In what could prove to be the final match of the manager on the losing side, West Ham United are set to welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to London Stadium on Monday night in their 15th Premier League match of 2024-25.
The Hammers are 14th with 15 points and lost 3-1 against Leicester City on December 3, while their opponents are second last in 19th place with nine points and were beaten 4-0 by Everton on December 4.
Match preview
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The hosts' defeat at the hands of Leicester was bizarre given West Ham forced goalkeeper Mads Hermansen to make numerous saves, including five first-half stops.
Manager Julen Lopetegui was perplexed by the loss, telling reporters in the aftermath of the match: "It's a frustrating night as we deserved much more. Playing football is not easy. We had 31 shots in the opposition's box, normally you have to win this match. We had many chances but did not score."
Lopetegui has come under significant pressure this season, with fans having expected the Spaniard to help the club take a step forward in regard to playing style, something that former boss David Moyes was frequently criticised for.
West Ham are on track to net 48 times and concede 73 goals in the top flight this season, and while these figures would be a slight improvement on the 74 goals they allowed last season, it would also mean the club would score 12 fewer than in 2023-24.
Lopetegui's side are in poor form considering they have lost three, drawn one and won just one of their past five fixtures, conceding 11 in that period.
The Hammers' recent record at home is not as concerning given they have triumphed in two, lost one and drawn one of their last four at London Stadium, though they were humiliated 5-2 by Arsenal on November 30.
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Meanwhile, Wolves come into the clash after a chastening 4-0 defeat against Everton, a match in which they produced just two shots from inside the penalty area while facing eight from inside their own box.
Craig Dawson will be particularly embarrassed by his showing given he inadvertently directed the ball past his own goalkeeper twice, but the defender can hardly be blamed for the fact his team as a whole have conceded 36 times in the league, the worst figure in the entire division.
Head coach Gary O'Neil was initially praised for keeping Wolves in the Premier League last term, but supporters of the club could be heard chanting "you're getting sacked in the morning" at Goodison Park.
O'Neil responded to the chants, saying: "That it is tough [to hear]. I am happy to go over there and look them right in the face and take any criticism they want to throw at me. I accept responsibility for my part in that and that will not change how I feel about them and what they have given me over the last 15 months."
Wolves had drawn two and achieved victory in two of their four matches between October 26 and November 30, but they have been beaten in their last two, conceding eight goals in that time.
The visitors' away form is alarming, with the club having lost nine, drawn four and won just one of their last 14 outings on the road.
Team News
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The hosts will certainly not be able to select forward Michail Antonio, who was involved in a car accident, but he is thankfully conscious and under supervision at a central London hospital.
West Ham have a largely healthy squad, but striker Danny Ings and centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo are doubts and will face late fitness tests.
Considering these potential absences, Niclas Fullkrug can be expected to lead the Hammers' attack, supported by Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek and Mohammed Kudus.
In defence, Max Kilman and Konstantinos Mavropanos are likely to be fielded as centre-backs in front of Lukasz Fabianski.
As for the visitors, defender Yerson Mosquera is set to miss out on action for a number of months after undergoing knee surgery in October, while defender Nelson Semedo is suspended as a result of accumulating too many yellow cards.
Matt Doherty, Toti Gomes, Craig Dawson and Rayan Ait-Nouri may be fielded in a back four.
Winger Enso Gonzalez Medina and striker Sasa Kalajdzic have also suffered serious knee injuries this term, and neither are expected back for some time.
Forward Pablo Sarabia faces a late fitness test, while midfielder Boubacar Traore could return around Christmas time, so perhaps Wolves will play Tommy Doyle, Mario Lemina and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde behind Sarabia, Matheus Cunha and Hee-Chan Hwang.
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Palmieri; Alvarez, Soler; Bowen, Soucek, Kudus; Fullkrug
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Bentley; Doherty, Gomes, Dawson, Ait-Nouri; Doyle, Lemina, Bellegarde; Sarabia, Cunha, Hwang
We say: West Ham United 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Lopetegui is under huge scrutiny and will be expected to win in front of a home crowd, but it would not be surprising if his team succumbed to the pressure of being favourites.
Additionally, Cunha has proven capable of carrying Wolves' attack almost single-handedly, and they will need him to be at his absolute best if they are to win on Monday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
