Two under-fire managers go head-to-head on Monday night as West Ham United host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Irons boss Julen Lopetegui, who coached Wolves previously, and visiting manager Gary O’Neil are under immense pressure heading into this fixture, with performances and results having been hugely underwhelming for the duo this season. Defeat on Monday could result in their dismissal, with former West Ham boss David Moyes among those linked with the head coach position at Wolves.
Neither side has convinced this season and both head into this meeting having lost their last two matches. For West Ham, there was an embarrassing 5-2 defeat to Arsenal followed by a frustrating 3-1 loss at Leicester City, while Wolves have conceded four in their recent reverses against Bournemouth and Everton.
Here is 90min’s guide to a crucial clash in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
West Ham vs Wolves H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
West Ham |
Wolves |
|---|---|
|
Leicester 3-1 West Ham – 03/12/24 |
Everton 4-0 Wolves – 04/12/24 |
|
West Ham 2-5 Arsenal – 30/11/24 |
Wolves 2-4 Bournemouth – 30/11/24 |
|
Newcastle 0-2 West Ham – 25/11/24 |
Fulham 1-4 Wolves – 23/11/24 |
|
West Ham 0-0 Everton – 09/11/24 |
Wolves 2-0 Southampton – 09/11/24 |
|
Nottingham Forest 3-0 West Ham – 02/11/24 |
Wolves 2-2 Crystal Palace – 02/11/24 |
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD |
|
United States |
fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
West Ham revealed that Michail Antonio has been involved in a traffic accident and the Jamaican international will subsequently miss the clash with Wolves after undergoing surgery. Danny Ings and Jean-Clair Todibo are also doubtful for the visit of the Midlands side.
Niclas Fullkrug returned against the Foxes after almost three months out of action and scored during his late cameo. The German will be hoping for some more minutes on Monday and may be rushed into the starting lineup.
Mohammed Kudus also made his return against Leicester after missing the previous five matches through suspension. The Irons could do with a big performance from the Ghanaian at the London Stadium.
West Ham predicted lineup vs Wolves (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Fullkrug.
O’Neil has several injury absentees ahead of the trip to London, with Yerson Mosquera, Boubacar Traore, Enzo Gonzalez and Sasa Kalajdzic all unavailable. Pablo Sarabia is also a doubt after struggling with his fitness in recent weeks. The Spaniard hasn’t featured since early November in the win over Southampton.
Craig Dawson will be hoping for a more fortunate evening on Monday night – if he plays – having scored two own goals during the 4-0 loss to Everton midweek. Defensive issues have been a consistent problem for O’Neil, but he does welcome Nelson Semedo back from suspension.
Wolves will lean heavily on the individual quality of Matheus Cunha at West Ham, while Jorgen Strand Larsen will be tasked with carrying the goalscoring burden. The duo could be the difference-makers in the capital.
Wolves predicted lineup vs West Ham (4-2-3-1): Sa; Semedo, Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Lemina, J. Gomes; Bellegarde, Cunha, Guedes; Strand Larsen.
Picking a winner between two of the division’s most inconsistent and unconfident sides is tricky, with both West Ham and Wolves desperate for some respite. This could be the final nail in the coffin for Lopetegui or O’Neil.
West Ham’s profligacy cost them in their defeat to Leicester midweek but they offered significantly more at the King Power Stadium than Wolves did in their trip to Goodison Park. The capital club are five points better off than their fellow strugglers and may extend their lead over the upcoming visitors to eight points with a nervy victory.