West Ham, Sunderland go head-to-head in weekend clash.
West Ham vs Sunderland kicks off at 12:30 [GMT] on Saturday, January 24, at the London Stadium.
West Ham United welcome Sunderland to the London Stadium with both sides arriving on the back of encouraging results, though history and home advantage firmly tilt the narrative toward the Hammers. West Ham have traditionally enjoyed this fixture, losing just one of their last 12 Premier League home meetings with Sunderland (W9 D2). That solitary defeat came back in May 2011, while the Hammers have won the last three encounters at home by an identical 1-0 scoreline. They will also take confidence from their broader record against newly promoted opposition, having lost just once in their last 21 Premier League home games against such sides (W16 D4). Momentum slightly favours West Ham after they ended a 10-game winless run with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham last time out. Still, defensive concerns remain persistent. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 19 consecutive league games, one of the longest such runs in the club’s Premier League history. Their vulnerability in the air has been particularly costly, with West Ham conceding a league-high 12 headed goals this season — ominous given Sunderland’s physical presence and set-piece threat. Earning back-to-back victories [LDLLW] in continued efforts to lift themselves out of the relegation zone remains the objective here. A 4—4—1—1 formation with Valentín Castellanos in attack is expected against the Black Cats.
In 9th place, Sunderland [DDDLW] arrive chasing a rare achievement. The Black Cats are aiming to complete a Premier League double over West Ham for only the second time, having previously done so in the 2010–11 season — a campaign that ended in relegation for the Hammers. For Sunderland, belief has been a defining theme of their return to the top flight. They have already won 16 points from losing positions, the most in their Premier League history and the highest total by a promoted side since West Brom in 2010–11. That resilience has kept them competitive, even if results away from home have stalled. The Black Cats are winless in six away league games (D3 L3) since their eye-catching win at Chelsea earlier in the campaign. Individually, both sides have players finding form at key moments. West Ham will be encouraged by Crysencio Summerville, who has ended a 28-game goal drought by scoring in back-to-back appearances. Sunderland, meanwhile, continue to benefit from the influence of Granit Xhaka, whose vision has been unmatched — no player has produced more line-breaking passes leading to goals in the league this season. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Brian Brobbey in attack is expected.