West Ham United purpose to finish their six-game winless run towards in-form Fulham.
BBC Sport examines a few of the key themes forward of Saturday’s assembly at London Stadium (15:00 GMT).
Festive failings
The phrase ‘too good to go down’ is one usually utilized in relation to sure Premier League groups, though West Ham’s present run of poor type could imply it isn’t attributed to the Hammers fairly often throughout the festive season.
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The east London membership’s tally of 13 factors is their joint-lowest Premier League tally at Christmas, matching the 13 they recorded in 2010-11 – a marketing campaign wherein they have been relegated after ending backside of the desk.
So whereas the West Ham roster boasts gamers as proficient as Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, they haven’t gained within the Premier League since a 3-2 victory towards on 8 November.
The info means that poor outcomes stem from a squad nonetheless struggling to adapt to go coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s counter-attacking type.
The Hammers have much less of the ball on common than below predecessor Graham Potter, however report fewer photographs on course and fewer touches within the opposition field, alongside going through a higher variety of photographs on course themselves.
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Nuno is averaging simply 0.83 factors per recreation as Hammers boss, the bottom tally of any everlasting supervisor of their Premier League historical past.
Nuno Espirito Santo has the bottom points-per-game tally of any everlasting West Ham supervisor [BBC]
Fulham in type earlier than festive fixtures
Going through in-form Fulham will not be on West Ham’s Christmas record given they’ve misplaced all 5 of their Premier League video games towards fellow London sides this season, conceding 14 objectives and scoring simply twice.
The Hammers final misplaced six consecutive league London derbies between April 1996 and January 1997.
Fulham, in the meantime, have been resurgent in current weeks, successful 4 of their previous six matches.
Solely , and have gained greater than Fulham’s 15 factors for the reason that begin of November, whereas the Cottagers have triumphed of their previous two away Premier League matches, as many as of their earlier 12 fixtures on the highway mixed.
Fulham have been in top-five type for the reason that begin of November [BBC]
Striker Raul Jimenez was the match-winner towards on Monday night time. His decisive penalty equalled former midfielder Yaya Toure’s excellent report of 11 profitable penalties from 11 – the joint finest 100% report within the competitors’s historical past.
Jimenez additionally likes enjoying towards West Ham. He has scored six objectives towards them, his joint finest tally towards any top-flight membership, together with .