WEST HAM VS BURNLEY: PREVIEW
- Bobby Vincent
- Nov 2, 2018
- 2 min read
West Ham United will be looking for just their third win of the season as they entertain another struggling side in Burnley.
The Hammers conceded late on at Leicester last weekend despite being ahead for the majority of the match.
Burnley were hammered (pardon the pun) at home to Chelsea on Sunday, losing 4-0 at Turf Moor.
Both sides sit on eight points, with the Irons ahead on goal difference in 13th place and the Clarets two places below in 15th.
TEAM NEWS:
West Ham captain Mark Noble was sent off in last weekend's draw to Leicester and will serve the second game of his three-match suspension.
Marko Arnautovic should be available for the hosts despite an ongoing knee injury.
Aaron Lennon should return for the visitors, after missing Burnley's last game through illness.
Midfielder Jack Cork was forced off against Chelsea through injury and will face a late fitness test.
THE MANAGERS:
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that Saturday's match against Burnley is a "must-win" game.
"Yes, absolutely, we must win," Pellegrini said. "We have the same feeling and same opinion after we finished the last game, that we did well and we created a lot of options and we deserved better results but, for different reasons, we didn't get the results we wanted.
"So, three points against Burnley at home must be a game we cannot fail."
Burnley manager Sean Dyche said that he'd be shocked if he was still managing at the same age as his counterpart Pellegrini.
"No!" Dyche replied when asked if he'd still be a manager at 65. "I don't think it will be that kind of game in the future for management. Whether you are good bad, or indifferent I just don't think it will be.
"The demands of the instant nature of coaching and management will change the viewpoint of longevity from the manager's point of view, not necessarily the club's point of view.
"It is going to be a future of hopping around clubs - a one season mentality possibly. There will be a few of my type of situation and Eddie (Howe, Bournemouth manager), people like that who are staying at a club for a longish time.
"That will be few and far between because of the nature of the game. Unless things change, of course."
MATCH STATS:
- West Ham have won five of their last eight matches against Burnley (D1, L2) - but only took a single point against them last season.
- The Hammers' total of eight points is their third worst tally after 10 games of a Premier League season.
- Burnley have conceded 21 goals in the Premier League (10 games) so far, a number it took 24 matches to do last season.
- Joe Hart has made 44 saves this season; a joint-high with West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
- West Ham are amongst three sides in the Premier League yet to score a headed goal this season (Crystal Palace and Southampton, the others).
BETTING ODDS:
West Ham: 4/5
Draw: 13/5
Burnley: 17/4
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