Fresh off of their Europa League heroics against Lyon, West Ham turns their attention to Burnley in Premier League action.
The Irons have fallen out of the top 4 race in recent weeks. David Moyes and his men have put all their eggs in the Europa League basket, and that seems to be bearing fruit. West Ham has qualified for the Europa League semi-final and must be considered one of the favorites. Should they win the Europa League, that would mean the Hammers qualify for the Champions League regardless of their league finish.
If West Ham is to experience European glory this season, it will be important not to lose momentum in the league. That means Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen, and co. will want to bounce back with a victory after being stung by the Bees of Brentford last weekend.
Burnley’s scrap for Premier League survival took a big hit last weekend when the Clarets lost to rock bottom, Norwich. That leaves them precariously balanced in the relegation spots, six points from safety. Long-serving manager Sean Dyche seems to have paid the price for a poor season.
The manager, who was closing in on ten years in charge at Turf Moor, has been sacked on the eve of this fixture.
West Ham vs Burnley FYIs
When is it? Saturday, April 17 2022 2.15 PM Local Time
Where is it? Olympic Stadium, London
What is the WHU Starting XI Prediction? go here
Who’s in form? West Ham (LWDLW) Burnley (LLLWL)
What are the odds? West Ham (-140) Burnley (+400) Draw (+280)
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Team News
Veteran central defender Angelo Ogbonna remains unavailable for selection after suffering an ACL injury at the back end of 2021. The Italian stalwart will miss 12 months after he went under the knife to repair the issue. Unfortunately for Ogbonna, he is unlikely to appear for West Ham prior to the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
The only other injury news for the Irons is Kurt Zouma’s ankle injury. The French center-half missed the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final and gaffer David Moyes did not seem confident when asked about the center-back injury. This is what he had to say prior to the Lyon match –
We’re still getting him checked, so I couldn’t give you an answer on timescale, but he’s not with us today. Unfortunately, Kurt’s got an ankle sprain.”
It will be an interesting battle between two sides at opposite ends of the table. I am curious to see how the Claret players react to Sean Dyche losing his job, and how the Hammers deal with the dreaded continental hangover.
Stuart Kavanagh is an up-and-coming sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is also the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.