Man City next before a Hammers surge starts

By Brian Robinson

West Ham have a magnificent opportunity to surge up the Premier League table during December as they embark on a run of winnable fixtures.

It’s as well to remind ourselves the Hammers are currently in 13th place, four points above the relegation zone, after a draw at Huddersfield last time out.

Most will be writing  off anything from unbeaten Man City but we then head into a busy festive period preparing to lock horns with seven teams that look ripe for points.

In the space of just 30 days we take on Newcastle, Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Watford, Southampton and Burnley. Of those only Watford are in the top half of the table and the Hornets do not look particularly fearsome on paper.

Fulham are rock bottom and Cardiff are also in the relegation zone after suffering eight defeats in 12 games. Southampton and Palace are both level on points with Cardiff, where only goal difference is keeping them out of the drop zone.

The Saints have only won once all season, while the Eagles have already lost eight.. Newcastle and Burnley are also below West Ham in the table after both teams suffered shaky starts, with each side losing seven out of 12 so far.

A glance at the Sporting Index long-term lines suggests that the Hammers will finish 12th in the table, ahead of Palace, Southampton, Newcastle, Burnley, Fulham and Cardiff, but below Watford.

On paper, the Hammers look vastly superior to Watford, but football never quite works out like that. The Hornets are big, strong, disciplined, well organised and dangerous on the counterattack. That looks like West Ham’s hardest game in December, but they could send out a real statement of intent by taking all three points.

On 2 January, West Ham face Brighton, another team below them in the table, so they really have eight winnable games in a row before Arsenal show up on January 12.

It is unrealistic to expect them to take 24 points from that run, but they really should secure a strong haul. Pellegrini can take solace from their performance against Burnley on November 3, when Felipe Anderson inspired them to a 4-2 victory.

The Brazilian dazzled with his brilliance that afternoon, scoring twice, hitting the woodwork and generally leading Sean Dyche’s men a merry dance. He was on target once more against Huddersfield last time out, and he seems to have adapted nicely to the rigours of the Premier League.

Fans may fear that Jack Wilshere, signed on a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer, will turn out to be another sicknote, but he may well enjoy a decent run in the team when he returns from his latest setback. The Hammers, though, continue to struggle  in midfield although Declan’s emergence has been a real plus.

After the Man City game, we travel to St James’s Park, and that looks tricky as Newcastle have secured strong victories over high-flying Watford and Bournemouth in their last two games. A point there would be a decent result, but then West Ham really have to beat Cardiff at home.

Next up it’s  Palace, who have been abysmal this season, and they should win that one too. A trip to Fulham follows, where the Cottagers should be galvanised by the arrival of new manager Claudio Ranieri. However, they have the worst defensive record in the league this season and the likes of Arnautovic and Anderson can have field days if on their game.

Then it’s Watford before a south coast trip to Saints where Mark Hughes may well be out of a job by then if he cannot improve their fortunes.

Burnley away is never an easy place to visit ahead of Brighton arriving with the Hammers looking for revenge after that strange defeat on the south coast.

Come the Arsenal games things may look pretty good.