MY ACCOUNT
West Ham can move above upcoming opponents Bournemouth with a victory at the London Stadium in Monday night’s Premier League clash.
The latest round of action in the top flight is completed by the Cherries’ trip to the Hammers with just two points and one place separating the two sides.
Bournemouth are 13th and will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat under interim boss Gary O’Neil last time out when they lost 1-0 at home to Southampton, while West Ham are 14th and were also only narrowly beaten 1-0 by Liverpool in midweek.
Team news
David Moyes has said Lucas Paqueta’s shoulder injury is not as bad as first feared but he is unlikely to make a surprise return on Monday night.
However, Maxwel Cornet, who has been sidelined by a calf injury, and Craig Dawson (leg) could both be back in the squad.
Nayef Aguerd remains absent for the home side with an ankle injury.
Flynn Downes was handed his first Premier League start at Anfield last time out, but may have to settle for a place on the bench with Michail Antonio and Said Benrahma among those pushing to start.
O’Neil has reported no fresh injuries following the defeat to the Saints but David Brooks and Lloyd Kelly are still unavailable for the visitors.
Brooks remains out with a thigh problem and Kelly is still recovering from a troublesome ankle injury.
Jack Stephens should be back in the Cherries’ squad after being ineligible to face parent club Southampton.
The stats
The Hammers had picked up after a stuttering start to the season and recorded back-to-back home wins over Wolves and Fulham before a draw at Southampton and defeat at Liverpool recently.
O’Neil has impressed since taking charge of Bournemouth following Scott Parker’s sacking, overseeing an unbeaten six-game run, which included two wins and four draws, before the 1-0 reverse against the Saints.
The two clubs have met 15 times in total in all competitions, with the Hammers winning six times, Bournemouth have come out on top on four occasions while there have been five draws.
West Ham won 4-0 at home on New Year’s Day in 2020 the last time they faced each other, while the Cherries recorded a 2-1 victory on their previous visit before that to the London Stadium in August 2018.
Prediction
Moyes’ side pushed Liverpool hard last time out and, after missing a first-half penalty, were inches away from a draw when Tomas Soucek was denied by a combination of James Milner and goalkeeper Alisson late on.
However, there is no disguising the fact that after finishing sixth and seventh in the past two seasons, the Hammers will be disappointed they are currently 14th and seven points off the top six after the first 11 games of this campaign.
After losing their first two home games of the season and then drawing with Tottenham, West Ham have since dispatched Wolves and Fulham at home and they will be confident of making it three London Stadium league wins on the spin against the Cherries, who have only won once on the road so far this term.
A Hammers victory is 1/2 with LiveScore Bet but for more value Tie/West Ham in the HT/FT LiveScore Bet market appeals at 14/5.
