Tap For Menu  
Single word yields best result

Football News: Premier League Match Preview Friday 24th November 2017

Premier League Match Preview Friday 24th November 2017
Image from: stadiumguide.com

Friday 24th November 2017

 


West Ham United v Leicester City 8pm kick off

Arnautovic (broken thumb/wrist injury) slight doubt
Ayew (illness) slight doubt
Chicharito (hamstring injury expected return 3rd December) out
Byram (thigh strain expected return 3rd December) out
Fonte (ankle injury expected return 20th January 2018) out
Antonio (rib injury expected return 28th November) slight doubt
Collins (ankle injury expected return 28th November) doubt

A run of five games without a win has dropped the Hammers into the relegation places and has left the new manager, David Moyes, with a big job on his hands to rebuild shattered confidence. However that is the kind of situation that you would normally say suits him down to the ground, if it was not for the bizarre debacle at Sunderland, where he conceded defeat before the season even started! This time around he has been much more like the old Moyes, upbeat and positive about the club's chances of survival and concentrating on getting the team to up their workrate to improve their competitiveness. Unlike at the Mackems, this West Ham team is more than capable of avoiding the drop, the ability is there within the squad, it is just about the manager getting the team playing somewhere near their best or at least making the effort that they were not making under Slaven Bilic. This is not the Leicester side of a couple of seasons ago they are facing, it is possible to outwork this Foxes side and the Hammers do have a much better record at home than away.
Most important player: Andy Carroll. The big Geordie needs to stop with the wild flailing arms, both when leaping for a header and when he feels his teammates are not supporting him enough when he tries, half-heartedly, to press the ball. Instead of looking for excuses and others to blame, he needs to sort out his own game and start holding the ball up better to bring others into play.

 

Huth (foot injury expected return 2nd December) out
James (achilles injury expected return 2nd December) out

The Foxes have struggled away from home all season, with just 1 win away from home this season. So far the arrival of Claude Puel has failed to have any significant effect on the performance level. It feels like the club need to do a lot more to fix their problems, like a complete overhaul in personnel, as a large percentage of the players are continuing to underperform. Added to the defensive solidity vanishing due to the arrival of Harry Maguire at the back and Leicester look like a team that are very beatable.
Most important player: Vicente Iborra. The Spaniard's role in the side is vital to the way Puel is looking to play. His protection to the back four is key, as Maguire cannot be trusted positionally and Morgan is not on his game.

 

Defining Battle: the key for this game is West Ham getting enough support to the forward, not allowing the wide players to be pushed back into auxiliary fullbacks and ensuring the central midfield is not too deep. Without support Carroll offers little threat.

 


Editors' Predictions:
Ed002 - 2-1
Ed003 - 1-2
Ed004 - 1-2
Ed007 - 0-2
Ed018 - 1-2
Ed025 - 1-1
Ed033 - 0-1

 


Editor's Predictions Table
1= Ed018 - 73 points
1= Ed033 - 73 points
3. Ed003 - 67 points
4. Ed004 - 65 points
5. Ed025 - 64 points
6. Ed002 - 62 points
7. Ed007 - 57 points

 

*1 point is awarded for the correct result, 3 points for the correct score.
**updated 23rd November 2017

Written by Tris Burke November 24 2017 04:29:50