West Ham vs Bournemouth – News and Probable Lineups

With a nine-place gap in the Premier League standings, West Ham United will take on the in-form Bournemouth at London Stadium, knowing they have the chance to escape the relegation zone following the 27th matchday.

Currently sitting third from the bottom, the Hammers are three points adrift of Nottingham Forest and will require not only a win but also a four-goal swing this weekend to move out of the relegation area, even if just temporarily.

Match overview

Since Nuno Espirito Santo took over West Ham following the fifth round, the team’s improvement has only recently gained momentum, with three of their six victories this season coming in the last five Premier League fixtures.

That tally could have been seven, were it not for Benjamin Sesko’s late equalizer for Manchester United at London Stadium last week, resulting in a 1-1 draw that left the East Londoners three points behind 17th-placed Forest rather than just one.

This single point denied West Ham the chance to achieve back-to-back wins in the top tier for only the second time this season, following November’s victories over Newcastle United and Burnley, but the club will strive to avoid going three home games without a win for the first time this season.

Fans of West Ham will certainly anticipate a win given that their team has a nine-match unbeaten streak in the league—ten in all competitions—against the Cherries since January 2019.

The last loss was a 2-0 defeat in Dorset, where Bournemouth managed to complete a double over West Ham for the sole time in Premier League history after a 2-1 win in August 2018.

Since those two defeats, the Hammers have triumphed in four out of the next six encounters across all competitions, even as the traveling fans can find some comfort in more recent matches against their London rivals.

Barring a 1-0 EFL Cup defeat in the capital back in August 2024, all matchups between these two sides have ended evenly, notably with all being score draws.

Bournemouth arrives at the Irons’ home ground having remained unbeaten in five straight clashes against their hosts, achieving consecutive draws during this streak for the second time after their encounters in January 2018—a 1-1 draw—and again in August of that same year when they recorded a 2-1 victory.

Andoni Iraola’s squad will be eager to put an end to their seven-year quest for full points in this matchup by capitalizing on their recent form to dampen any rising hopes in East London.

The Cherries have evaded defeat in six straight Premier League matches for the second time this season, having also gone unbeaten over an eight-match stretch between August and October.

This previous run placed Iraola’s side second in the standings, only four points shy of Arsenal at that time; however, an 11-match winless streak during which they faced six defeats has meant that their aspirations for potential European qualification may have to be shelved.

While it remains a mathematical possibility, Iraola’s side is merely five points behind sixth-placed Liverpool, and they will need to maintain their current form — only Chelsea and Manchester United (both with 13 points) have accrued more during the last five rounds — to secure a European spot by season’s end.

Team News

Jean-Clair Todibo is set to return from a three-match suspension this weekend, but Nuno might opt to keep Axel Disasi alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos at the heart of the defense.

However, Pablo Felipe (calf) and Lukasz Fabianski (back) will both be absent due to injuries, while Freddie Potts is banned following his red card at Burton Albion in the FA Cup last week.

Crysencio Summerville netted a last-minute winner against Burton, bringing his total to six goals in seven matches across all competitions for the Hammers.

Summerville, whose current scoring tally matches his output from his previous 56 matches, aims to have another impactful performance this weekend.

Nonetheless, the attack still primarily relies on Jarrod Bowen, and the England international hopes to increase his league tally of eight goals against Saturday’s ninth-placed adversaries.

While Eli Junior Kroupi may not be guaranteed a starting spot, Iraola will recognize the forward’s effectiveness on the road, as he has scored five out of his eight goals for Bournemouth this season while playing away from home.

Expected to start for Bournemouth, however, is January acquisition Rayan, who has scored in successive matches against Aston Villa and Everton after providing an assist on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The 19-year-old, who was signed from Vasco da Gama following Antoine Semenyo’s transfer to Manchester City, is aiming to become the first teenager in Premier League history to achieve goal contributions in each of their first four appearances in the league.

Despite having a relatively fit squad, the Cherries will be without Justin Kluivert (knee), Ben Gannon-Doak (thigh), Julio Soler, and Marcus Tavernier (thigh).

West Ham United probable starting XI:

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

Bournemouth probable starting XI:

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

Given West Ham’s solid track record against the Cherries and Bournemouth’s current unbeaten streak, another fiercely contested afternoon in East London seems likely.

Considering that many recent meetings have ended in draws, another score draw appears to be the most probable outcome for both sides.