West Ham will look to end a four-game winless run when they host Bournemouth in the Premier League. Two weekends ago, following the Cherries’ FA Cup annihilation of Swansea City, the Hammers were forced to settle for a point in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United.
Preview (West Ham United vs. Bournemouth)
West Ham looked to make amends at Bramall Lane after a disappointing FA Cup defeat at the hands of Championship team Bristol City, where they were searching for their first win of 2024 at the fifth attempt. However, a tale of two second-half penalties would not have a happy ending for the Irons. Following goals from Maxwel Cornet and Ben Brereton Diaz for the Blades in the first half, James Ward-Prowse used his dead-ball prowess to smash home what appeared to be the game-winning spot kick. However, 13 minutes into stoppage time in the second half, Oli McBurnie also converted from 12 yards.
In addition, Moyes’s team has maintained a clean sheet in each of the Hammers’ last three Premier League home games. However, not since the 2009–10 campaign, under Giovanni Zola, have they achieved four straight home shutouts in the top level. West Ham has allowed just four goals in their last 540 minutes of Premier League home games. In just ninety minutes, Bournemouth equalized that total when a Liverpool team captained by Darwin Nunez and including Diogo Jota visited the Vitality Stadium on January 21.
The Reds’ 4-0 thrashing at home ended Andoni Iraola’s team’s run of consecutive Premier League losses. The Cherries finished 2023 with a comprehensive 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Fulham’s draw with Everton kept them in 13th place in the standings. The Cottagers are only ahead on goal difference after two more games. Except for those highly anticipated defeats to the Lilywhites and Liverpool, a revitalized Bournemouth will look back on the winter break with unrestrained optimism. They won their eighth game in a row in all competitions last Thursday when Swansea City traveled to the South Coast for their FA Cup match.
Team News
Vladimir Coufal will miss Thursday’s match due to suspension following his injury-time dismissal for two bookable offenses against Sheffield United, while Said Benrahama is currently serving his ban following his red card in the FA Cup loss to Bristol City. Although Mohammed Kudus’s Ghana experienced a heartbreaking group-stage loss, Morocco’s Nayef Aguerd is still attending the Africa Cup of Nations. As a result, the lively attacker should be back in the running for the Cherries’ visit.
Edson Alvarez’s calf injury is still a doubt, therefore Kalvin Phillips, a Manchester City loanee, might make his Hammers debut right away. However, Lucas Paqueta (calf) and Michael Antonio (knee) are still in the hospital. Regarding Bournemouth, their FA Cup triumph over Swansea was somewhat tarnished by a seemingly serious injury to defender James Hill. Iraola surmised that Hill had suffered a “high ankle sprain” and the defender was substituted in the 57th minute.
In addition to Max Aarons’s “some time” out due to a thigh issue, Hill’s absence further exacerbates Bournemouth’s full-back problems. It is unclear if Adam Smith will be able to recover from a knock in time to assume Hill’s spot. Ryan Fredericks, the former right-back for West Ham, is also still recovering from a chronic calf ailment. Although Darren Randolph (illness) and Tyler Adams (thigh) will also not be playing at the London Stadium, and Dango Ouattara’s Burkina Faso lost to Mali in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations semifinal, the winger’s return is more likely to occur this weekend against Nottingham Forest.
West Ham United 3-1 Bournemouth
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