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

West Ham United and Sunderland both seek back-to-back Premier League wins and three straight triumphs in all tournaments in Saturday lunchtime's showdown at the London Stadium.

The Hammers snapped their lengthy league winless run at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last time out, while the Black Cats followed suit at home to Crystal Palace.

Match preview

The Tottenham memes were out in force once again in gameweek 22, where after experiencing 10 Premier League games without success, West Ham plunged Thomas Frank's men into an even deeper domestic crisis.

Merely days after he appeared to be heading for the Irons' exit door, Callum Wilson sent the away end into pandemonium with a last-gasp winner in a 2-1 London derby victory, following a deflected Crysencio Summerville opener and a Cristian Romero equaliser.

West Ham's first Premier League triumph since November 8 was not enough to lift them above the dreaded dotted line in the top-flight table, but the 18th-placed Irons have at least reduced the gap to safety to five points after Nottingham Forest's goalless draw with Arsenal.

Also boosted mentally by a narrow FA Cup success over Queens Park Rangers, Santo's side could now win three straight matches in all tournaments for the first time this season, but the statistics suggest that will be easier said than done.

Indeed, Romero's header last weekend means that the hosts are now without a clean sheet in 19 Premier League games, 17 of which have come under Santo; only three managers have had to wait longer for a first PL clean sheet with a single club.

Also seeking three consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time in 2025-26, Regis Le Bris's Sunderland belatedly got off the Premier League mark for 2026 by taking down new crisis club Crystal Palace on January 17.

Enzo Le Fee and Brian Brobbey cancelled out Yeremy Pino's opener to propel Sunderland to a 2-1 victory in front of the Stadium of Light faithful, who also had reason to celebrate in the FA Cup when Le Bris's men edged out Everton on penalties seven days before.

Thanks to their first top-flight triumph of 2026 - at the fourth attempt - the visitors still sit pretty in the top half of the rankings and remain within touching distance of the coveted Champions League spots, just three points below fourth-placed Liverpool.

Away days have not been Sunderland's forte, though, as Le Bris's side have failed to win any of their last six Premier League matches on the road and have failed to score in seven of their 11 top-flight contests on their travels this term.

However, the Black Cats hammered the Hammers 3-0 during the opening weekend of the season and could now complete their first Premier League double over the hosts since 2010-11, which ended in demotion for West Ham.

West Ham United Premier League form:

West Ham United form (all competitions):

Sunderland Premier League form:

Sunderland form (all competitions):

Team News

West Ham came out of their success over Tottenham without any new concerns on the injury front, and the hosts should also have Africa Cup of Nations winner El Hadji Malick Diouf back from his triumphant exertions with Senegal.

Playmaker Lucas Paqueta might be in with a chance of coming back from a back injury in time for the weekend too - although his desire to leave is an open secret - while veteran goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski is still sidelined with a similar issue.

Paqueta's potential return and Wilson's last-gasp winner against Spurs will give Santo the best kind of offensive dilemma, but new signings Pablo and Taty Castellanos may be retained from the first whistle.

The hosts have also completed the signing of 22-year-old winger Keiber Lamadrid on loan from Venezuelan side Deportivo La Guaira, but he will not be ready for competitive action just yet.

As for Sunderland, Romaine Mundle was unable to last the full 90 against Crystal Palace, but the injury-hit winger was ostensibly just fatigued rather than nursing anything sinister.

Bertrand Traore (knee) and Arthur Masuaku (ankle) are definitely missing for the visitors, but Chemsdine Talbi and Habib Diarra are also due back from the AFCON in gameweek 23.

Le Bris may consider promoting Talbi or Simon Adingra to the XI if Mundle is not ready for two starts in two weeks, but the Sunderland boss should otherwise see no need to alter a winning formula.

West Ham United possible starting lineup:

Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Mavropanos, Scarles; Bowen, Fernandes, Soucek, Summerville; Pablo; Castellanos

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Sadiki, Xhaka; Hume, Le Fee, Adingra; Brobbey

We say: West Ham United 1-1 Sunderland

Sunderland are yet to find the formula for attacking success on the road this season, but on the other hand, Santo is still searching for the recipe for defensive success with West Ham.

A repeat of the Black Cats' three-goal triumph from earlier this term is surely off the cards, and a share of the spoils is the only outcome we can envisage.

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