When West Ham takes on Watford on Tuesday, they will be looking for their first Premier League victory in three games.
West Ham appear to have lost ground in the hunt for the top four places following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Manchester United and Leeds United.
West Ham will face relegation-threatened Watford in Matchday 24 and will have a good chance to get back on track after back-to-back Premier League defeats.
In the last two rounds, the Hammers had two poor performances. The 3-2 defeat at home to Leeds United came as a huge shock given that it occurred after David Moyes' side had won four consecutive league games.
The Hammers' Matchday 23 setback to Manchester United was unfortunate, as they allowed a late stoppage-time goal to lose the game at Old Trafford.
With 37 points, the Hammers are presently fifth in the league rankings, having played more games than all three of their main rivals, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal. It makes Tuesday's match against Watford a must-win for David Moyes' side, who are looking to put the pressure on fourth-placed Manchester United while staying clear of Tottenham and Arsenal.
In addition to their back-to-back Premier League defeats, West Ham are coming off a grueling FA Cup match against Kidderminster Harriers that lasted until the 120th minute, with Jarrod Bowen saving the day with a late winner.
Jarrod Bowen is one Hammer in particular who deserves special attention. The English midfielder has been outstanding for West Ham recently, and he should be at the top of the priority list for the game's anytime goalscorer.
Bowen is now starring alongside Michail Antonio in a leading role. As a result, he has scored four goals in his past four outings for West Ham.
Watford, their midweek opponent, is languishing at the bottom of the ladder. The Londoners are currently in the relegation zone, just two points ahead of bottom club Burnley, with only 15 points on the board. The Hornets have gone ten games without a win in all competitions, with their previous triumph coming against Manchester United in November.
Team News
Watford did, however, bring in veteran Roy Hodgson to take over from Claudio Ranieri for the remainder of the season. The former England manager's stint began with a goalless draw against Burnley. The visitors are likely to be satisfied with a similar outcome, yet given West Ham's recent run, Hodgson's side will be confident of stealing three points at the London Stadium this week.
Following his late return from international duty, West Ham will hope to welcome Michail Antonio back into the starting lineup, but Angelo Ogbonna is still recovering from knee surgery.
Lukasz Fabianski, the first-choice goalkeeper, did not involved against Kidderminster a few weeks after reporting a positive COVID-19 test, but he should be good to replace Alphonse Areola in goal here.
Moyes will not hesitate to relegate some of the weekend's under-performers to the bench, including Alex Kral and Andriy Yarmolenko, while Craig Dawson, Tomas Soucek, and Pablo Fornals return.
Arthur Masuaku (knee) and Manuel Lanzini (calf) have both been ruled out for the hosts, and Kurt Zouma will almost certainly not be considered for selection after a horrifying video emerged of the centre-back striking and kicking his pet cat.
In Watford's case, Emmanuel Dennis will return from suspension in time to lead the line, with one of Joao Pedro or Ken Sema expected to make way.
Following his success at the AFCON, Ismaila Sarr could return to Watford. Sema or Kucka might be replaced by the Senegalese international. However, in central midfield, Hodgson is poised to remain with Moussa Sissoko and Edo Kayembe, with Tom Cleverley as a backup.
Watford are still without Nicolas N'Koulou on the defensive side of the pitch owing to injury. It leaves Hodgson with little choice but to stick with the same backline that started against Burnley, with fullbacks Kiko Femenia and Hassane
Kamara assisting Samir and Craig Cathcart in the centre.
Scores Predictions
Given West Ham's poor form and Watford's new manager, this is a tough game to call. Watford's unexpected victory is possible, but West Ham will almost certainly field their strongest XI after their peripheral players were nearly embarrassed by Kidderminster.
Both sides are expected to take a pragmatic and defensive approach, which could result in a low-scoring match. The home crowd will undoubtedly benefit West Ham, while the return of big players may just be enough to enable them overcome the relegation candidates.
I think West Ham United can beat Watford 2-1 at the end of the game.
Please lets have your thought and prediction on this game, thank you.
Great game it was from all sides.
Watford really did well even though West ham took all three points from them.
Great performance from both side us you said.
Sure👍👍