West Ham and Bournemouth meet at Upton Park on matchday three. The Cherries, still finding their feet in the Premier League, will fancy their chances against an injury-hit Hammers side.
Bournemouth are yet to even register a goal – let alone a victory – in the Premier League yet, and were relegation favourites long before the season started. Very few members of the Cherries’ squad have had extended top flight experience and, in a league were goals are golden, their marquee offseason signing was a defender, Tyrone Mings. And yet, in spite of all this, their opening two fixtures, spirited 1-0 losses to Villa and Liverpool, have given them cause for hope. The Premier League rarely allows financial minnows to survive, but Eddie Howe’s team looks as if it can be more than just an easy-beat this term. The question of goals is yet to be answered, with last season’s top scorer Callum Wilson finding the step up to the top division a troubling maneuver. A completed deal for Crystal Palace’s Glenn Murray cannot, on the evidence shown so far, come soon enough.
West Ham have had a rather more eventful start to the season, with a soaring 2-0 away win over Arsenal followed closely by a poor 2-1 home loss to Leicester. Like Bournemouth, a nagging issue exists up front for them as well, but injuries are the problem here. Mauro Zarate has been ruled out for the next two games, and so joins Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia on the sidelines. This leaves Diafra Sakho as the one remaining striker available to Slaven Bilic, who has fallen into an early and highly alarming injury crisis. West Ham are also without their first choice goalkeeper, with Adrian serving a three-match ban after his dismissal against Leicester. The three points snatched from Arsenal were something of a bonus for the Hammers; a return of zero points from both the Leicester and Bournemouth fixtures would be a worrying outcome.
Key Battle – Darren Randolph vs the Bournemouth attack
As if arranged with perfect timing by the Gods of Fate, with Bournemouth searching desperately for goals, it may end up being Darren Randolph who comes, unwillingly, to their rescue. The former Birmingham keeper conceded 12 goals to the Cherries last season in the Championship, including a staggering eight goals in one match, an 8-0 loss in October. West Ham appealed to have Adrian’s red card against Leicester rescinded but were turned down by the match review panel, and so will almost certainly start Randolph in his place. Adrian has been one of West Ham’s star performers over the last two seasons, so his absence will be a damaging one.
A scrambling move for QPR’s Rob Green, a former Hammer himself, has been reported, but will likely take too long to see Green lining up in the West Ham goal this weekend. It all sounds rather ominous for poor Randolph; either he experiences a Cherry-flavoured nightmare for a second time, or he exorcises some harrowing demons. Bournemouth’s rangy, pacy Callum Wilson, who toiled against Liverpool, is a striker whose positioning is generally spot on, and who can capitalise on the sort of shaky error a rattled defence can commit. Adrian played every league match last season for the Hammers, so it has been a while since Winston Reid, Cresswell and Jenkinson have had someone else cleaning up behind them.
Team News
Very sad by the injury and not to be available to play the next two matches !!! I now focus on a fast recovery. ????????
— Mauro Zarate (@mau_zeta) August 19, 2015
With Zarate injured, Modibo Maiga’s chances of starting are greatly enhanced, although Bilic might prefer to bank on youngster Manuel Lanzini. Of course, the superb Dimitri Payet is virtually the first name on the teamsheet. Reece Oxford, after his tough second game last week, will likely drop out of the starting lineup. Pedro Obiang, who was excellent after coming on as a sub against Leicester, will take his place.
West Ham United Expected XI (4-3-3): Randolph (GK); Jenkinson, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Obiang, Noble, Kouyate; Payet, Lanzini, Sakho.
In search of that vital attacking spark, Eddie Howe might turn to on-loan Chelsea starlet Christian Atsu this week. The Ghanaian is a tip-toeing, agile winger, a veritable bundle of dribbling and swerve. In terms of injuries, Bournemouth have no one of any critical importance laying prone and convalescing.
AFC Bournemouth Expected XI (4-1-4-1): Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; O’Kane; Atsu, Tomlin, Surman, Gradel; Wilson.
Head-to-Head
These two sides have not met in a competitive fixture since 1999, so their head-to-head record throws precious little light on the predicted outcome of this match.
Prediction
This is a dangerous home fixture for the Hammers; a win here will be nothing more than what is expected, whereas a loss would be a highly uncomfortable result, just two weeks after their raucous victory at the Emirates. A 1-1 draw seems likely, with both teams playing it a little too safe for entertainment.
West Ham United 1 AFC Bournemouth 1
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