West Ham United will be keen to close the gap to the top four when they welcome Bournemouth on Thursday.
West Ham United are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games and will welcome a Bournemouth side who are looking to shake off back-to-back losses in the league.
David Moyes’s side were dumped out of both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by Liverpool and Bristol City, respectively. However, they recovered well from the 5-0 loss to Fulham, beating Manchester United and Arsenal. While they remain unbeaten in the Premier League this year, the last two games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United have both ended in draws.
The recent stalemate against Sheffield was particularly jarring. James Ward-Prowse appeared to have secured the Hammers all three points only for the Blades to draw the tie from the spot in the 13th minute of added time. The ill-tempered clash also saw both teams secure red cards, adding to Moyes’s frustrations.
A run of six wins and a draw from November to December 2023 saw the Cherries rise up the standings. However, consecutive humblings by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have brought them back to earth. They will hope to avoid another setback and get their campaign back on track at the London Stadium this Thursday.
Bournemouth might have put some distance between themselves and the relegation spots for now. But unless they return to winning ways, there is always the danger of them being sucked right back into it. Andoni Iraola is doing a good job at the Vitality Stadium, and he will be keen to ensure that his work with the club does not fall away.
Both teams drew 1-1 at the Vitality Stadium in their opening game of the season. Dominic Solanke and Jarrod Bowen both found the back of the net that night and will once again be involved on the field on Thursday. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
The Hammers will be without star defender Nayef Aguerd, who will not return in time from the Africa Cup of Nations after Morocco’s ouster on Tuesday. However, Mohammed Kudus is back available and should start on the night.
David Moyes will also be without Vladimir Coufal, who received his marching orders against Sheffield United last time around. Lucas Paqueta and Michail Antonio are out injured, while Edson Alvarez is a doubt for the game. It would be an understatement to claim that Moyes will be without several of his game-changers for the game.
The Hammers are expected to form up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alphonse Areola in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Ben Johnson, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Kurt Zouma, and Emerson Palmieri.
Tomas Soucek will start in the double pivot, with Kalvin Phillips expected to make his West Ham debut following his loan move from Manchester City. The duo will aim to provide a base for the trio of Mohammed Kudus, James Ward-Prowse, and Maxwel Cornet to push forward. Jarrod Bowen, meanwhile, is an automatic choice to start front and lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Johnson, Mavropanos, Zouma, Emerson; Phillips, Soucek; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Cornet; Bowen
AFC Bournemouth
The visitor have their own share of absentees for the game. Tyler Adams and Darren Randolph both miss out, while Dango Ouatarra is unlikely to return in time from the Africa Cup of Nations despite Burkina Faso’s exit.
Other stars unavailable for the trip to East London include James Hill, Max Aarons, and Ryan Fredericks. Adam Smith is a doubt, while David Brooks has left on loan to Southampton.
Iraola is expected to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Neto in goal. Lloyd Kelly, Illia Zabarnyi, Marcos Senesi and Milos Kerkez will form the backline. Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie should form the double pivot in the middle of the park.
Marcus Tavernier and Luis Sinisterra will provide the width, with Alex Scott donning the number 10’s role. Finally, Dominic Solanke is an automatic starter at the head of the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neto; Kelly, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Tavernier, Scott, Sinisterra; Solanke
Key Stats
- West Ham United have won three of their last four league games against Bournemouth in a row. They previously were winless in the six games against the Cherries. Bournemouth have not tasted defeat in any of their three Premier League trips to West Ham where they scored.
- Avoiding defeat on the night will see West Ham United extend their unbeaten streak in the league to six games, their longest such run since 2021.
- West Ham United could potentially face their third consecutive draw in the Premier League tonight, a streak not seen since 2017.
- Bournemouth will be keen to avoid a third consecutive loss in the Premier League.
- A clean sheet on the night will see West Ham United go four straight league games with a shutout for the first time since 2009/10.
Player to Watch
Dominic Solanke
The Englishman is enjoying a prolific season and is a key reason for Bournemouth’s surge up the table towards the end of 2023. He has netted 12 times for the Cherries in the league, a tally bettered by only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland – the top flight’s goalscoring elite.
With Nayef Aguerd absent, Solanke will hope to make use of his pace and ability to get behind the defence to cause West Ham problems. Solid in the air as well, he will also prove to be a troublesome opponent for the Hammers on set-pieces. How well the 26-year-old performs will more or less dictate Bournemouth’s chances of coming away with a first-ever away win at West Ham in the Premier League.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-1 AFC Bournemouth
Both teams have several key players unavailable. But there should be no shortage of entertainment, with three points a must for Bournemouth and West Ham United. A win will take the Hammers closer to the top four’s promised land, while Bournemouth will take a step closer to a top-half finish. The game is likely to be hard fought but a 1-1 draw for the second time this season appears to be the most likely result.
