Bournemouth vs West Ham preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
West Ham will be looking to continue their excellent form under Nuno Espirito Santo with an away win against high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday.
West Ham’s 3-2 win over Burnley on 8 November leaves them in the relegation zone on goal difference alone, and there is now huge optimism that Nuno can guide them to safety.
West Ham are embroiled in a relegation battle, and a statement win against an in-form side away from home would be a huge step in the right direction.
Bournemouth are expected to beat West Ham at the Vitality Stadium, but Nuno’s side are coming into the fixture full of confidence, and it will be an incredibly close contest at the Vitality Stadium.
West Ham Zone brings you everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Preview
With West Ham’s 3-1 victory against Newcastle coming the week prior to the Burnley win, the international break came at a bad time for Nuno, who had started to gain momentum in E20 after a terrible start.
Matches against Liverpool, Man United and Man City are on the horizon, as the fixture list around the Christmas period is incredibly tough for Nuno’s side.
As for Bournemouth, they’ve lost back-to-back games away to Man City and Aston Villa, but they boast an impressive unbeaten record at home and sit ninth in the table.
The Cherries have been electric at times this season, and they’ll be desperate to bounce back to winning ways after a disappointing set of defeats.
Form guide
Bournemouth (last six games all comps): D W D W L L
West Ham (last six games all comps): D L L L W W
Head-to-head
Having played each other 22 times, West Ham have only lost four of those meetings.
The Hammers are on an eight-match unbeaten run against the Cherries, with their last loss coming in January 2019.
In last season’s clash at the Vitality, Enes Unal’s wonderful free-kick in stoppage time broke West Ham hearts, as Julen Lopetegui’s side had to settle for a point.
West Ham have a promising record against the Cherries, and they’ve been handed a huge boost in regards to Freddie Potts’ fitness.
Team news and predicted lineups
Potts should be available for the trip to the south coast despite coming off injured with a dead leg against Burnley.
Niclas Fullkrug, Lucas Paqueta (suspension), Konstantinos Mavropanos (thigh), and Oliver Scarles (shoulder) will all be unavailable for the trip down to the south coast.
Wilson should be expected to lead the lineup again after scoring his first goal at the London Stadium on 8 November, while Bowen will come into the side full of confidence after a brilliant display in England’s 2-0 win over Albania on Sunday.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka enjoyed an incredible international break with the DR Congo, and he should make up a defence that is unchanged.
As for the visitors, talisman Antoine Semenyo is a doubt after suffering an injury on international duty with Ghana, which could be a huge boost for the Hammers.
Adam Smith, Justin Kluivert, Unal, and Matai Akinmboni are all unavailable for Saturday’s match.
Bournemouth: Petrovic; Jimenez, Milosavljevic, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Adams; Brooks, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson
West Ham: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Diouf; Potts, Fernandes, Soucek; Bowen, Wilson, Summerville
Prediction: Bournemouth 2-1 West Ham
Semenyo’s involvement in the match will have a massive impact on the scoreline, with only Erling Haaland registering more goal contributions this season.
The emergence of Eli Kroupi has been fantastic to watch, and the 19-year-old may be a constant thorn in West Ham’s side.
West Ham are going into the game with as much confidence as they’ve had over the past year, and Bowen and Crysencio Summerville could cause huge problems out wide.
However, it’s hard to bet against the Cherries at home this season, and their perilous form at the Vitality will likely continue against West Ham.
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