West Ham, labouring under a plague of key injuries, await red-hot Stoke City’s arrival.
Although both of these sides had positive league results last round, only one will be looking forward to taking the field this weekend. West Ham emerged with heads held high from a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, a contest they really had the better of, but their stoic posture belies a harrowing injury list. News broke this week that Manuel Lanzini and Winston Reid will be out for an extended period, both suffering training injuries. They join a list also containing Dimitri Payet, Victor Moses, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho. Yes, that’s all of Slaven Bilic’s preferred attacking line convalescing at once, as well as his best defender. When it rains, it pours, and everyone in East London is batting down the hatches, and pulling their collars up high hoping to weather this foul storm.
Stoke too enjoyed a fine result last weekend, beating Manchester City 2-0. Theirs was a display of sharpened, potent forward play, and their attacking trio of Marko Arnautovic, Bojan Krkic and Xherdan Shaqiri appear to have found their groove. All three of these players have impressive pedigree, with Barcelona, Roma, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan just some of the clubs they’ve individually spent time at. What they’re all doing at Stoke was a matter of much pondering early in the season, but until now, Stoke’s stuttering start meant no one really paid much too much mind to it. Now, with each player firing – especially the remarkably gifted Shaqiri – all eyes are on The Potters, and their manager Mark Hughes, whose assembling of this sparkling attacking trident deserves many congratulations. Unlike their opponents this Sunday, Stoke aren’t burdened with any notable injuries, and are steaming into this contest with the firm intention of prolonging their good form.
Key Battle – James Collins vs The Stoke City Attack
The draw with Manchester United was an attritional grind by the end. The Hammers were forced to endure a closing period of immense pressure, with the Red Devils finally moving their possession-based lingering up the pitch and into the West Ham box. It was thanks in huge part to Winston Reid that they left with their clean sheet intact (the first shut-out for nine games). Reid is always a calming presence – he is still, astonishingly, yet to commit a defensive error this season, despite making the fifth most defensive actions in the league – and his absence is damaging in the extreme. Stoke’s Bojan, Shaqiri and Arnautovic will only be buoyed by this, and will be even more keen to weave their magic around whoever replaces the New Zealand international.
The man to do that will most likely be James Collins. Returned from his suspension, Collins appears the favourite to fill the void, as James Tomkins has shown himself to be a far more defensively-reliable option at right back than Carl Jenkinson. Collins, after his spell out, will probably be a little rusty, and Stoke will be sure to exploit any hesitancy in this regard. Their attacking trident is one overflowing with flair, approaching peak levels of symbiosis. There can be no slow adjustment for Collins; he must be alert from the very first moment.
Team News and Expected Lineup
West Ham’s injury crisis will force Bilic to start a strange, unfamiliar starting XI. Michail Antonio, a player with buckets of talent, and who hasn’t really been tested by his manager yet, will now get an extended run in the first team. Joining him in attack will be Mauro Zarate and Andy Carroll – it’s a sad state of affairs when Andy Carroll, of all people, appears the least fragile attacker – and probably Chiekhou Kouyate. The Senegalese midfielder has been played in attack before, such is his prodigious physical versatility (he can also fill in ably at centre back) and will provide, if nothing else, potent hard running.
As for Stoke, there seems no reason Mark Hughes should tinker with a line up that functioned so well against Manchester City. The aforementioned front three, along with other Barcelona export Ibrahim Afellay, will start ahead of a sturdy midfield made up by Geoff Cameron and Glenn Whelan. Ryan Shawcross will marshal, as he has for so long for the Potters, the defence.
Head-to-Head and Previous Meeting
Overall, the record between these two clubs is very even, with Stoke winning 35 times, and West Ham winning 33, with the rest ending, obviously, as draws. West Ham are unbeaten against the Potters in their last four meetings, with two draws and two wins. In fact, the Potters have only beaten the Hammers once, in all competitions, since 2011. Still, with current circumstances in mind, Stoke will be confident they can secure all three points this Sunday.
Prediction
To get a result against Stoke, wounded as they are by all of their missing stars, would be a titanic achievement for the Hammers. They will defend with vigour and commitment, securing a 1-1 draw.
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