Elland Road hosts a relegation six-pointer on Wednesday night as West Ham travel to face a Leeds United side hovering just above them in the table.
The Hammers’ horrendous run of form continued with the 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford on December 30th, leaving David Moyes’ side teetering on the brink as the new year came around, sitting outside the drop zone on mere goal difference coming into their midweek clash.
Leeds, however, earned an impressive point at Newcastle on New Year’s Eve and could inflict further damage on a Hammers side on home turf as uncertainty around Moyes’ future remains.
Leeds vs West Ham Betting Tips
Team news
Leeds are not expected to have Patrick Bamford’s attacking abilities in their arsenal as he continues his recovery from groin surgery and a bout of illness.
Archie Gray and Stuart Dallas remain out of contention, but Adam Forshaw’s half-time exit against the Magpies does not keep him out of the encounter and he is expected to be fit.
Kurt Zouma and Maxwel Cornet are absent for West Ham, along with Michail Antonio, who is ill.
Nayef Aguerd suffered from the effects of a virus while on World Cup duty with Morocco but is being considered for a role at Elland Road.
Leeds to win @ 8/5
Only Sir Alex Ferguson has won more Premier League away games at Elland Road than Moyes – with the elder Scot leading 5-3 – but the Hammers’ torrid recent run suggests their boss faces a mammoth task if he is to close the gap this season.
West Ham have now lost five straight Premier League games and failed to win away at similarly low-ranked teams such as Nottingham Forest, who beat them 1-0, and Southampton, with whom they drew 1-1.
While the hosts’ form at Elland Road has left much to be desired this season, with just one win picked up in their last six, they have endured a tough run of games. Jesse Marsch’s side have come up against Manchester City, Arsenal and an impressive Fulham in that time, all of whom earned victories, but Leeds did pick up five points from games with struggling sides in Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Everton.
Under 2.5 goals @ EVS
Though they have faced two top sides in Newcastle and Man City, it must be noted that Leeds have only scored one goal since the Premier League’s restart – a Pascal Struijk effort at home to the champions.
West Ham, too, have scored only a solitary strike, with Said Benrahma netting a penalty as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.
With Leeds’ main outlet Bamford still struggling for fitness and the Londoners’ frontman Antonio revealed to be ill by Moyes during his pre-match press conference, any hopes the neutral might harbour of witnessing a goalfest at Elland Road might be misplaced.
The Hammers have scored just 13 goals in the league all season, with only Wolves and Nottingham Forest managing fewer.
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