Chris Sutton worries for West Ham United in Wolves result prediction for BBC Sport
Chris Sutton has predicted yet more misery for West Ham with defeat in their Premier League trip to face Wolves this weekend.
The Hammers are above their opponents by a point going into the game but Wolves have taken four points from their last three matches in the top flight since Julen Lopetegui was appointed, and Sutton likes what he sees with the Spaniard in charge, so he has gone for a 2-0 home win.
In contrast, the Hammers are without a win in the league for six games and the slump now sees them outside the relegation zone only on goal-difference and major questions being asked about David Moyes’ job.
In his BBC Sport predictions column Sutton said: “Wolves continue to impress me under new boss Julen Lopetegui. There has been a visible improvement right through their team, but especially up front. They look like they will score in every game now.
“In contrast, West Ham’s attack still hasn’t clicked and they are still far from solid at the back either.
“I keep thinking the Hammers will turn the corner but their relegation battle is real now – they need someone to start playing well to dig themselves out of the hole they have found themselves in.”
Six-pointer
With the other two sides in the bottom four, Everton and Southampton facing each other on Saturday as well (14 January) there is every chance that a loss at Molineux will see West Ham finish the weekend in 19th.
There is no way of seeing that as anything other than a total disaster in the context of where this side were supposed to be challenging this year.
Even now it feels like there is no rational way that last-year’s Europa League semi-finalists can spend close to £200million in the summer and then be relegated.
But the Irons are only heading in one direction at the moment, and based on how the transfers have somehow had a negative effect it is tough to be especially confident that reinforcements in January are the answer.
Considering where the club where before Moyes returned it appears reactionary to question his position, but if he ends up leading West Ham back to where he found them then there is little other option.
Wolves look to be improving under Lopetegui but they have still been similarly awful this year so there is really no reason why this group of players can’t get a win against them, but that has been the case for plenty of games this season and they have still failed to do so.