Sky Sports expert predicts result of West Ham clash v Wolves
West Ham must return to winning ways to keep their top-four hopes alive but it won’t be easy against Bruno Lage’s Wolves.
The Hammers face one of the top-four contenders on Sunday (27 February) in the Premier League at the London Stadium, and Sky Sports expert Lewis Jones has predicted a 2-0 defeat for the home side.
Wolves are heading into this game on the back of a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal, but they have been very impressive in their recent games, managing five wins out of their last seven in the league.
The Hammers, on the other hand, are struggling for form while their recent performances are nowhere near to the standards they had set for themselves.
Jones wrote for Sky Sports: “My view that West Ham are a team to oppose in the coming weeks was only strengthened by their lacklustre attacking showing in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle.
“Yet again, I thought the Hammers lacked imagination and were second best for large periods in that draw. A similar story could be said in their previous four fixtures against Watford, Leicester, Kidderminster and Manchester United.
“The last team West Ham need right now is Wolves, who have conceded just 20 goals in 25 Premier League games this season – only Chelsea (18) and Man City (17) have shipped fewer.
“Bruno Lage’s team were also comfortable 2-0 winners when the teams met in the corresponding fixture earlier this season. Despite all this, West Ham are favourites. That makes little sense to me and Wolves should be backed with confidence with the 5/1 on them to win to nil with Sky Bet standing out.”
Spot on
Jones is absolutely spot on with his assessment.
The Hammers are struggling badly to find the net. Michail Antonio is going through a barren goal-scoring form, while the club is over-reliant on Jarrod Bowen to deliver.
The Hammers have scored seven goals in their last five games, registering only a total of 13 shots on target. Clearly, it shows where the problems lie; in contrast, Liverpool managed 15 shots on target against Leeds in the midweek.
Wolves are very solid at the back and it will require something special from the Hammers to break their defence. The best thing one can hope for is that they have got a solid one-week rest, and Moyes must have come up with positive plans to tactically out-wit their opponent.
The Hammers must start the game strongly. In their past few games, they have been very sluggish and allowed their opponent to take control. If that happens on Sunday, it will be really difficult for the Hammers to get a positive result.
In other West Ham news, this senior player has picked up yet another injury ahead of tomorrow’s clash.
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