West Ham United host Fulham on Sunday in a crucial Premier League clash. The Hammers are under pressure to deliver a win and maintain their position in the top seven.
The Irons recent struggles, including a 2-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League, have cast a shadow over their season. Manager David Moyes must surely prioritise the Premier League with a focus on domestic success.
Despite their recent disappointing form, West Ham secured a vital ,if somewhat lucky, 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. They need to build on that momentum and find a winning formula against Fulham.
With their Europa League hopes diminishing, West Ham needs to shift their focus to the Premier League. They are just two points behind sixth place but face pressure from other teams with games in hand.
Fulham travels to the London Stadium with a dismal away record, having conceded three goals in their last two away games. This presents an opportunity for West Ham to put Thursday’s disappointment to bed.
However, despite their recent struggles, Fulham is not out of the European race. A win against West Ham could significantly narrow the gap to the top seven. However, their poor record against the Hammers, with five consecutive defeats stretching back to 2010, doesn’t inspire confidence.
With Edson Alvarez available again after serving a European suspension, Moyes could revert back to a defensive four.Michail Antonio is expected to remain down the centre of the attack in place of Jarrod Bowen, who Moyes does not expect to return for this contest due to a rib injury.While Ben Johnson, Nayef Aguerd and Max Cornet are all options if Moyes wishes to introduce fresh legs.
We need to look at options for left back for Thursday when Emerson will be suspended – I would play Ben Johnson at left back today and play Emerson further forward – he did very well there against Wolves