West Ham United will host Bournemouth at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon, looking to boost their survival hopes.
West Ham United have picked up three wins and a draw from their last five Premier League matches ahead of the game vs Bournemouth this weekend. However, the Hammers are 18th in the league table, and they cannot afford to drop points here.
On the other hand, Bournemouth are in impressive form right now. The Cherries have picked up four wins and two draws from the last six Premier League matches. They will certainly fancy their chances against a relegation-threatened West Ham team. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top here.
Both teams are capable of getting a good result here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. When the two teams met in November, they cancelled each other out in a 2-2 draw. Another evenly matched contest is on the cards here. 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
Lukasz Fabianski will miss out due to a lower-back injury. Jean-Clair Todibo and Freddie Potts will miss out due to suspension. Pablo has a calf injury to deal with. However, Jean-Clair Todibo will return after serving a suspension.
West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Bournemouth, with Mads Hermansen in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will start alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Mateus Fernandes will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the double pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. Tomas Soucek will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goal-scoring chances for his teammates.
Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Finally, Taty Castellanos will spearhead the West Ham United attack vs Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Fernandes, Magassa; Bowen, Soucek, Summerville; Castellanos
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola will be without Justin Kluivert (knee), Ben Gannon-Doak (hamstring), Marcus Tavernier (thigh), and Julio Soler (knock) this weekend. Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs West Ham United, with Djordje Petrovic in goal.
Adam Smith and Adrien Truffert will start as the two full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit the Hammers on the counter. Bafode Diakite will start alongside Marcos Senesi at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alex Scott will start alongside Lewis Cook in the double pivot. They will look to protect the team defensively and keep things compact in the middle of the pitch.
Amine Adli will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Jimenez will start on the flanks, adding goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Evanilson will lead the line for Bournemouth vs West Ham United on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic, Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Cook, Scott; Jimenez, Adli, Kroupi; Evanilson
Key Stats
- West Ham are undefeated in their last nine matches vs Bournemouth in all competitions. The Hammers have scored at least two goals in their last three matches against Bournemouth in all competitions. Four of the last six matches between these two teams have ended in a draw.
- Bournemouth are undefeated in their last six matches in the Premier League.
- West Ham have earned ten points from their last five Premier League games (W3 D1 L1), as many as they had in their previous 15 (W2 D4 L9).
- West Ham United have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League this season (20), while Bournemouth rank third in this regard (18). Only in 2019/20 (26), 2010/11 (22), 2016/17 (22) and 2023/24 (21) have the Hammers dropped more in a single campaign.
- Crysencio Summerville has scored six goals in his last seven appearances in all competitions, as many as he had in his previous 56 games with West Ham United and Leeds United. Despite all his goals coming since the turn of the year, only Jarrod Bowen (8) has scored more goals for West Ham this season.
Player to Watch
Eli Junior Kroupi
The talented young Bournemouth attacker is in impressive form, and he has done quite well in the Premier League. He will look to make his mark in this game as well. West Ham can be quite vulnerable defensively, and he could cause all sorts of problems with his movement, flair, and link-up.
Eli Junior Kroupi will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. West Ham United will need to keep him quiet if they want to get a good result here.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-1 Bournemouth
Both teams will be desperate for all three points here, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Cherries will be aiming for a top-half finish this season, and they need to win these games. On the other hand, West Ham can afford to drop points if they want to survive in the Premier League.
This will be a challenging game for them, and the home fans will demand a strong performance. It will be difficult to separate the two teams, and they could end up cancelling each other out once again. A draw seems quite likely.
