West Ham United will host Burnley at the London Stadium on Sunday, looking to boost their chances of European qualification.
West Ham United are currently seventh in the league table, with two wins in the last two league matches heading into the game against Burnley this weekend. They will be reasonably confident of grinding out a win at home this weekend.
Meanwhile, Burnley are 19th in the standings with five defeats in their last six league matches. It will be an uphill challenge for the Clarets when they travel to the London Stadium, and it remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset. 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
Maxwel Cornet is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and he will be sidelined for a few weeks. Other than that West Ham have a fully-fit squad. West Ham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alphonse Areola in goal.
Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri will line up as the full-backs, and they will look to help out in the attack and protect the central defenders as well. Kurt Zouma will start alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos in the central defensive unit.
In the midfield pivot, Tomas Soucek will start alongside Edson Alvarez. They will look to break up opposition attacks and provide defensive cover and physicality to the team. James Ward-Prowse will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates with his passing and vision.
Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta will be deployed in the wide areas. They will veer infield and provide creativity to the side. The duo are likely to drift in-field to link up with the striker as well. Finally, Jarrod Bowen will lead the line for West Ham against Burnley.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Bowen
Burnley
The visitors will be without Aaron Ramsey because of a knee injury, and he is unlikely to return anytime soon. Nathan Redmond misses out with a thigh injury, while Lyle Foster is ruled out for the season after his surgery on a chronic issue. Luca Koleosho has a long-term knee injury, while Jordan Beyer misses out with a thigh injury.
Burnley will shape up in a 4-4-2 formation, with James Trafford in goal. Lorenz Assignon and Charlie Taylor will start as the full-backs. The two players will look to keep things compact defensively and help out during counter-attacks. At the heart of the defence, Dara O’Shea will start alongside Maxime Esteve.
In the midfield, Sander Berge will likely start alongside Josh Brownhill. The two players will look to maintain defensive discipline in the middle of the park and break down opposition attacking moves.
Vitinho and Wilson Odobert will likely start as the wingers. They will look to hit West Ham on the break with their pace and flair. Finally, Zeki Amdouni will lead the line for Burnley alongside David Fofana.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trafford; Assignon, O’Shea, Esteve, Taylor; Vitinho, Berge, Brownhill, Odobert; Amdouni, Fofana
Key Stats
- Burnley have conceded at least two goals in their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Burnley have lost their last four matches in the Premier League.
- Burnley have failed to score in their last three match in the Premier League.
- 10 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- West Ham have lost four of their last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Jarrod Bowen
The 27-year-old has done quite well for West Ham this season, scoring 14 goals and picking up three assists in the league.
He scored a hattrick against Brentford recently and the England international will be full of confidence. He will look to punish a vulnerable Burnley defence here and he is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
West Ham United 3-1 Burnley
West Ham are undoubtedly the better team here and they should be able to pick up all three points. They have done quite well in their last two league games and they will be full of confidence setting into this game.
On the other hand, Burnley are completely devoid of confidence and momentum right now. They will be without some of their key players as well. West Ham should be able to pile further misery on the visitors here. A comfortable home win is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 victory for David Moyes and his charges.
