Tag: West Ham

Barclays Premier League: Matchday 9 Previews & Predictions

Barclays Premier League: Matchday 9 Previews & Predictions

Another exciting weekend of Premier League action is upon us.

Some intriguing encounters to fasten our eyes on especially the north-west rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool on Sunday afternoon as Jurgen Klopp’s men look to continue their impressive start to the season at Old Trafford, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men – off the back of an impressive comeback in midweek in their UEFA Champions League group tie against Atalanta – look to return to winning ways after picking up just 1 point from their last 3 league games.

Arsenal entertain Aston Villa at the Emirate, the weekend’s first Premier League fixture taking place Friday evening, a tie which could well provide some twist and turns.

Managerless Newcastle United kick-off their post-Steve Bruce era under their new Saudi owners away to Crystal Palace in South London, while Brighton & Hove Albion who currently sit in fourth place in the league table host title-hopefuls Manchester City at the Amex stadium on Saturday tea-time. There’s also an exciting London derby to look forward to as Tottenham Hotspur travel to London Stadium to play David Moyes’ steadily progressing West Ham side.

So, without further ado, lets dive into the action with some previews and predictions:

Arsenal vs Aston Villa, Friday 8:00PM

Arsenal will aim to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to six matches when they welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates Stadium on Friday night.

The Gunners left it late to rescue a point against Crystal Palace on Monday night, while Villa were stunned by a thrilling late Wolverhampton Wanderers comeback in the West Midlands derby at Villa Park.

Patrick Vieira’s return to North London was so nearly a joyous and successful occasion for the former Arsenal captain on Monday, as his Crystal Palace side impressively dominated proceedings at the Emirates and struck through Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener.

However, Alexandre Lacazette spared Arsenal’s blushes in injury-time, putting an inspiring cameo leading Arsenal’s charge to rescue point in front of their own fans.

While the Gunners have now gone unbeaten in five Premier League games and six across all competitions, the same old questions were asked once again following Monday’s stalemate, which has left Arteta’s side 12th in the rankings after eight matches.

Despite Arsenal’s late efforts, questions are still being asked as to whether Arteta is able to lead this talented group of players forward, and their performance against Palace did not silence any of those doubters. Arsenal have lost just one of their last six Premier League games at the Emirates, though – taking seven points from the last nine on offer at home – but they have suffered back-to-back defeats in their two most recent Friday fixtures without scoring a single goal.

They come up against another tough side in Dean Smith’s Villa who will be looking to right their wrongs after they fell victim to a late Wolves surge, allowing their rivals to come back from two goals down to 3-2 in front of the Villa faithful.

The joy of thrashing Everton and getting one over Manchester United at Old Trafford has since dissipated for Villa, who find themselves one point and one place below Arsenal in the table ahead of Friday’s encounter after winning just two of their last six in the competition.

Smith’s side have also lost three of their four top-flight away matches since the season kicked off and are yet to produce the results that their significant summer of spending may well have promised, but Arsenal fans will need no reminding what happened the last time that Villa paid a visit to the Emirates.

An Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish-inspired Villa stormed to a superb 3-0 win in the capital back in November 2020, while a 1-0 triumph at Villa Park in February also represented their third win and clean sheet on the bounce against Arsenal after a previous run of seven consecutive defeats.

MATCH FACT: Aston Villa have won three successive Premier League games against Arsenal, as many as they had in their previous 36 attempts. It’s 59 years since Villa last earned four straight league victories in this fixture.

KEY MEN: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) & John McGinn (Aston Villa)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Arsenal: Ramsdale (GK); Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Smith Rowe; Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang

Aston Villa: Martinez (GK); Konsa, Mings, Hause; Cash, Luiz, Buendia, McGinn, Targett; Watkins, Ings

SCORE PREDICTION: Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa

Chelsea vs Norwich City, Saturday 12:30PM

Top meets bottom in Saturday’s Premier League battle at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea and Norwich City prepare to lock horns on the English capital.

The Blues marched to a hard-thought 1-0 win over Brentford in gameweek eight, while Norwich claimed their second point of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion. Daniel Farke’s men are yet to taste victory in their eight games so far this campaign.

Thomas Tuchel and his Chelsea team went through the most testing of games this season when they travelled to the Brentford Community Stadium to face off against Thomas Frank’s impressive English top-flight newcomers.

It was Ben Chilwell’s sweet strike which may have won the game, but they had goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to thank as he put in one of the most impressive goalkeeping performances in recent Premier League memory, keeping yet another clean sheet for his team. Tuchel’s men have only conceded three goals this term so far, the joint best in the division.

The Blues followed that up with a dominant Champions League performance versus Malmo, as Jorginho netted two penalties alongside goals from Kai Havertz and Andreas Christensen in a 4-0 win. Though, Chelsea come into this fixture with worrying injuries picked up by both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner.

While Chelsea do not sit atop the pile in their Champions League group, they do lead the way in the Premier League with 19 points taken from a possible 24 and also in the knowledge that at least one of Manchester United or Liverpool will drop points on Sunday.

Sixteen goals scored – at an average of two per game – is not the most prolific record in the top flight, but a mere three conceded at the other end of the pitch typifies the new-found defensive resilience under Tuchel, whose side have also amassed nine goals at home in the league so far this term.

While Norwich’s wait for an elusive first win of the new Premier League season continues, the Canaries have posted two respectable results in recent weeks, playing out back-to-back goalless draws with Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion

Last weekend’s stalemate with the Seagulls certainly caught the eye given Brighton’s stellar start to the new season, but even though back-to-back clean sheets can certainly be seen as a positive, that has done little to help their standing in the table.

If they are to better their positioning from their previous Premier League season, then they need to start picking up wins and quickly.

Indeed, two points taken from a possible 24 represents the worst tally so far as Norwich remain rooted to the bottom of the table – four points adrift of safety – while they have also chalked up a mere two goals during their dreadful start to life back in the big time.

The Canaries have now gone four league games without a goal since Teemu Pukki’s effort against Watford, and they are yet to find the back of the net away from home this term, while their last top-flight win on the road came all the way back in November 2019.

 It has been 27 years since the Blues lost to the Canaries in any competition – a streak which is highly unlikely to end here.

MATCH FACT: Chelsea have won 10 of their last 12 Premier League games against Norwich (drawn two), last losing against the Canaries in the competition back in December 1994 (3-0).

KEY MEN: Kai Havertz (Chelsea) & Teemu Pukki (Norwich)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Chelsea: Mendy (GK); Chalobah, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Chilwell; Ziyech, Mount; Havertz

Norwich City: Krul (GK); Hanley, Kabak, Gibson; Aarons, Lees-Melou, McLean, Normann, Giannoulis; Pukki, Sargent

SCORE PREDICTION: Chelsea 3-0 Norwich

Crystal Palace vs Newcastle United, 3:00PM

Newcastle United will endeavour to begin the post-Steve Bruce era in perfect fashion when they travel to Crystal Palace for Saturday’s Premier League clash.

The Magpies’ first clash under new ownership ended in a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, while Patrick Vieira’s Eagles were forced to settle for a point against Arsenal.

Despite being dominated for the opening 15 minutes against Arsenal and falling behind to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener, Crystal Palace seemed destined to march to a deserved win at the Emirates as Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard turned the tie on its head.

Vieira’s men played some superb stuff for much of the game but couldn’t build on their lead, but instead forced back by Arsenal’s late onslaught for an equaliser. It was the same story in the draw against rivals Brighton at Selhurst Park, and one in which Vieira will be enforcing his team must cut out if they are are to fulfil their potential under his tutelage.

The Eagles have now drawn their last three in the Premier League and occupy 14th spot in the table as a result, but if they can continue to produce performances anywhere near as impressive as they did at the Emirates, the Selhurst Park faithful have a bright future to look forward to under Vieira.

However, one win from eight Premier League games in the 2021-22 season is a slightly worrying statistic – with five of those encounters ending with the spoils shared – and they have now conceded eight goals in their last four top-flight matches.

On a more positive note, the return of fans to Selhurst Park has certainly benefitted the Eagles, who are one of three English top-flight teams yet to lose a league game at home this season – taking six points from a possible 12 on home soil so far.

As for Newcastle, Steve Bruce was widely expected to depart St James’ Park before being granted the honour of taking charge of his 1,000th match, but the 60-year-old remained at the helm to witness his side fall to a dampening 3-2 defeat against Spurs on what should have been a joyous occasion in the North East.

However, amid reports of player bust-ups and those in the squad growing increasingly frustrated with Bruce’s tactics, the three-time Premier League winner was relieved of his duties earlier this week as Newcastle’s new owners begin their radical overhaul.

Paulo Fonseca is rumoured to be the Magpies’ leading candidate to take the reins, but Graeme Jones will oversee the trip to Selhurst Park as Newcastle desperately aim to secure their first win of the 2021-22 league season at the ninth attempt.

Only Norwich City have accrued fewer points than 19th-placed Newcastle’s three so far, while 19 goals shipped also represents the worst defensive record in the top flight, and the Magpies are unsurprisingly still seeking their first clean sheet of the season.

Newcastle did manage to secure a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in this fixture last term – just their second win from six against the Eagles – but Palace prevailed 2-1 at St James’ Park in the most recent fixture back in February.

MATCH FACT: Crystal Palace can go unbeaten in their first five home matches of a PL season for the first time.

KEY MEN: Odsonne Edouard (Palace) & Callum Wilson (Newcastle)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Crystal Palace: Guaita (GK); Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Gallagher, Milivojevic, McArthur; Edouard, Benteke, Zaha

Newcastle United: Darlow (GK); Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie; Saint-Maximin, Willock, Hayden, Almiron, Joelinton; Wilson

SCORE PREDICTION: Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle United

Everton vs Watford, 3:00PM

Watford will aim to avoid a second consecutive thrashing at the hands of a Merseyside outfit when they do battle with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon.

Claudio Ranieri’s side went down 5-0 to Liverpool last weekend, while the Toffees suffered a dampening defeat of their own to West Ham United on home soil.

As injuries begin to take their toll on Everton, Rafael Benitez’s strong start to life back on Merseyside has taken quite the hit in recent weeks, with West Ham coming up trumps by a 1-0 scoreline in last weekend’s clash between the two European hopefuls.

With Abdoulaye Doucoure out for a period of time and Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffering a setback in his recovery from injury, Benitez will have to continue to do without key performers for yet another weekend.

Everton slipped to just their second defeat of the league season, but it is now just one win in four for Benitez’s side in the top flight.

That underwhelming run of form has seen Everton’s European aspirations take quite the early hit, as they now sit eighth in the table but are one of three teams level on 14 points with West Ham and an under-performing Manchester United side.

Defeat to West Ham prevented Everton from claiming a fifth Premier League win on the bounce on home soil, while last season’s torrid fortunes at home means it is now eight league defeats at Goodison Park in 2021, leaving the Toffees at risk of recording their worst-ever Premier League record at home in a calendar year.

Five of Everton’s last eight home meetings with newly-promoted sides in the top-flight have ended in defeat – another worrying statistic for the club – but Watford  will still be reliving their previous humiliation at the hands of the other half of the Merseyside duo.

From Mohamed Salah’s peach of an assist and world-class finish to Roberto Firmino’s hat-trick, there was no shortage of joy for Liverpool at Vicarage Road, but it was truly a baptism of fire for Claudio Ranieri upon his return to the Premier League.

Watford’s worrying haul of one point from their last three Premier League games has seen them drop to 16th in the table after eight matches, and the sense of pessimism around Vicarage Road is certainly growing.

Victory at Carrow Road represents the only positive aspect of Watford’s top-flight away journeys so far this term – losing their other three on the road without scoring a single goal – and not since December 2018 have the Hornets claimed an away win against a top-half side.

Watford have suffered three consecutive defeats in their last three clashes with Everton in all competitions, and the Toffees have never lost a Premier League fixture at Goodison Park to their upcoming visitors – posting six wins and two draws from eight games in that hot streak.

MATCH FACT: Everton have never lost a home game to Watford in any competition (13 wins, two draws) – it’s the most they’ve ever faced a side at home without defeat in their history.

KEY MEN: Demarai Gray (Everton) & Ismaila Sarr (Watford)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Everton: Pickford (GK); Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne; Townsend, Allan, Davies, Gordon; Gray, Rondon

Watford: Foster (GK); Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Rose; Kucka, Sissoko; Sarr, Cleverley, Dennis; Hernandez

SCORE PREDICTION: Everton 2-0 Watford

Leeds United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3:00PM

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to back up their memorable comeback victory over Aston Villa last time out when they travel to face Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday.

The visitors trailed by two goals heading into the final 10 minutes last weekend but somehow recovered to take all three points, and they may just consider themselves favourites against a Leeds side showing very worrying signs of second season syndrome.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are probably the best recent example of a promoted team successfully backing up an impressive first season in the top flight, and that is something Leeds are eager to emulate this season.

The style and flair with which Leeds played last season meant that not many tipped them to struggle this year, but the early signs in 2021-22 have been ominous for Marcelo Bielsa’s men. The Whites’ energy and enthusiasm on the pitch remains the same, but without the wins on the board to back it up.

Leeds have only won one of their opening eight games of the campaign, scoring seven goals and picking up just six points in that time – a tally which leaves them hovering one place above the relegation zone heading into matchweek nine. It is their worst start to a league season in 33 years, while seven goals in eight games is a sharp decline from the 12 they plundered in the final four games of last season.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men are certainly undergoing a difficult patch and even their goals have dried up too. They have have only managed to score more than once in a game on two occasions from their 10 matches across all competitions so far in 2021-22, and both of those games came in August.

It’s not just at the attacking end where Leeds have struggled so far; only the bottom two – Newcastle United and Norwich City – have conceded more than the 15 the Whites have conceded, while they have faced more shots on target than any other Premier League side in 2021-22.

This will indeed be pleasing reading for Bruno Lage’s rejuvenated Wolves side who are beginning to find their feet in front of goal once again, scoring six times in their last three league games having managed only two in their opening five – one of which was an own goal.

Wolves looked down and out when Aston Villa went 2-0 up last weekend, but they discovered a new found belief and firepower as they came back to win 3-2 within just 15 minutes. It was certainly all the more sweet against their Midlands rivals.

Bruno Lage’s side have overcome a slow start to win four of their last five Premier League games, and another victory this weekend would see them pick up maximum points in four consecutive top-flight outings for the first time since January 1972.

Fifteen points after nearly a quarter of the season would make for a good start to life at Molineux for Lage, whose side are also looking to win four Premier League away games on the bounce.

Only Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham United have picked up more points on their travels than Wolves so far this season, whereas Leeds have only managed four points and four goals from their four outings at Elland Road.

Wolves also have an impressive record in this particular fixture, winning their last three league trips to Elland Road without conceding a goal, and beating Leeds five times in a row home and away.

MATCH FACT: Leeds have lost each of their past five league games against Wolves, scoring just one goal in the process. They have only had six longer such losing runs against an opponent, most recently against Derby County between 2006 and 2013 (nine in a row).

KEY MEN: Raul Jimenez (Wolves) & Raphinha (Leeds United)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Leeds United: Meslier (GK); Llorente, Struijk, Cooper; Klich, Shackleton, Dallas; Raphinha, Roberts, Harrison; Rodrigo

Wolves: Sa (GK); Kilman, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Neves, Moutinho, Marcal; Traore, Jimenez, Hwang

SCORE PREDICTION: Leeds United 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Southampton vs Burnley, 3:00PM

Two teams with just one win between them go head to head at St Mary’s on Saturday as Southampton entertain Burnley.

The hosts picked up their first victory of the campaign at the expense of Leeds United last weekend, whereas Burnley only have three draws to show from their opening eight games.

Southampton’s triumph over Leeds last Saturday would have been a significant weight off the shoulders of Ralph Hasenhuttl, but they know they will need to follow that up this weekend against strugglers Burnley.

It has not been an easy start to the season for the Saints, with six of their eight games so far coming against teams that finished in the top half in 2020-21, and a home tie against an out-of-form Burnley side represents their easiest test on paper yet.

The win over Leeds also made it two clean sheets in their last three league outings at home – having not managed to keep any in their previous 11, and their defensive record is now the best of any team in the bottom half.

It is at the other end where they have struggled most, though, scoring just six goals all season – only Burnley and Norwich City have found the back of the net on fewer occasions.

Sean Dyche will be looking to get off the mark this weekend, at Southampton’s expense with their primary objective once again will be to remain in the division. However, like Southampton, they too have had a difficult run of fixtures.

Six of their eight outings have come against teams that finished in the top half last term, including away games against both Liverpool and Manchester City already – a factor which has contributed to their joint league-low tally of just one away point so far.

A 2-0 defeat to the champions last time out was by no means disgraceful – and comfortably a better scoreline than they have suffered in that fixture during recent years – but it does leave them in the relegation zone with only three points to their name so far. They did have their opportunities against Guardiola’s men, but couldn’t locate their clinical edge.

Draws against Leeds and Leicester City were respectable, but a stalemate at home to relegation favourites Norwich, who incidentally are the only team to have scored fewer than Burnley in the league this season, will be seen as two points dropped.

Sean Dyche’s side are now on the longest current winless run in the top four tiers of English football, stretching back 11 games, although there are signs that a first triumph could be just around the corner.

All five of Burnley’s goals this season have given them the lead in matches, but they have thrown that lead away on each occasion, dropping 10 points from winning positions already this term – a joint-high in the league alongside Newcastle United.

MATCH FACT: Burnley have won two of their last four league visits to St Mary’s, as many as in their previous 25.

KEY MEN: Nathan Redmond (Saints) & Dwight McNeil (Burnley)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Southampton: McCarthy (GK); Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Perraud; Elyounoussi, Romeu, Diallo, S Armstrong; Redmond, Broja

Burnley: Pope (GK); Lowton, Mee, Tarkowski, Taylor; Cornet, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Barnes, Wood

SCORE PREDICTION: Southampton 1-1 Burnley

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City, 3:00PM

Third meets fourth in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, as Brighton & Hove Albion play host to Manchester City on the South Coast.

The Seagulls were held to a goalless stalemate by basement side Norwich City last time out, while the champions coasted to a comprehensive 2-0 triumph over Burnley at the Etihad.

While it may be too premature to determine whether Brighton’s fast start to the season is slowly petering out, the Seagulls’ dominance has turned to draws in recent weeks, the latest of which came against bottom-of-the-table Norwich City.

Despite bossing the ball with 65% possession and firing seven shots on target, there was no way through for Graham Potter’s men at Carrow Road, with that result representing their third one-pointer in a row following previous stalemates with Crystal Palace and Arsenal.

However, with 11 points from the last 15 on offer under their belts during a five-game unbeaten league run, the high-flying Seagulls remain in the top four of the rankings, although they are now only above Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.

It has been a fine start to the campaign from Potter’s men, and a pleasing sign of their progression under the highly-rated former Swansea boss.

Brighton may have only chalked up eight goals at the correct end of the pitch so far – the fewest out of any side in the top half – but only Chelsea and City have shipped fewer than their five at the other end, as Potter’s well-coached side finally produce the results that their performances have so often warranted.

The Seagulls have also suffered just one defeat in their last nine Premier League battles on home soil, but with a league-high 22 yellow cards already this term, indiscipline could prove fatal against the rampant champions.

Continuing their surge in the league following the international break, Man City barely needed to get out of second gear to sink Burnley at the Etihad last time out, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne both making the net ripple on home soil in gameweek eight.

Pep Guardiola’s side were expected to face a much sterner test against Club Brugge in the Champions League, but the Belgian champions’ resilience was broken in a storming 5-1 win for City.

On the pitch, Man City have certainly consigned their opening-day defeat to Tottenham Hotspur to history – taking 17 points from the last 21 on offer in the division – and they now occupy third spot in the rankings behind Liverpool and leaders Chelsea.

With only three goals conceded – all of which have come on the road – City’s defensive record is unsurprisingly the joint-best alongside Chelsea, although the travelling party will need no reminding of what happened during their most recent trip to the Amex.

Brighton marched to a remarkable 3-2 win on the South Coast after recovering from going two goals behind back in May, although City have won the other seven Premier League meetings between the two teams and have never failed to score more than twice at the Amex in that time.

This will indeed be a stern test for Guardiola’s men, don’t be surprised to see Graham Potter spoil City’s day once again.

MATCH FACT: City have never lost back-to-back league meetings with Brighton, overall losing just four of their 22 previous such games against the Seagulls (won 14, drawn four, lost four).

KEY MEN: Neal Maupay (Brighton) & Kevin De Bruyne (City)

LIKELY LINE-UP:

Brighton: Sanchez (GK); Dunk, Duffy, Burn; Veltman, Gross, Bissouma, Lallana, Cucurella; Maupay, Trossard

Manchester City: Ederson (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne; Sterling, Foden, Grealish

SCORE PREDICTION: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Manchester City

Brentford vs Leicester City, Sunday 2:00PM

Thomas Frank’s impressive Brentford side play host Brendan Rodgers’ recently resurgent Leicester City at the Brentford Community Stadium. The Bees unbelievably unlucky in their close defeat to Chelsea last weekend, with Edouard Mendy in the form of his life to stop Brentford not only claiming a draw, but a well deserved win in all fairness.

Leicester come into this fixture purring, after a fine display against Manchester United last weekend, ending their 29-game unbeaten away Premier League run in a 4-2 win at the King Power.

The Foxes also grabbed all three points in their Europa League group tie against Spartak Moscow in what was a thrilling 4-3 encounter, with Patson Daka – scorer of the fourth against Manchester United – netting all four goals in what was a poacher’s masterclass from the Zambian.

The most pleasing aspect of the two performances was the ruthlessness of Patson Daka, who has gone from failing to find the back of the net to scoring five times in 113 minutes.

With Rodgers naturally considering the possibility of playing the Zambian in tandem with Jamie Vardy, opposite number Thomas Frank will be wary of the new-found threat offered by the visitors.

The Bees will take a lot of positives from their defeat to Chelsea, a game in which they dominated, and really should not have lost. Brentford currently sit in ninth in the Premier League table on twelve points and could find themselves in the top six providing they beat Brendan Rodgers’ men on Sunday afternoon. It represents an unbelievable start to the campaign for the newly promoted side, taking 12 points from a possible 24.

They’ve only conceded seven goals so far this campaign, the best of any of the promoted sides and are building a daring reputation on their home turf as the team to beat. However, Brentford are without a home victory in the league since the opening day, while Ivan Toney remains with just one goal from open play this season.

After going four league games without a win before they entertained Manchester United, The Foxes have been in dire straits, performing below expectations and only registering just six points from a possible 21. However, their impressive win over stuttering Manchester United will have done their confidence the world of good, especially coming back from behind to win the game.

One source of worry for Brendan Rodgers, will of course be his floundering defence. The Foxes have conceded 14 goals so far this season and have just the single clean sheet to their name this season. It will provide a promising incentive for Brentford as they go in search of another scalp against one of the top teams in the Premier League.

MATCH FACT: Brentford can take Leicester City’s winless run in London to five Premier League matches (D1, L3).

KEY MEN: Ivan Toney (Brentford) & Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Brentford: Raya (GK); Jorgensen, Jansson, Pinnock; Canos, Onyeka, Janelt, Nørgaard, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney

Leicester City: Schmeichel (GK); Evans, Vestergaard, Soyuncu; Pereira, Tielemans, Soumare, Castagne; Maddison, Daka, Vardy

SCORE PREDICTION: Brentford 2-2 Leicester City

West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur, 2:00PM

West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur head into Sunday’s London derby with just one point separating the clubs in the Premier League standings.

Despite indifferent starts, the teams sit in seventh and fifth place respectively, one victory away from potentially moving into the top four.

While West Ham have performed at a consistently-high level for over 12 months, some of their supporters will still feel in dreamland given the vast improvements made under David Moyes.

Despite having such a small pool of players to choose from, the former Manchester United and Everton boss is making tremendous use of the options available to him.

Nevertheless, the Hammers head into their latest London derby on a steeper upward trajectory than the likes of Arsenal and their next opponents, and there is widespread belief that there is still more to come.

West Ham have, so far, made light work of their opponents in the Europa League, extending their run to three successive victories in seeing off Genk on Thursday night.

However, it is away wins such as the one at Everton last weekend which highlight their resoluteness, Moyes’s men now having 10 points from four away fixtures, which makes for superb reading.

Heading into Sunday’s fixture, Moyes will recognise that West Ham can carry on their superb progress under his tutelage with another win another against their fierce rivals.

From Nuno Espirito Santo’s perspective, he will be in two minds whether this fixture has come at the right time given the backlash after the Vitesse game.

Nuno, with some justification, rested the 11 players who edged out Newcastle United last weekend, but a second-string side were not at the races as they succumbed to a 1-0 reverse.

With Spurs still sitting in fifth position in the table with 15 points from eight games, there is potential for any criticism to subside with a win at the London Stadium.

That said, a fourth league defeat in nine would inevitably see Nuno come under further fire from the Tottenham fans ahead of next weekend’s crucial home clash with Manchester United.

MATCH FACT: West Ham can go three league matches unbeaten against Spurs for the first time since May 2008.

KEY MEN: Declan Rice (West Ham) & Harry Kane (Spurs)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Benrahma, Fornals, Antonio

Tottenham: Lloris (GK); Emerson, Romero, Dier, Reguillon; Hojbjerg, Skipp; Moura, Ndombele, Son; Kane

SCORE PREDICTION: West Ham United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United vs Liverpool, 4:30PM

Two of the Premier League’s giants collide in a clash of the titans at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, as Manchester United host Liverpool in what is certainly the tie of the weekend.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have been stuttering of late, dropping down to sixth in the table and leaving his immediate future uncertain despite signing a new contract to remain at the helm. Jurgen Klopp’s men however, are in tremendous form, they remain the only unbeaten side in the league and are just a point adrift of leaders Chelsea.

Champions League nights and Cristiano Ronaldo. There is hardly a better combination in football. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner literally rose head and shoulders above the rest to save United’s bacon in a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over Atalanta BC in midweek.

However, as memorable as their night at Old Trafford was, United’s journey to the King Power last weekend to face Leicester City was anything but, leaving their decent start to the season in quite some peril, its now two defeats in three outings for Manchester United.

The pressure continues to pile on the shoulders of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is said to retain the faith of the Red Devils board for the time being, but such struggles after welcoming Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane to the club have left more questions needing to be answered.

With only one point from the last nine on offer in the Premier League, sixth-placed United are five points adrift of leaders Chelsea and could very well drop further down the rankings depending on what transpires before the Reds pay a visit to the Theatre of Dreams.

Not since October 2019 have Man United gone four games without a win in the top flight, but the Red Devils only have two victories to boast from their last seven top-flight encounters at Old Trafford, where Liverpool will aim to condemn them to a 10th home clash without a clean sheet in the Premier League.

First Manchester City, then Watford, then Atletico Madrid’s defence were powerless to stop Mohamed Salah with the ball glued to his feet, as the Egyptian king continued to stake his claim as the best player in the world with yet another stunning solo effort at the Wanda Metropolitano – although James Milner’s deft touch was a significant help in finding the back of the net.

Before running out 3-2 winners in the Spanish capital, Liverpool gave Claudio Ranieri a harsh welcome back to life in the Premier League with a five-star performance against Watford, as Roberto Firmino took home the match ball while Sadio Mane also grabbed a goal at Vicarage Road.

Still unbeaten in all competitions since the season commenced, second-placed Liverpool are one point behind leaders Chelsea at the time of writing and are the only team in the top flight without a single defeat to show from their opening eight matches.

Liverpool’s 18-game unbeaten league run is currently the longest in the top four English divisions, and their thrilling 4-2 success at Old Trafford last term represented their sixth Premier League game without defeat against United.

Who will come out on top come Sunday evening?

MATCH FACT: Only Wayne Rooney (6) has more Premier League goals for Manchester United against Liverpool than Marcus Rashford (4).

KEY MEN: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) & Mohammed Salah (Liverpool)

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Man Utd: De Gea (GK); Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Fred, McTominay; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford, Ronaldo

Liverpool: Alisson (GK); Trent AA, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane

SCORE PREDICTION: Manchester United 1-2 Liverpool

Crystal Palace vs Leicester City: Match Preview

Crystal Palace vs Leicester City: Match Preview

KICK OFF: Sunday 3rd October 2021, 14:00PM

MATCH PREVIEW:

Two sides who have struggled for some consistency so far this season as Crystal Palace host Leicester City at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles have taken six points from their opening six games, while Leicester City have accumulated a point more from the same amount of fixtures.

Brendan Rodgers’ men have won just two of their six league games this term, most recently losing to Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion prior to drawing 2-2 with Burnley last time out.

The Foxes have also been out of character in Europe, picking up on a point from their opening two UEFA Europa League group games against Napoli and Legia Warsaw, they fell 1-0 away to the latter in midweek.

A win on Sunday will be crucial and much needed for Leicester City in order to boost morale heading into the upcoming international break.

However, Leicester City have won just one of their last five away league games against Crystal Palace and Sunday afternoon’s fixture will certainly prove a difficult test for Brendan Rodgers and his floundering team.

The Eagles are are also unbeaten in their last four games under Patrick Vieira, beating Tottenham Hotpsur either side of draws to Brentford and Brighton.

Palace were made to rue their missed chances at Selhurst against neighbours Brighton, that draw with will very much feel like two points dropped, as they conceded to a brilliant 95th-minute strike from Neal Maupay.

It had indeed been a mixed start for Patrick Vieira at his new club, but he can certainly take much more positives than negatives in his opening six Premier League games as Palace boss.

A win over Leicester City could well give Vieira and his men the impetus and confidence they need to progress even further in their development.

The good news for Palace is that Leicester have lost each of their last three away games against London clubs, most recently going down 4-1 to West Ham United last month.

PREMIER LEAGUE FORM (last six games):

Crystal Palace: LDDWLD

Leicester City: DLDWLD

MATCH FACTS:

  • Leicester City are unbeaten in all four Premier League matches against Crystal Palace under Brendan Rodgers (W3, D1). The Foxes had lost the four previous league meetings under Claude Puel.
  • However, the Foxes have won just one of their past five away matches at Selhurst Park.
  • Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their three home league games this season, conceding just one goal at Selhurst Park.
  • They could avoid defeat in their opening four home fixtures for just the second time in 25 seasons.
  • Leicester City have won only five of their past 15 league fixtures, including two of six this season.
  • The Foxes can equal their longest Premier League winless run of four matches under manager Brendan Rodgers, set in February 2020.
  • They have kept one clean sheet in 12 league games.

TEAM NEWS:

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will select from an unchanged squad.

Former Leicester player Jeffrey Schlupp returned from a hamstring injury as a substitute against Brighton on Monday night.

Odsonne Edouard and Luka Milivojevic were brought into the side as the Eagles’ only two changes for the Brighton match, but Vieira has still yet to find his preferred XI.

Leicester City

Leicester City pair Jonny Evans and Wilfred Ndidi are both unavailable to face the Eagles.

Evans has been struggling with illness and a foot problem, while Ndidi is set to be missing for several weeks because of a hamstring injury.

Leicester can at least call upon striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who was unable to enter Poland for Thursday’s Europa League game due to a problem with his travel documents.

LIKELY LINE-UPS

Crystal Palace:

Leicester City:

SCORE PREDICTION: Crystal Palace 1-2 Leicester City

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion: Match Preview

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion: Match Preview

KICK OFF: Monday 27th September 2021, 8PM

PREVIEW:

Selhurst Park plays host to Patrick Vieira’s first M23 derby on Monday evening as Crystal Palace and Brighton lock horns, concluding the latest round of Premier League fixtures.

Graham Potter’s impressive Brighton unit could end the day top of the Barclays Premier League table if they come away with the three points in South London, and Vieira and his men will want to put that ambition to the sword as Palace aim to redeem their fortunes after losing 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.

After their thrilling 3-0 triumph over 10-man Tottenham Hotspur, the Eagles were quickly brought crashing back down to earth at Anfield, where Liverpool notched up a trio of unanswered goals to temporarily halt Vieira’s momentum.

Palace were starting to build up a head of steam with four points from their London derbies against Tottenham and West Ham United before their humbling at Anfield, and a total of five points from their opening five fixtures sees them occupy 15th place in the Premier League standings before they kick off against rivals Brighton.

However, Vieira’s side have managed to navigate their first two home games unbeaten without conceding a goal, and following their early EFL Cup exit at the hands of Watford, the Eagles – unlike most of their top-flight counterparts – have no midweek fatigue to contend with.

Not since the days of the Ian Holloway have Palace kept three clean sheets in their first three home league games of a domestic season, and that mettle will be extremely tested against Graham Potter’s inspired outfit.

For much of last season, Brighton may not have always garnered the results their performances deserved, but the Seagulls are currently in dreamland after a superb start to the campaign, with 12 points from their opening five games this season.

After claiming a hugely impressive 2-1 win over Leicester City in their last Premier League battle, the Seagulls swooped to sink Swansea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening, as Aaron Connolly’s double sealed his side’s progress into the fourth round.

Only Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have taken more points than Brighton so far this term – but they could overtake all those clubs including Manchester City providing they beat their M23 derby rivals – but their tally of seven goals scored is by far the fewest in the top six.

Nevertheless, Brighton have only conceded four goals at the other end of the pitch and have plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of the first M23 derby of the season, especially seeing as they have a 100% success rate on the road this term with wins over Burnley, Brentford and Cardiff City.

The Seagulls head to the capital winless in four against Palace, though, with Roy Hodgson’s side claiming a 2-1 win during the last meeting at the Amex in February, but the last two meetings between the sides at Selhurst Park have finished 1-1.

With both sides much improved since their last meeting, this game could well be the most enthralling M23 derby in a long while.

PREMIER LEAGUE FORM:

Crystal Palace: LDDWL

Brighton & Hove Albion: WWLWW

TEAM NEWS:

Crystal Palace:

Patrick Vieira has confirmed that Jeffrey Schlupp will be in contention to feature in Monday night’s game, but long-term absentees Nathan Ferguson and Eberechi Eze are still out continuing their road to recovering.

Odsonne Edouard’s quickfire double against Spurs did not earn him a start over Christian Benteke at Anfield, but the former Celtic man will certainly hope to feature from the off here after Benteke’s current poor form.

Fellow new signing Michael Olise has performed some impressive cameos from the bench but is unlikely to feature from the start.

Brighton & Hove Albion:

Brighton, meanwhile, are sweating over the fitness of star midfielder Yves Bissouma and new recruit Enock Mwepu, with the former though to have a stronger chance of featuring from the first whistle.

Alexis Mac Allister should also be okay to feature after a back scare, while Tariq Lamptey got 45 minutes under his belt against Swansea in midweek, but Adam Webster is out until after the international break.

Connolly has put himself into contention for a start with his game-winning brace against Swansea, but neither Neal Maupay nor Leandro Trossard are expected to concede their places after impressive individual performances so far this campaign.

MATCH FACTS:

  • Crystal Palace are unbeaten in the four most recent league meetings (W2, D2), though both victories in this run have come away from home.
  • Brighton have won just one of their previous seven away fixtures against Crystal Palace but they are unbeaten in their last three games at Selhurst Park.
  • Palace’s only victory in their past 12 Premier League matches on a Monday was February’s 2-1 win against Brighton (D3, L8).
  • Brighton could win their opening three away matches in a top-flight season for the first time.
  • Last season it took Brighton 21 matches to record four league wins.
  • Wilfried Zaha has scored seven goals against Brighton, the joint highest figure of his career against any side.
  • Zaha has scored four goals in his last four appearances against the Seagulls at Selhurst Park.

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Crystal Palace:

Brighton & Hove Albion:

SCORE PREDICTION: Crystal Palace 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

What do West Ham need this summer to thrive both domestically & in Europe?

What do West Ham need this summer to thrive both domestically & in Europe?

The West Ham faithful will be waiting in much anticipation this summer for the club to sound out the arrival of fresh blood arriving at the London Stadium and is they go in pursuit of further progress under David Moyes next season.

And for a long while, the club’s recent transfer track record in the market will inspire much optimism rather than pessimism. Ever since David Moyes returned for a second spell in December 2019, West Ham have somewhat tasted improvement in all areas of the club as well as a major transformation on the pitch.

Last season was one of great success, qualifying for the Europa League finishing in an astonishing sixth place, playing some great football, wowing the fans and finally delivering what the Hammers fans have been praying about for a very long while.

David Moyes has successfully moulded this team into his image, like the Everton side he built to destroy the order of the ‘top six’ and maintain that positioning on a regular basis. He has started off the same formula in East London, and is now on course to achieve the same feat for West Ham, and much of that has been down to their shrewd recruitment and ethos behind the scenes.

Little was known of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal when they arrived from the waters of Czech Republic and the individual reputations and values in just about a year have rocketed since. There were initial reservations about the signing of Craig Dawson but he shone through. Jarrod Bowen proved a promising recruit also, adding a much needed directness and dynamism in West Ham’s attacking play – while you get the impression the best is yet to come from Said Benrahma, who joined from Brentford.

Moyes has expressed extensively that he wishes to spend carefully this summer as he aims to navigate West Ham’s progress and balance between both domestic football and in Europe. In order for that to happen, the Hammers are going to need strength in numbers, most notably at centre back, attacking midfield or central midfield and up-front.

So who could David Moyes be targeting this summer?

Centre-back the priority?

Fabian Balbuena’s three-year spell at the club ends at the end of June when his contract expires, which will leave Issa Diop, Angela Ogbonna and the now-permanently-signed Craig Dawson as Moyes’ only recognised defenders. Frederik Alves, 21, was signed in January from Danish side Silkeborg, but it seen as a player for the future and will most likely go out on loan, so a summer centre-back recruit is hugely key for David Moyes:

Axel Tuanzebe, Manchester United (on-loan)

(Photo by Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

West Ham desperately need options in the centre of defence, and Manchester United are willing to allow Axel Tuanzebe a loan move away from his hometown club this summer. It’s a potential move which makes a lot of sense which means the Hammers must be front and centre to secure his temporary signature before the season restarts.

It’s clear Axel Tuanzebe needs opportunities to showcase his undeniable abilities and David Moyes’ side would provide him with the perfect opportunity to make a name for himself. This isn’t just any Championship loan-move for Tuanzebe, its a Premier League loan move at an established, ever-progressive club in West Ham.

The 23-year-old will be given the freedom and room to develop even further, get the necessary game time but more importantly prove that he has what it takes to make the grade at Old Trafford on a permanent basis. Solskjaer is reportedly on the market for another high-calibre centre-back which means a loan-move for Tuanzebe will be much more helpful for his own development. A move to East London would be perfect as it means Moyes can loan in a centre-back but also go on to purchase one too.

Tuanzebe has been spoken about in extremely high regard since coming through the Man United academy, but it feels like the best is yet to come from him.

He’s a centre-back by trade with unbelievable pace, decent aerial prowess, great reading of the game and a composure in his build-up play that can see him match even the best defenders in the league if provided with the opportunity. Additionally, he can slot in at right-back if needed.

West Ham boss David Moyes should try all he can to call in a favour at former employers Man United to bring Tuanzebe to the London Stadium.

It could turn out to be a brilliant deal for whoever gets him.

He’s got some European experience under his belt and will get even more next season if this move materialises, and there is every chance he could improve the Hammers XI.

James Tarkowski, Burnley

Burnley’s James Tarkowski has long been a key target of West Ham’s and Leicester City too. With his contract coming to an end at the end of next season, a long-awaited departure from Turf Moor seems all the more likely.

West Ham had a £30million bid for the defender turned down last summer, and will almost certainly get him for much cheaper than that figure providing they maintain a strong interest in him.

Tarkowski has been a consistent performer for Burnley in his five seasons since arriving from Brentford.

It’s about time Tarkowski is rewarded with the move he deserves, with no disrespect to Burnley, he’s simply too good to be a relegation-battling defender every year and a move to East London may represent the perfect step-up for him.

Tarkowski absolutely fits the bill as a vastly experienced and consistent performer in the big time. The 6 foot 1 colossus has made over 150 appearances in the Premier League since joining the Clarets in February 2016.

This season, he displayed his solid attributes once again, rating out as Sean Dyche’s highest-rated player (7.02) with 25 or more starts, as per WhoScored ratings. That eclipses all of the Hammers’ current central defensive options, with Angelo Ogbonna sitting top on 6.73.

The Burnley beast is also clear for aerials won (4.6) and tackles (1.8) per game during the 2020/21 campaign, only further suggesting that his ability at the back is better than what Moyes has at his disposal and provides further reasoning to why he might be the very man to build around.

James Tarkowski is a remarkably astute defender, regularly standing out amongst Burnley’s defenders alongside Ben Mee. Strong, combative, a true leader, a fantastic reader of the game, dominant in the air and also a threat from attacking corners too.

West Ham should be all over him again this summer, they may not get another opportunity to secure one of the most underrated centre-backs in the English top-flight.

Nikola Milenkovic, Fiorentina

Another centre-back who should and will be on David Moyes’ list of priorities this summer is Fiorentina’s giant centre-back and Serbian international Nikola Milenkovic.

The talented centre-back is into the final season of his contract with the Viola, which expires in June 2022, and seems to have no intention of signing an extension at the Stadio Franchi, which means he may come conveniently cheap for West Ham but yet another potential shrewd piece of business.

Milenkovic is a huge defender at 6ft 5in tall, possessing great size and strength, but also the ability on the ball to play as a right back when needed.

Aerially, Milenkovic is incredibly strong. On average per 90 minutes last season, he won 3.1 aerial duels highlighting his imposing and intimidating figure.

In Serie A, he managed 3.6 clearances per game and his physical strength would likely be an upgrade on any of the options David Moyes has at his disposal.

Milenkovic has been highly regarded over the past couple seasons as one of the most talented young centre-backs across the continent and it is thought that Premier League may just provide him with the perfect opportunity to finally deliver on that promise.

More Options in Centre-Midfield?

A central midfielder and an attacking midfielder are near the top of Moyes’ wanted list.

Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are almost certainly going to need back-up. Mark Noble is in his final season and will almost certainly play a bit-part role this season. Manuel Lanzini has shown he’s more than capable of performing in a much deeper role for West Ham, but neither of them offer any real competition for Soucek and Rice.

The Central-midfield role is certainly an area David Moyes will need to look at, especially due to their Europa League commitments, more bodies are needed:

Sander Berge, Sheffield United

(Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Sheffield United paid a then-club record £22million in January 2020 to bring Norwegian international Sander Berge to Bramall Lane, and for the first few months, that record deal looked a snip as Berge established himself as a future star, putting some stunning performances in what was a tremendous first campaign back in the Premier League for the club and then-manager Chris Wilder.

Fast forward just over a year though and Berge is now a Championship player, having missed half of the 2020/21 campaign due to injury and in that time the Blades faltered, ultimately leading to their relegation. Arguably, they missed his immeasurable and assured presence in midfield as Sheffield United’s fate was ultimately sealed just after the new year.

With the amount of money he cost the club and being a Norwegian international, Berge was always going to attract interest this summer and West Ham should certainly throw their name in the hat to secure his signature. Of course, Berge will not come cheap but in all fairness he is simply too good to be playing Championship football. West Ham must save him from that plight.

United will be demanding at least £35 million for their prized asset despite them being a Championship club now but it would still represent smart business. As stated previously, Rice and Soucek need back-up, and Berge would immediately strengthen Moyes’ midfield adding power, size, steel and an impressive pedigree.

Berge combines a mix of good tackling abilities with the attacking awareness to carry the ball upfield, and even though he’s incredibly tall and powerful he’s not slow when he’s dribbling up the pitch. The Norwegian is a superb outlet on the ball, graced with such good footballing feet, a smart footballing brain and prowess that fellow midfielders cannot live with.

Moyes loves those type of players, and Sander Berge physique-wise is a throw-back to a certain footballer called Maourane Fellaini, remember him?

Granting Berge returns to full fitness pretty quickly, West Ham should not be the only Premier League club looking to bring the talented Sander Berge back into the big time.

Ruben Neves, Wolverhampton Wanderers

This may seem a far-fetched move seeing as Ruben Neves has been in talks with Arsenal over the past few weeks. But West Ham can offer Ruben Neves something Arsenal can’t, European football.

The Portuguese midfielder is Premier League proven, and sometimes doesn’t get the credit he deserves. A few Arsenal fans have stated their reservations over signing Neves, which doesn’t make sense. The midfielder is simply good enough to be playing for a top six Premier League club, and that’s West Ham.

Ruben Neves has become a serial leader and a key figure since his move to Wolves in 2017 and he’d be a tremendous capture for David Moyes. Superb long-raking passes, vision, technical qualities, good positional awareness, tactical understanding and a desire that so few midfielders can match.

He’d be a welcome addition to the Hammers cause, seeing as they require options in the middle of the pitch. The Portuguese midfielder would add yet another dimension to West Ham, the ability to find more forward thinking players with pinpoint passes from deep, a valuable string to David Moyes’ bow.

The 25-year-old ranked fifth across the Premier League for tackles won in 2020/21 and could be the upgrade in central midfield that the Hammers need in order to reach that coveted next level.

Teun Koopmeiners, AZ Alkmaar

Unquestionably, one of the most exciting and talented young midfielders in Europe right now, Teun Koopmeiners has been one of the hot topic of transfer rumours over the past few months.

Linked with a whole host of top clubs, including Arsenal, Liverpool, AS Roma, Atalanta, Leeds United, Inter Milan, Everton and AS Monaco, the man who joined AZ Alkmaar at 11 appears destined to leave his beloved club. If David Moyes holds any ambitions of propelling West Ham in competing with the elite, then signing a player of Koopmeiners’ mould and abilities is just the ingredient they need.

Having gained so much experience in Europe and domestically over his 150 appearances, there’s no doubting he’s now ready to make the step up to one of the top five European leagues.

Adaptable and familiar with a range of systems, the 23-year-old’s primarily deployed as a central midfielder, but is perfectly capable of dropping back to act as a central defender, where his quality on the ball helps massively during AZ Alkmaar’s build up play.

Koopmeiners is a true metronome on the ball, controlling possession, dictating the tempo of games and providing his team with the rhythm they need to breach opposing defences.

So comfortable and composed in possession, his exceptional distribution ensures he’s proficient at dictating passing passages and breathing life into attacks. Such an expert at helping his team beat the press with his penetrative line breaking passing, this means he can remove multiple opponents with a single pass.

It’s clear, West Ham need options in the midfield and possessing the qualities of Koopmeiners means West Ham can also mix up their play. Rather than beating teams on the counter, they can also triumph against rigid defences. Players of Koopmeiners abilities commonly have the propensity to tip the scales in their team’s favour, how West Ham could possess a player like that in their squad?

Attacking Midfielder

Jesse Lingard, Manchester United

Getting Jesse Lingard back in East London should be the top priority for David Moyes.

After a stunning 5 months at the London Stadium, scoring 9 goals in 16 appearances, Jesse Lingard left West Ham craving and desiring more of his exhilarating performances on a more permanent basis for next season and David Moyes is desperate to make that happen this summer.

That ambition will depend on how much Manchester United may demand in terms of his expected fee which is believed to be around £30million.

Lingard wants regular football and it is thought his first choice would be to remain at the London Stadium permanently. Lingard has one year left on his current deal at Old Trafford, and West Ham will hope that will lower United’s asking price for the midfielder.

Manchester United signing Jadon Sancho could quicken a deal for Lingard to move on and West Ham will expect that to be pretty soon.

David Moyes knows the qualities Lingard brings and he proved just that, towards the end of the last campaign bringing such a dynamic and ruthless cutting edge to West Ham’s attacking play helping the club seal an unprecedented spot in the Europa League for next season.

There’s no doubt he’d bring a lot more to West Ham if a more permanent move does materialise this summer, and he’d get the appreciation and game time his talents deserve.

Matheus Pereira, West Bromwich Albion

(Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)

How Matheus Pereira is still a West Brom player right now is absolutely criminal. It’ll be even more absurd if he isn’t snapped up by a Premier League club come the start of the new Sky Bet Championship season.

To put it simply, West Brom’s Brazilian maestro is simply too good to be playing Championship football right now, which means David Moyes should be all over signing him this summer – if he can’t get in Jesse Lingard.

Despite West Brom’s demise last season suffering yet another relegation from the English top-flight, it was a remarkable breakthrough season for their star man, Pereira. The midfielder notched an astonishing 11 goals, and 6 assists from 33 Premier League outings last term.

If there’s one thing the club could shout about over the past year, its the emergence of such a wonderfully gifted midfielder. The previous campaign – his first in English football – he hit 8 goals and laid on 16 assists which is simply extraordinary. The 25-year-old Brazilian is a creative machine, a serial goal contributor.

If West Ham harbour any serious ambitions for next season, they must acquire the services of Matheus Pereira.

Blessed with such superb vision, awesome technique, silky passing and a wand of a left boot. The midfielder basically carried West Brom on his back last season, even if they suffered relegation. It’s clear, Pereira deserves another shot at the top-level, and even the luxury of playing European football may do his development the world of good. There’s probably no environment better to express himself again than at West Ham.

West Brom have recently made it clear that the Brazilian will not come cheap, but any Premier League club who invests in Pereira’s future will get more than what they paid for, in return. A superb footballer.

Julian Brandt, Borussia Dortmund

West Ham will be playing European football for the first time in a while next season, so they’ll need players with European pedigree and know-how.

There probably isn’t a better player available for transfer that can provide that than Borussia Dortmund’s midfield maestro Julian Brandt. The German outfit are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Brandt, after his game time last season decreased, making 14 of his 31 appearances from the substitutes bench and as a result hampering his place in the German squad for this summer’s Euros.

Brandt still managed to hit 4 goals and 2 assists from his 22 starts, but its clear he needs a new lease life playing regular football and getting back to his best. The German international at his best is a welcome sight even for the Dortmund faithful. The 25-year-old is blessed with extraordinary technical acumen, superb vision, creativity, the ability to operate in tight areas and qualities on the ball that makes him so difficult to mark.

Despite his decreased time on the pitch, Julian Brandt is still ridiculously creative, averaging 1.81 key passes, 3.61 final third passes and impressive 4.03 shot-creating actions (the two offensive directly leading to a shot such as passes, dribbles and drawing fouls) per 90 minutes. Brandt is hugely versatile, possessing the ability to operate smartly and efficiently wherever he is tasked in playing.

Either from the left-wing, right-wing, at no.10, or as a creative no. eight, Julian Brandt could give a lot of teams the opportunity to be tactically flexible and its one David Moyes would be significantly smart in pursuing.

STRIKER

The Hammers are in desperate need of a goalscorer with only Michail Antonio on their roster. At times last season, they were forced to play Jesse Lingard as a false-9 due to Antonio’s recurring injuries. Still, Moyes managed the situation right to the end of the campaign, however, there is a case to argue that if West Ham possessed a true number 9, they will have finished much higher in the Premier League table.

This lack of a consistent goalscorer is a continuous theme for West Ham over the years and has got to be addressed quickly so who could David Moyes be looking at?

Patrick Schick, Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrick Schick underwent a tremendous campaign at Euro 2020, with 5 goals in as many games, putting Scotland and Holland to the sword on Czech Republic’s way to an unprecedented quarter-final appearance in the competition. The 25-year-old has significantly provided a strong reminder this summer of what he’s all about, becoming a brute force in the Czech’s attack while also showcasing his potency in front of goal.

Coming off the back of a 13-goal season for Bayer Leverkusen, the forward’s representatives will certainly be fielding a few calls for his signature this summer and he’d be the perfect candidate to lead the West Ham line next season. After a failed move to Roma from Sampdoria in 2017, the forward has picked himself up again enjoying tremendous seasons on-loan at RB Leipzig from Roma last season (hitting 10 league goals in 22 outings) and at Bayer Leverkusen scoring 13 in 36 in all appearances.

5 goals in 5 games at the Euros, making him the joint top-scorer in the tournament so far despite Czech Republic’s defeat to Denmark in the quarter-finals.

Schick could be a superb focal point for West Ham, giving them a strong and bullish outlet, also improving on his goal return with creative forces behind him as he’s showing this summer. He’s got international teammates in Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal at West Ham, and they will surely be persuading David Moyes to recruit Schick’s services.

Tammy Abraham, Chelsea

According to various reports, Chelsea are willing to listen for offers for striker Tammy Abraham in the region of £40million which seems such a hefty for a player they want to quickly offload. However, whoever manages to get in the striker will reap much of the benefits.

No matter what Thomas Tuchel thinks about him, Tammy Abraham is a tremendously gifted young striker, and a player who will deliver if he is given the opportunity and the belief to thrive.

David Moyes is a manager who gives his players the confidence to express themselves, especially those who have undergone difficulties at previous clubs. If you need any examples just ask Jesse Lingard. Abraham needs a new lease of life and he’ll get the perfect environment and opportunity at West Ham. He’ll be playing Europa League football which will be decent for him to showcase his qualities once again.

Abraham has proven himself at the top level, having been Chelsea’s top scorer during the 2019/20 campaign, scoring 15 goals in 34 Premier League games and despite his reduced game time, he was still amongst the top scorers at Stamford Bridge. He has Champions League experience and has played for England six times, scoring one goal, and was on course to be part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the European Championships before Tuchel succeeded Frank Lampard in January.

Chelsea are reportedly on the look out for a top quality striker this summer, and Abraham clearly doesn’t fit into Tuchel’s plans in the near future. He needs game time to develop further and get back to his best form, Abraham will get just that at the London Stadium. With the opportunity and room to succeed, Abraham may deliver 20+ goals, how West Ham have needed a goal scorer like that for a long while.

Borja Mayoral, Real Madrid

Real Madrid are in a state of flux this summer, and clearly need to offload a number of their players to raise funds for potential transfers this summer. Borja Mayoral is certainly a name on that list, but there’s no doubt he could be a stunning recruit for any club of West Ham’s standing.

AS Roma reportedly won’t exercise their option to purchase him permanently, even though he enjoyed an impressive spell at the Stadio Olimpico last season, scoring 17 goals in 45 appearances. That’s a decent record for a player who spent most of the campaign making appearances from the bench, playing second fiddle to the evergreen Edin Dzeko.

Like Tammy Abraham above, Mayoral is a player who needs the confidence and belief of his manager to thrive as he showed last year under Paulo Fonseca. Real Madrid don’t believe in his abilities right now, but there’s clubs out there who will appreciate him. West Ham are short of cheap striking options out there and Mayoral represents the ideal acquisition currently.

A neat and swift forward, Mayoral showed how potent he can be at Roma, provided the perfect foil and alternative to Edin Dzeko, imagine what he could do playing week-in, week-out with quality creators and astute operators around him.

Roman Yaremchuk, Gent

If David Moyes can take any solace from this summers Euros, despite Scotland’s early exit, is that he now has more striking options he can consider to recruit to the London Stadium. Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick is one of them, as suggested above, but another impressive candidate is Ukraine’s hitman Roman Yaremchuk, who certainly lifted a few eyebrows during Ukraine’s route to the quarter-finals.

As well as his two goals during the tournament, he enjoyed a thrilling campaign for Belgian outfit Gent last season, scoring 23 goals, and recording seven assists. West Ham are reportedly interested in his services, and are in desperate need of a real focal point in attack. Roman Yaremchuk looks the ideal candidate alongside Schick.

A tall, powerful and surprisingly quick forward despite his lean frame, the Ukrainian hitman is still only 25, and as he’s proven this summer, he has what it takes to challenge the best defences in Europe. West Ham’s record of acquiring strikers in recent years isn’t good enough, and would need to scour long and hard for the right fit, but Yaremchuk is a striker worth taking a big risk on. He seems ready for the next level in Europe, and the Premier League may just prove the perfect test for a striker of his admirable qualities.