West Ham begin their Premier League campaign on Saturday afternoon with a long trip north to take on Premier League newcomers Sunderland.
The Hammers will be eager to open the season on a high following a frustrating 2024-25 campaign. However, newly promoted Sunderland, back in the Premier League after an eight-year exile, will be counting on a raucous Stadium of Light crowd to make life difficult for the visitors from the capital.
West Ham predicted lineup vs Sunderland
West Ham Predicted XI: (3-4-1-2) Hermansen; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka; Potts, Ward-Prowse; Diouf; Paqueta; Fullkrug, Bowen.
West Ham’s backroom staff may have been left scratching their heads wondering how their opening day opponents are going to line up on Saturday given that Sunderland have made no fewer than 11 signings since securing promotion from the Championship.
One of those new signings is former West Ham full-back Arthur Masuaku who has moved to the Stadium of Light on a free transfer from Besiktas. The Black Cats have also brought in Simon Adingra from Brighton and former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka.
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West Ham team news vs Sunderland
Crysencio Summerville is the only confirmed absentee for West Ham as he continues to recover from a long-term hamstring injury, although it may not be long until he’s available for selection again.
There are quite a few selection headaches for Graham Potter to consider though, starting in goal as Alphonse Areola will hope to keep his spot between the sticks under pressure from new arrival Mads Hermansen.
In defence, there will be three positions to compete for with the likes of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo expecting to start while the midfield two could include James Ward-Prowse and academy product Freddie Potts – although Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek will be angling for a starting spot.
New arrival Kyle Walker-Peters will be hoping to compete with Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the right wing-back berth but new arrival El Hadji Malick Diouf is expected to start on the left with Lucas Paqueta playing in the more advanced midfield role.
A final dilemma for Potter will be who partners Jarrod Bowen in attack. New signing Callum Wilson could be forced to settle for a spot on the bench behind Niclas Fullkrug, who scored just three goals in his first season in the Premier League last time out.
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Hammers out to build on late season away form
Although West Ham showed little signs of improvement under Graham Potter last season after hiring the former Chelsea manager to take over from Julen Lopetegui in January, their performances in the final few away games of the season will give supporters hope of some better luck on the road this term.
Having been unfortunate to concede last-gasp winners on away trips to both Liverpool and Brighton in April, the Londoners were able to secure an impressive 0-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford before ending the campaign with a 1-3 victory at already-relegated Ipswich on the final day.
Potter will no doubt have appreciated the time he’s had to work with the squad on the training pitch over the course of the summer and will hope to take the positives from those late season away performances into the new campaign.
Those performances will provide the blueprint for the Hammers on the road this term and fresh arrivals such as Senegal international El Hadji Malick Diouf and former Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen do give the squad a fresh look while Nayef Aguerd returns after some time spent out on loan at Real Sociedad.