West Ham United vs Bournemouth

London Stadium is the venue as West Ham United and Bournemouth go head-to-head in a handsomely-looking Premier League fixture.

Relieved of last weekend’s FA Cup elimination at the hands of second-tier Bristol City in the previous round, West Ham can refocus on Premier League duties as they sit eight points below fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur before the kick-off. David Moyes’ side conceded a late penalty in a dramatic 2-2 draw at Sheffield United in their last league fixture, extending their winless run in all competitions to four games (D3, L1). However, the ‘Hammers’ have been exceptional at the London Stadium lately, going unbeaten in their last nine competitive matches in their backyard (W6, D3). Defensive solidity has been West Ham’s most prominent feature during that streak, with five clean sheets across those nine games suggesting visiting Bournemouth could have trouble getting on the scoresheet.

Andoni Iraola’s traveling squad drew a blank in their last Premier League assignment, suffering a dismal 4-0 home defeat to Liverpool, their second league loss in succession after four consecutive wins beforehand. But the ‘Cherries’ bounced back from that disheartening performance against the ‘Reds’ with a thumping 5-0 win against second-tier Swansea City in the FA Cup fourth round at the weekend. That was Bournemouth’s first competitive clean sheet after a leaky patch that had seen them concede 2+ goals in three straight matches. Worryingly for Iraola, his men have capitulated at least twice on their last three road trips in all competitions, while their two most recent top-flight visits to West Ham yielded defeats by 2+ goals ‘to nil.’