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West Ham target Denis Zakaria as a potential replacement for Declan Rice this summer

Tags : Chelsea Denis Zakaria West Ham
Category : Football , Football News , Premier League

Europa Conference League champions West Ham have reportedly identified Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria as the replacement for the departing Declan Rice.

The 26-year-old Swizterland international spent last season on loan at Chelsea after struggling with game time in Turin. However, his loan move to Chelsea did not go to plan, as he made just eleven appearances for the Blues.

Zakaria only moved to Juventus in 2022 after enjoying success at Borussia Monchengladbach. But he made 13 appearances for the Serie A side that season before he was loaned out to Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge side had the option to sign Zakaria on a permanent at the end of the campaign, but they have decided against that.

That has left Zakaria, who is contracted at Juventus until 2026, in limbo as the Old Lady want to sell him permanently this summer.

According to Sportsmail, West Ham have added him to the list of potential signings once the exit of Declan Rice is confirmed.

Arsenal are leading the race to sign the West Ham captain this summer, though the Hammers expect Man City to come in with a bid for the England international.

Meanwhile, West Ham are also targeting Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez and Fulham’s Joao Palhinha. However, deals for both players have been considered difficult to achieve.

Palhinha, in particular, could be difficult to achieve given Fulham want £90million for the midfielder.

Fiorentina vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tags : Conference League Fiorentina West Ham
Category : Conference League , Football , Football prediction , Match Preview

Fiorentina and West Ham United will look to become the 2022/23 Conference League champions when both sides meet at the competition’s final in Fortuna Arena in Prague.

After over a dozen games in Europe, both teams have reached the climax and are desperate to land their first European title in over five decades.

Winning this trophy isn’t just for the sake of winning for both sides, as a win here also offers them a route back to European football after they both finished outside of the European qualification positions in their domestic leagues.

Fiorentina, who finished eighth in the Serie A, qualified for this stage courtesy of a 4-3 aggregate win over Basel. After losing 2-1 at home in the first leg, the Violets defeated Basel 3-1 in extra time away from home to reach this round.

Qualification for this final means they became the first team to reach the final of all four major UEFA competitions. Therefore, their goal now that they are in the final will be to improve their win rate in UEFA finals after lifting a European trophy just once in four prior attempts (W1, L3).

Meanwhile, West Ham United have endured a terrible domestic season, finishing in 14th place in the Premier League.

Yet, they have enjoyed their most successful European season in recent years, going unbeaten throughout this European campaign (W13, D1). David Moyes’ men defeated AZ Alkmaar 3-1 on aggregate to book their place in this round, so they should be confident of winning the most important game of this Conference League campaign.

But, they cannot afford to carry their league form into this game as they won just two of their final seven league fixtures (L5). If they want to win here and lift a second-ever European title, they must keep their European form and improve on their previous performances against Italian sides.

Meanwhile, West Ham have scored an average of 2.25 goals per UECL game this season, while Fiorentina have scored an average of 2.57 goals. So we are expecting over 2.5 goals in this game in Prague.

West Ham United vs Manchester United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tags : Manchester United West Ham
Category : Football , Football prediction , Match Preview , Premier League

West Ham will look to end a poor run of form this Sunday when they welcome Manchester United to London Stadium.

The hosts still look over their shoulders in the relegation fight despite having just four league games to save their Premier League season. This is courtesy of a run of three consecutive league defeats against Liverpool (2-1), Crystal Palace (4-3) and Manchester City (3-0) that has left them sitting just four points above the bottom three ahead of this round of games.

They now face another top-six club, hoping to end their run of three straight defeats and go close to the 40-point mark that guarantees survival. Manager David Moyes will also be desperate to end his side’s three-game winless run of league games at the London Stadium (D1, L2).

However, facing his former club isn’t usually something to look forward to for the manager who’s won just five of his 36 personal H2Hs (D7, L24), including seven defeats from eight in charge of West Ham.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will look to get back to winning ways when they travel to London on Sunday. The Red Devils’ quest for a top-four finish took a big hit in their last outing as they narrowly lost to Brighton (1-0 away from home).

The loss ended a run of five league games without defeat for Erik ten Hag’s men and placed them just four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, who have found renewed hope in the race for the top four.

Despite this, United’s top-four destiny remains in their hands as they have a game in hand over their Merseyside rivals. But, their away form threatens to undo their good work this season, with Ten Hag’s men earning just 24 of their 63 PL points away from Old Trafford.

They have collected just one win from their last five away games in the league (D1, L3). This has been partly caused by a porous defence which has conceded 80% of their PL goals on the road. However, their attack is also partly to blame as Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are leading an attack that has scored the fewest goals of any side starting the round in the top seven (49) but also hasn’t helped.

But facing West Ham should inspire confidence, given the Red Devils’ dominant overall head-to-head record in the PL era (W33, D13, L7).

Meanwhile, West Ham have seen 15 of the 23 PL goals they’ve conceded at home this season arrive before half-time. So, we reckon that a first-half goal prediction is the best for this game.

Click here to get accurate football predictions today.

Liverpool vs Fulham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tags : Liverpool West Ham
Category : Football , Football prediction , Match Preview , Premier League

Liverpool will look to continue their march higher up the table when they welcome Fulham to Anfield this Wednesday.

Just a few weeks ago, the prospect of the hosts not featuring in European competition next season was a genuine reality, with Fulham the side most thought would crack the top six.

But a remarkable turnaround has seen them win four Premier League matches on the bounce to quash those fears. The most recent in that sequence was their dramatic 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.

Despite going 3-0 up after just 15 minutes in that game, Liverpool required substitute Diogo Jota to net a 94th-minute winner to secure all three points.

That result has left them in fifth position going into this game with Fulham. They can still finish in the top four, given that they are currently six points behind Man United, having played a game more. But that will require them to win all their games and hope the Red Devils and Newcastle United drop points.

Meanwhile, a few weeks back, Fulham were expected to be among the top six outsiders. But the Cottagers find themselves ten points behind the top six with almost no chance of European football.

They have lost their last two games, with their last outing a 2-1 loss to Manchester City at home.

They will be desperate to end that losing run and extend their recent unbeaten run against Liverpool to four matches (W1, D2).

However, they have lost seven of the last eight matches against a team starting the day above them in the standings (W1).

So that will be something they look to overcome when travelling to Anfield. But the odds will be stacked against them, given Liverpool’s form at home, and they have lost four of their last five away assignments (W1).

Meanwhile, Liverpool have scored a PL-high 220 goals in Wednesday fixtures while winning their last eight matches on this day. So we can expect another goal-fest and BTTS/GG.

Click here to get a sure home win prediction.

Manchester City vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Analysis

Tags : Manchester City West Ham
Category : Football , Football prediction , Match Preview , Premier League

Manchester City will look to retain their place at the top of the Premier League table when they welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

After taking the title initiative courtesy of a 4-1 win over Arsenal, the hosts shot themselves to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Fulham at the weekend.

The win against the Cottagers was their third win in a down and extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 hands (W15, D3). Goals have been the foundation of that run, as they have scored 3+ goals in 12 of those games.

They are even more dangerous at the Etihad, where they have won their last 13 games in all competitions while scoring 3+ goals in the last seven of those games.

So they will fancy their chances of beating West Ham here. At the same time, a run of just one defeat in their last 16 meetings with the Hammers will boost their confidence (W13, D3).

Meanwhile, West Ham will be desperate to get back to winning ways after losing their last two games to stay within the relegation zone.

Their most recent defeat was a 4-3 loss to fellow Londoners Crystal Palace–their first-ever PL away defeat after scoring thrice. That result kept them four points ahead of the relegation teams with five games to play.

So that makes winning this game necessary as they could find themselves inside the bottom three if they lose here and at the weekend. But with a sorry away from that has won just three games away from home this season (W3, D3, L10), there is little hope they can get an unlikely win here.

Meanwhile, given that the visitors have kept just one clean sheet in their last six games, City’s attack could enjoy another feast at the Etihad. So a high-scoring game with over 2.5 goals is expected.

Click here to get accurate football predictions today.

Crystal Palace vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tags : Crystal Palace West Ham
Category : Football , Football prediction , Match Preview , Premier League

Crystal Palace will continue their fight for Premier League survival this Saturday when they welcome West Ham United to Selhurst Park.

The Eagles have found a new lease of life under veteran manager Roy Hodgson, who cancelled his well-deserved retirement to become Palace manager after the club sacked Patrick Vieira.

Hodgson’s return to the club came with a bang as he won three straight games to steer Palace out of the relegation zone. However, the excitement of the new manager and the positive bounce that came with it has dwindled as Palace are winless and without a goal in their last two games (D1, L1).

Their wait to secure Premier League football continues, as they have yet to reach the magical 40-point margin.

But they have a healthy eight-point advantage over the relegation places, which provides some security.

Meanwhile, West Ham will travel to Selhurst Park looking to rerun to winning ways. David Moyes’ side had a disappointing outing last time, as they were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool in a match marred by late controversy.

While head coach David Moyes could land himself in trouble with the FA for his comments about the referee in the Liverpool game, he will be eager to move on from that result and focus on getting maximum points here.

The Hammers will hit the road in good form, having picked up three wins in their last four away matches (W3, D1), where they conceded only once.

This form hasn’t only resulted in them earning a place in the Europa Conference League semi-final but also doubled their Premier League away points this season with victories over Bournemouth and Fulham.

They will hope to get another positive away result at Selhurst Park against a Palace side yet to click at home.

Meanwhile, both teams have scored in the last eleven head-to-head meetings between both sides. So we can expect BTTS/GG at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp Dismisses Liverpool Top-Four Chances after Win over West Ham

Tags : Liverpool Top Four West Ham
Category : Football , Football News , News , Premier League

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled out his side’s chances of breaking into the Premier League top four following their 2-1 win over West Ham on Wednesday.

The Reds made it three league wins in a row in London on Wednesday, returning from an early 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 thanks to pals from Coady Gakpo and Joel Matip.

The result took them six points behind the top four teams, although Manchester United and Newcastle both have games in hand. As such, Klopp is reluctant to put his team in the mix just yet.

After the game, Klopp told reporters:

“I can’t see the race yet; I can’t. That’s because we are not in the position for a race. So the only thing we can do is keep winning football games. If that puts pressure on other teams, that’s not in our hands because we don’t play them.

“We play Tottenham – that’s it from that area, I think, of teams above us. If they win all their games, that’s it for us. But I don’t think about that.

“I want us to finish the season as good as somehow possible. I want to take something out of the season for next year. If that is European competition, great. If not, we have to accept it as well and go from there. That’s what I want now.”

The Liverpool manager added that he is looking for his side to show their real face from their six remaining fixtures.

“I want us, at least for a few weeks, [to] show our real face – and not the nice one, the ugly one, the nice one, the ugly one. It’s really tough to do that. So now we did it for kind of three games – three-and-a-half, the second half against Arsenal was brilliant as well – all in a different way.”

“Tonight, the first half I liked the most for a long, long time, like the way we controlled the game,” he continued.

“We played here plenty of times; it’s always tough. Result-wise, it looked better from time to time, but the goals we scored were then counter-attacks, stuff like that, quick reacting, all these kinds of things. We controlled the game in a way we never did before against West Ham, and I really liked that.”

Liverpool return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host Tottenham, with Klopp’s side having already climbed above Spurs on goal difference.

West Ham United vs Liverpool: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tags : Liverpool West Ham
Category : Football , Football prediction , Match Preview , Premier League

Liverpool will look to make it three wins in three Premier League games when they travel to London to face West Ham United.

Meanwhile, David Moyes’ side are looking to make it two wins in two league games and to keep their chances of survival alive in this game.

The Hammers took a giant leap towards Premier League survival with a massive 4-0 win over fellow relegation candidates Bournemouth last time. The win made it five games without defeat for the hosts (W3, D2).

The result also saw them score four goals for the second consecutive game after a 4-1 win against Belgian side Gent in the Europa Conference League.

They now sit six points ahead of the relegation zone and will be hoping to keep their run going when Liverpool visits. However, keeping the Reds at bay will be a tall order, considering that only two of West Ham’s last 20 encounters with opposition starting the day in the top half ended in victory (D5, L13).

Jurgen Klopp’s side are unbeaten in twelve of the last 13 head-to-head meetings (W10, D2), although that only loss did come in this fixture last season.

They will look to win here and keep their dreams alive for an unlikely top-four finish. A miraculous 3-2 against Nottingham Forest at the weekend ensured they remained within striking distance of the top four places.

But there is still work to be done to salvage something tangible from the season, as they currently sit seventh in the table.

Meanwhile, West Ham are one of three Premier League teams this season yet to experience a 0-0 draw. So we can expect goals when both teams meet.

Therefore a BTTS/GG prediction would not be out of place.

Saka apologises for COSTLY PENALTY miss

Tags : Arsenal Bakayo Saka Manchester City West Ham
Category : Football , Football News , Premier League

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has apologised to supporters for missing a crucial penalty in his side’s 2-2 draw with West Ham on Sunday.

The England international had the chance to put the Gunners 3-1 up against the Hammers from the penalty spot early in the second half of the game at the London Stadium. But he completely fluffed his lines and sent the penalty well wide of the post.

David Moyes’ West Ham side took advantage of that miss and grabbed an equaliser almost immediately, forcing the Gunners to settle for a point. The result gives title rivals Manchester City fresh impetus in the race for the trophy as Arsenal now sits just four points ahead, with a game more.

After the contest, Saka took to Instagram to apologise to Arsenal fans.

“Regardless of the outcome, I’ll always accept my responsibility. Apologies, Gunners, I’ll do everything I can to make it right,” he said on Instagram.

The latest result was the second game in a row the Gunners have let 2-0 leads slip, having also been held by Liverpool in a thrilling game at Anfield last week.

On Friday, they are back in action against struggling Southampton before they take on Manchester City in a must-win top-of-the-table clash on Wednesday next week.

West Ham vs Newcastle: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Tags : Newcastle United West Ham
Category : Football , Football prediction , Match Preview , Premier League

Eddie Howe and his high-flying Newcastle United side will travel to London this Wednesday to take on relegation-threatened West Ham United.

The Hammers remain embroiled in the relegation battle in the Premier League despite a narrow 1-0 win over relegation battlers Southampton last time out. The win was their second in their last four PL games (D1, L1) and their second clean sheet in that period.

While the win was not enough to move them more than two points above Leicester in 19th position, it at least relieved some pressure on David Moyes and bought him more time. But given the raft of managerial dismissals we witnessed this past weekend in the English top-flight league, Moyes will know he cannot lose more games.

West Ham will host Newcastle, hoping their form at the London Stadium will help them as they are unbeaten in five PL home matches (W3, D2), their longest run of the season.

Meanwhile, Newcastle will look to make it four consecutive wins in the league when they travel to London, having beaten Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United in the last three rounds of league games.

The most recent outing, which saw them exert revenge over Man United with a 2-0, moved them into the top four places on goal difference. So their top four destiny is now in their hands, and they will be desperate to take it.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe urged his side to “build on” as their push for a first PL top-four finish since 2002/03 gathers momentum. His side won’t mind hitting the road in search of rising to the challenge, with their only defeat across their last ten travelling PL games coming at the hands of Manchester City (W5, D4).

The Magpies have been similarly high-flying on their visits to London, too, avoiding defeat in all four PL visits to the capital so far this season (W2, D2), last piecing together a longer such unbeaten run over nine years ago.

Meanwhile, West Ham are the only side in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to score a goal inside the opening 15 minutes this season. So, a first-half goal could be an anomaly here. A low-scoring encounter is also expected, given Newcastle’s solidity in defence.

Click here to get accurate football predictions.

Tag: West Ham

West Ham target Denis Zakaria as a potential replacement for Declan Rice this summer

Fiorentina vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

West Ham United vs Manchester United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Liverpool vs Fulham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester City vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Analysis

Crystal Palace vs West Ham: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Jurgen Klopp Dismisses Liverpool Top-Four Chances after Win over West Ham

West Ham United vs Liverpool: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Saka apologises for COSTLY PENALTY miss

West Ham vs Newcastle: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

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