West Ham vs Wolves predicted lineups and team news
West Ham and Wolves suffered damaging midweek defeats and both will be desperate to turn their Premier League fortunes around when they meet at London Stadium on Monday night.
The Hammers dominated their game at Leicester, but failed to capitalise in the moments they were on top and lost 3-1 to a Foxes side rejuvenated under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Wolves were beaten 4-0 by Everton on Wednesday and remain second-bottom of the table with only nine points from their opening 14 matches.
Respective managers Julen Lopetegui and Gary O’Neil are clinging on to their jobs, but the axe could fall on one or both of them if things don’t improve soon.
West Ham vs Wolves team news
Jean-Clair Todibo is West Ham’s only injury doubt for the game. The Frenchman missed the 3-1 defeat at Leicester in midweek with a groin problem.
Lopetegui is expected to recall Michail Antonio up front after he was dropped to the bench for only the third time this season in the league on Tuesday. Antonio will replace Danny Ings with Niclas Fullkrug, the summer signing who has only just regained his fitness, likely to be named on the bench.
Lucas Paqueta will be hoping for a recall alongside Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus in the other three attacking positions, but Tomas Soucek could again get the nod for this must-win clash.
As for Wolves, O’Neil is likely to make a few changes to the line-up, while keeping faith with the three-at-the-back system he has deployed of late.
Toti Gomes could replace Santi Bueno in defence, while Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Hwang Hee-chan are pushing for opportunities out wide and in attack. Craig Dawson looks set to feature against his former club, despite scoring two own goals at Goodison Park last time out.
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West Ham vs Wolves predicted line-ups
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez, Soler; Bowen, Soucek, Kudus; Antonio.
Wolves (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa; Lemina, Dawson, Toti Gomes; Bellegarde, Joao Gomes, Andre, Ait-Nouri; Hwang, Cunha; Strand Larsen.
Under-fire coaches must plug leaky defences
West Ham held discussions at board level following the latest defeat, the fourth in their last seven Premier League games, but decided to keep Lopetegui in place for now.
And Wolves have remained patient with O’Neil this week, despite their travelling support appearing to turn on the manager at Everton with mocking chants and renditions of ‘Nuno’s dream’ in reverence to popular ex-boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Two leaky defences mean there could be a few goals in the game with the Hammers having shipped five against Arsenal prior to Tuesday’s 3-1 loss in Leicester.
Wolves, meanwhile, have conceded an eye-watering 36 goals in 14 matches, which represents their worst defensive record in the top flight at this stage since the 1964/65 campaign.
