Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Premier League clash between West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Fans will be present as West Bromwich Albion play their final Premier League game at The Hawthorns before returning to the championship on Wednesday, saluting European hopefuls West Ham United to the Midlands.
The Baggies have already been relegated, but West Ham still has a lot to do to end a fine season on a climax.
Game preview
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West Ham lost their form at exactly the wrong time, taking just four points out of the last 15 to let their top 4 hopes hang by a thread.
The Hammers were in control of Champions League football prior to that win, one draw and three losses, but their chances of achieving that unlikely goal may have been lost once and for all when they faced West Brom.
Should Chelsea win against Leicester City on Tuesday night, West Ham could not finish in the top four this season, while even a draw in this game would almost end West Ham’s chances due to the smaller goal difference.
Reaching the promised land of the Champions League would always have been a far greater accomplishment this season than West Ham expected, and the prospect of qualifying for the Europa League or even the UEFA Conference League should continue to be seen as a successful campaign.
From today’s perspective, the Hammers are geared towards the latter. In Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, they are in seventh place, level on points with sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, but with a much smaller goal difference.
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In the Amex draw, West Ham set the Premier League record of 28 away points in one season, and in their last game on the road in 2020-21, a win would give them the highest away score in a high profile campaign since 1985 -86 when they finished third.
The Irons have avoided defeat in their last away game of the season in the last four seasons and were able to end the league double against West Brom for the first time since 2005/06 in this game.
Sam AllardyceThe team has proven that regardless of their relegation last time, they will fight to the end. Within seconds of the Liverpool draw and the end of their top 4 hopes.
In the end, an exceptional winner in the 95th minute from the Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker West Brom went home empty-handed, although Allardyce was determined to focus on referee and VAR decisions that went against his team in that game.
However, as the campaign progressed, the Baggies just weren’t good enough, and that’s an expensive trend that has continued since Allardyce’s arrival.
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Usually the architect of persistent bug fixes, Allardyce went to great lengths to achieve the same effect at West Brom. His team have only conceded four times and have conceded a joint league high of 44 goals since taking office in December.
The Baggies only need one more point – or for Sheffield United not to win either of their two remaining games – to ensure they don’t finish last in the table, but 18th place is now the ceiling of their ambition.
A five-game winless run after a brief resuscitation means the focus will now shift back to the championship before a big summer begins with the future of some key players and their manager high on the agenda.
The season’s climax against West Ham and Leeds United could convince some that an immediate major league return is likely next season. To do that, however, they need to improve a record of only two wins from their last 16 Premier League games against the Hammers.
In fact, Allardyce himself has lost all four league games with West Ham since leaving the club in 2015, while losing each of his last seven showdowns David Moyes in the opposite shelter.
West Bromwich Albion Premier League Form:
West Ham United Premier League Form:
Team news
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West Ham greeted Declan rice back to their starting XI against Brighton and the England international came back unscathed from injury.
More good news could also come in for Moyes Arthur Masuaku and Manuel Lanzini Faced with late-night fitness tests before this game.
Both are seen as major doubts to recover in time for Wednesday, but they could still be in the final game of the season sending West Ham into the summer with a full-fledged roster.
Mikhail Antonio He is expected to lead the line again after scoring 14 direct goals, scoring 11 goals and assisting three himself in his last 14 away Premier League appearances.
Said Benrahma came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal and secure a point for West Ham at Brighton. So he’s hoping for a starting role this time.
West Brom also has a relatively clean health certificate Branislav Ivanovic and former West Ham man Robert Snodgrass the only ones absent.
Allardyce’s main decision is where Hal Robson canoe On Sunday he got his first top start since December 2017 to reward his manager’s trust with a well-scored goal.
However, due to the 31-year-old’s relative lack of play time over the past few months, he may have difficulty playing twice in three days, which means that Mbaye Diagne could come back.
Former West Ham youngster Grady Diangana made his first league start since January against Liverpool and hopes to keep his place ahead Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
West Bromwich Albion possible starting line-up:
Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, Townsend; Phillips, Gallagher, Yokuslu, Maitland-Niles; Pereira; Diagne
West Ham United possible starting line-up:
Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Soucek, rice; Bowen, Lingard, Benrahma; Antonio
We say: West Bromwich Albion 1-2 West Ham United
West Ham have conceded no goal in their last nine league games, while the Baggies have conceded their last five goals. Therefore, opportunities and goals should be available at both ends of the field in this game.
The hammers shot themselves in the foot up to the foot Top 4 races is concerned about a poorly timed form loss but Europa League football is still very accessible and Moyes will want a good end to the season.
West Brom has already shown that they will fight and hosting them won’t be an easy task for the visitors, but we expect West Ham to almost get the job done.
Top tip
Our experienced betting partners at Sporita.com predict less than 3.5 goals in this game. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more proven soccer tips.Under 3.5: data