnley, they are also without a win in their last three league games having conceded 10 goals in the process. It does have to be noted that their last two outings have seen a 5-0 loss to Manchester City followed by a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea – fixtures which no doubt have dented confidence in the Burnley camp.
The hosts find themselves two places higher in the table than Saturday’s visitors yet both clubs are level on points alongside Crystal Palace. A win could see either side climb as high as 13th whilst a loss combined with other results going against them could see either team drop perilously close to the relegation zone.
Team news
West Ham: Pellegrini has a lengthy injury list to deal with this weekend but his squad performed well at Leicester last time out which will give him confidence. Andriy Yarmolenko is out for the season after undergoing surgery on an achilles injury whilst Jack Wilshere has also had surgery for an ankle problem. These two are joined by Carlos Sanchez who will miss the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury.
Marko Arnoutivic missed the Hammers’ last league match through illness but came on as a substitute against Spurs in the League Cup in midweek. It was clear that he was missed at the King Power last week and his return will be a blessing on United’s attacking outfit. As for Andy Carroll, he is working back to full fitness but is not expected to make a return until later this month.
Manuel Pellegrini’s mood will have been lifted by the return of Arthur Masuaka and Pedro Obiang in recent games with both players being effective when called upon, Pellegrini will be looking at those experienced Premier League players to guide them through their recent tricky spell.
Burnley: Aaron Lennon will be back available for this game after recovering from illness with Ben Gibson remaining on the sidelines after suffering a hernia earlier in the season. Jack Cork is also a doubt for the trip to the capital after suffering an ankle knock.
Matej Vydra, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood will all be pushing for a spot in the starting XI as Burnley try to break their bad run of form.
Predicted Starting XIs:
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Zabaleta, Balbuena, Diop, Masuaku; Noble, Rice; Diangana, Snodgrass, Anderson; Arnautovic
Burnley (4-4-1-1): Hart; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Defour, Cork, Brady; Hendrick; Vokes
Score Prediction: West Ham 3 Burnley 1
Both teams will be desperate for a win here and I can’t see either sitting back on their laurels. With both teams looking to score goals both defences will most probably be left high and dry.
The London Stadium is slowly starting to feel more like home to West Ham with the victory against Manchester United being pivotal in this. If the West Ham fans get behind their team then I can see them emerging victorious from this game.
