Premier League: Wolves Visit West Ham in Another Grinded Out Affair

West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

At this juncture of the season, every point counts here in the Premier League especially for all sides who are chasing for spots in Europe.

That is the case for the Hammers and the Wolves, as both of these middling teams will go all out when they’ll meet once again this weekend at the London Stadium.

Right now, both are in contention for the Europa League since Manchester United hold solo fourth in the standings with 46 points. Arsenal are behind them at fifth, while West Ham United and Wolves are currently placed at sixth and seventh respectively with 42 and 40 points.

During the reverse fixture, the Wolves defied the pre-match SBOTOP betting odds when they beat the Hammers at their home turf in what was a close game.

Can Bruno Lage’s side do it again? Or will David Moyes’ side find a way to avenge their earlier defeat while taking valuable points in the process?

Talking Points

Missed opportunities for West Ham United

Having been held back in each of their last two league fixtures, the Hammers need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible if they plan on returning to the top four in the standings.

Since February, the Hammers have gone unbeaten in their last three league games but two of them were draws. They won against Watford but they were held to draws by Leicester City and against Newcastle.

Injuries haven’t helped either as some of their key personnel continue to deal with knocks. Central defenders Angelo Ogbonna and Arthur Masuaku are still sidelined, while Vladimir Coufal and Manuel Lanzini are the newest additions to the treatment table.

David Moyes is likely to maintain his starting XI against Newcastle last Saturday, with Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, and Michail Antonio continuing to lead up front while defenders Kurt Zouma, Craig Dawson, Aaron Cresswell, and Ben Johnson will provide cover for goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice were once dubbed as one of the league’s most promising midfield duos, and both will have their hands full in trying to keep the Wolves’ playmakers at bay.

Wolves gritting their teeth

Arsenal have been a thorn on Wolves’ side as they’ve beaten them twice in just a span of two weeks, which has halted their momentum in terms of trying to move up in the standings.

Yesterday’s defeat at the Emirates was self-inflicted for the Wolves as they squandered their 1-0 lead to give up two late goals – one from Nicolas Pepe and an unfortunate own goal from Jose Sa.

Bruno Lage may be proud of his players despite their collapse, but deep inside he knows that they still have ways to go to achieve their main objective this season.

Given their congested schedule, it’s a relief for the Wolves that they look stronger than West Ham on the injury front as Nelson Semedo and Willy Boly are only players who aren’t expected to play this weekend.

Pedro Neto and Jonny have returned to training following their long-term absences which bolsters their depth, although we expect Bruno Lage to maintain the same starting lineup on Sunday.

History

The head-to-heads between the Hammers and the Wolves have been even. In their last 15 meetings, both sides have won seven games each while the other game ended in a draw.

West Ham have lost three of their last five home league games against Wolves, although they won 4-0 at this exact fixture last term. The Hammers are aiming to win back-to-back home league games against Wolves for the first time since October 2004.

Their reverse fixture took place in November where the Wolves secured a 1-0 victory at the Molineux as Raul Jimenez scored the only goal of the match.

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2022 odds predict another close affair between these two sides. For this weekend, West Ham United are given the slight edge at 2.11, while the Wolves are pegged at 3.45 and a draw is at  3.25 in the 1X2 market.

Given how these two sides match up, this game is a tough call on who will be the winner and we wouldn’t rule out any outcome.

But if their previous meeting provides any indication, it is that goals are likely to be at a premium and we don’t expect a lot of Premier League 2022 highlights from this fixture. Under 2.50 @ 1.72 is the ideal bet here while Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.90 can also give you a decent payout.

 

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