Preview: West Ham United vs. Bournemouth - prediction, team news, lineups

Separated by nine places in the Premier League table, West Ham United host in-form Bournemouth at London Stadium, aware that they could move out of the bottom three after the 27th round.

The third-bottom Hammers are three points behind Nottingham Forest and need maximum points and a four-goal swing this weekend to climb out of the dreaded zone, at least for the time being.

Match preview

Although Nuno Espirito Santo took charge of West Ham after the fifth gameweek, the Hammers’ upswing has only recently begun, with three of the team’s six wins this term coming in the last five Premier League rounds.

That tally should be seven, but for Benjamin Sesko’s late leveller for Manchester United at London Stadium last week, a 1-1 draw that kept the East Londoners three points behind 17th-placed Forest instead of one.

The point prevented West Ham from claiming consecutive top-flight victories for only the second time this season, after November’s wins over Newcastle United and Burnley, but the capital club will aim to avoid going three home games unbeaten for the first time this term.

Supporters of a West Ham persuasion will undoubtedly expect that outcome given their nine-match league sequence — 10 in all competitions — without losing to the Cherries since January 2019.

That 2-0 defeat came in Dorset, as Bournemouth completed the double over them for the only time in Premier League history following a 2-1 reverse in August 2018.

Since those two losses, though, the Hammers have secured victory in four of the next six meetings across all competitions, even if the travelling supporters can draw encouragement from more recent encounters with their London opponents.

Apart from a 1-0 EFL Cup loss in the capital in August 2024, every meeting between these two clubs has ended with the spoils shared, strikingly all as score draws.

Bournemouth head to the home of the Irons having avoided defeat in five consecutive meetings with their hosts, including in successive trips for the second time after visits in January 2018 — a 1-1 draw — and August of that same year when they claimed a 2-1 victory.

Andoni Iraola’s troops will hope to finally end their seven-year wait for maximum points in this fixture by making the most of their newfound form to dampen any growing optimism in East London.

The Cherries have avoided defeat in six consecutive top-flight matches for the second time this season, following an eight-match unbeaten spell between August and October.

That earlier sequence of results put Iraola’s team second in the table, only four points behind Arsenal at the time; however, an 11-match winless run, during which they suffered six defeats, has meant that Bournemouth’s ambition of potential European qualification may have to wait.

Even though it remains a mathematical possibility, as Iraola’s team are only five points behind sixth-placed Liverpool, only by sustaining their current form — only Chelsea and Manchester United (both 13) have earned more over the last five rounds — will the Dorset club secure a European berth at season’s end.

West Ham United Premier League form:

West Ham United form (all competitions):

Bournemouth Premier League form:

Bournemouth form (all competitions):

Team News

While Jean-Clair Todibo returns from a three-match suspension this weekend, Nuno may be tempted to retain Axel Disasi alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos at the heart of the defence.

However, Pablo Felipe (calf) and Lukasz Fabianski (back) miss out through injury, while Freddie Potts serves a ban after last week’s sending-off at Burton Albion in the FA Cup.

With his 95th-minute winning goal against Burton, Crysencio Summerville took his tally to six goals in seven matches across all competitions for the Hammers.

Summerville, whose current return has matched his tally from his previous 56 matches, aims to be decisive again this weekend.

Nonetheless, the team’s attack still leans mostly on Jarrod Bowen’s influence and the England international hopes to add to his eight league goals against Saturday’s ninth-placed opponents.

While Eli Junior Kroupi is not guaranteed a start, Iraola will be aware of the forward’s effectiveness away from home, where he has scored five of his eight goals for the Cherries this term.

Likely to start for Bournemouth, though, is January signing Rayan, who has scored in consecutive games against Aston Villa and Everton after assisting on his debut at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The 19-year-old, signed from Vasco da Gama after Antoine Semenyo’s departure to Manchester City, seeks to become the first teenager in Premier League history to register a goal contribution in each of their first four appearances in the top flight.

While the Cherries have a relatively healthy squad, they must make do without Justin Kluivert (knee), Ben Gannon-Doak (thigh), Julio Soler and Marcus Tavernier (thigh).

West Ham United possible starting lineup:

Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Fernandes, Magassa; Bowen, Soucek, Summerville; Castellanos

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Christie; Rayan, Toth, Adli; Evanilson

We say: West Ham United 1-1 Bournemouth

West Ham’s strong record against the Cherries, coupled with Bournemouth’s current unbeaten run, points to another competitive afternoon in East London.

Given that recent encounters have often ended in ties, another score draw seems the most likely outcome for these two sides.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.