Premier League: The Hammers Are Out for Vengeance

West Ham United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

If you think the top of the Premier League table is tight, wait until you see the midfield. Multiple budding and talented teams are stuck in the middle of the pack, and each and every one of them is capable of getting out of the fray before the calendar year ends.

Two of those teams are West Ham United and Wolverhampton, so a win in their upcoming matchup on Matchday 17 would be critical as both squads have a stacked December slate.

Wolves, Bournemouth, Chelsea, and Brentford are stuck in a four-team tie with 19 points after 16 games. So, every match for these teams will be pivotal moving forward.

Talking Points

The flu game

The Hammers suffered a crushing 5-0 clean-sheet defeat against the Cottagers last weekend. David Moyes’ side looked helpless as Fulham controlled the pace for almost the entirety of the game. The Cottagers dominated possession, passes, and shot attempts.

“It was a brilliant performance from us. The players understood the plan and executed it so well. It was almost a perfect afternoon for us,” Fulham manager Marco Silva stated.

Five different Fulham players contributed a goal apiece to hand West Ham one of the most humbling defeats this season in the Premier League. The Hammers evidently looked like they lost a bounce to their step, and the reason might be because their camp was plagued by a sickness bug going into their match against the Cottagers.

It was reported that several players and staff members of the West Ham side got hit with an illness that rummaged through the camp. Moyes, along with the likes of Edson Alvares, Emerson Palmieri, and Pablo Fornals, were affected by the sweeping sickness bug.

“We’ve had quite a bit of illness in the camp over the last few days, and that’s not helped,” Moyes stated. “I’m embarrassed for the result and the performance, and we’re sorry to the supporters for it.”

In an attempt to mitigate the impact of the illness and prepare for their bitter revenge against Fulham, Moyes made the executive decision to have his players stay at home for the next two days.

Release the Cunha

Wolverhampton have been having a mediocre season, but Gary O’Neil’s stroke of genius might turn things around for the Wanderers. Matheus Cunha has been Gary O’Neil’s central striker ever since the Brazilian joined the club. But recently, O’Neil opted to move the 24-year-old from the No. 9 role and move him to a role where he could showcase his free-spirited, ginga style of play.

Since removing Cunha from the responsibilities of being a centre striker in his last four Premier League matches, the Brazilian has seen an uptick in his production and increased his overall tally to 0.34 per 90 minutes, compared to 17 at 0.19 per 90.

“He always talks with me to push me up and show me my best side, and he always talks with me to put me in the best position on the pitch for the things I love to do and want to do,” Cunha says, praising O’Neil.

Wolves fans will have to wait and see if Cunha will be able to produce Premier League 2023 highlights against a sick and fatigued West Ham club this weekend.

History

Despite both clubs participating in the Premier League, they have only faced each other 18 times prior to their upcoming match.

They almost split the head-to-heads evenly, with West Ham winning nine times while Wolves won just eight and tallied a draw once. In fact, they’ve also almost split the 44 goals they’ve scored against each other. The Hammers were able to find the back of the net 23 times, while Wolverhampton scored 21.

Across all competitions, both teams have been successful in defending their home turf, as they’ve won the majority of their matches in their own respective stadiums.

In recent form, the Hammers have had a respectable stretch of football, winning three of their last five games in the Premier League, which includes a notable win against the Spurs. They also humbled Arsenal back in November, handing the Gunners a convincing 3-1 defeat.

Meanwhile, Wolves are having a tough time finding consistency in the English top flight, with a record of 5-4-7 after 16 games. They currently sit in the 13th spot in the league table with 19 points and are tied with Bournemouth, who have been unbeaten in their last five Premier League games.

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2023 odds suggest that this top-flight clash will be a close and competitive one. SBOTOP has West Ham United as the slight favourites at 2.25, while Wolves are the underdogs at 2.97 and 3.13 to draw.

Personally, West Ham to win at 2.25 is already a steal given their form this far into the season. They are just two points behind Brighton and Newcastle in the standings and a win away from tying Manchester United for the sixth spot in the standings. Not to mention that Wolverhampton are having a shaky season and are the visiting squad for this matchup.

Another line to consider is Asian Handicap West Ham United -0.25 at 1.95. This goes hand in hand with the 1X2 line, as both lines suggest that West Ham will come out as the victors in this bout. A price of 1.95 may seem low compared to the main line of 2.25, but it still holds enough value and excitement for punters to consider.

 

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