Burnley will host West Ham United at Turf Moor on Saturday, looking to end they are losing streak with a positive result at home.
West Ham United are ninth in the Premier League table, and they will be hoping to close in on the European qualification spots with a victory when they lock horns with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.
The Hammers ended they are losing streak with a victory against Nottingham Forest, and they will look to build on that performance with another win here. On paper, West Ham are definitely the better team here, and they will be expected to grind out all three points.
Meanwhile, Burnley are at the foot of the table and staring at the prospect of returning to the EFL Championship after just one season back in the Premier League. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
This Saturday, we travel north to Turf Moor ⚒️#WHUFC | @HubooFulfilment pic.twitter.com/4BunpO76Mm
— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 23, 2023
Team News and Tactics
Burnley
The home team will be without the services of Jack Cork, who is expected to return to action next month. Lyle Foster remains a long-term absentee after being given time off by Vincent Kompany and the club.
Burnley will start in their usual 4-4-2 formation, with James Trafford in goal. Vitinho and Charlie Taylor will be deployed as the full-backs. The duo will look to sit deep and nullify the West Ham threat from their wingers. Jordan Beyer will start alongside Dara O’Shea in the central defensive partnership.
Sander Berge and Josh Brownhill will start in the middle of the park, and the two players will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the side. Mike Tresor and Luca Koeleosho will be deployed as the wingers. They will look to help set up counter-attacking opportunities. Finally, Jay Rodriguez will lead the line for Burnley alongside Zeki Amdouni.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trafford; Vitinho, Beyer, O’Shea, Taylor; Tresor, Berge, Brownhill, Koleosho; Rodriguez, Amdouni
West Ham United
Michail Antonio is sidelined with an eye injury, and he is expected to return at the end of the year. Other than that West Ham have a fully-fit squad to choose from. The Hammers are likely to line up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alphonse Areola in goal.
Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri will start as the full-backs, and the two players will look to protect the central defence and help out in the attack. Kurt Zouma will start alongside Nayef Aguerd at the heart of the West Ham defence.
Tomas Soucek will partner Edson Alvarez in the midfield pivot. The two players will look to break up the opposition attacks and add defensive cover to the side. James Ward-Prowse will be deployed as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goals during opportunities in the final third with his vision and passing.
Finally, Mohammed Kudus is expected to lead the line for West Ham against Burnley at Turf Moor. Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta will start as the wide players, and they will look to add creativity and goals to the side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri; Alvarez, Soucek; Bowen, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Kudus
Key Stats
- Burnley have lost their last five matches in the Premier League.
- Burnley have conceded at least twice in their last five matches in the Premier League.
- 10 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- West Ham United have failed to win four of their last five Premier League matches.
- West Ham are unbeaten in their last four matches against Burnley.
Player to Watch
James Ward-Prowse
⏱️ Most Premier League minutes played since the beginning of the 2020/21 season:
🥇 James Ward-Prowse – 14,393
🥈 James Tarkowski – 14,266
🥉 Nick Pope – 13,882
🏅 Ederson – 13,782
🏅 Declan Rice – 13,773#WhoScoredAnswers https://t.co/CYPWcBhdmj pic.twitter.com/xJvI5KaClX— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 21, 2023
The 29-year-old has hit the ground running since his move to the London club and he has been a key player for West Ham. The Hammers will need him to step up in order to break down the Burnley defence here.
The home side are likely to sit deep and make it difficult for the opposition breakthrough and Ward-Prowse could unlock the deep defence with his passing ability and vision. The midfielder has two goals and five assists to his name in the Premier League this season and he is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
Burnley 1-2 West Ham United
The Hammers are undoubtedly the better team, and they should be able to come out on top eventually. The home team are on a losing streak, and they will be desperate to bounce back this weekend.
Burnley will look to make life difficult for the away side, but they are lacking in confidence and belief right now. The Clarets are likely to come up short once again. A narrow 2-1 away win is on the cards.
