West Ham v Fulham Betting Tips: Irons to take an entertaining clash?
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Odds and preview of London Stadium clash
The goals have dried up lately for West Ham United. But this could be the day they set the record straight, as leaky Fulham head to London Stadium.
But the Cottagers know it’s make or break for their season. Victory would drag them within five points of safety. Defeat would surely be a hammer blow for their hopes.
Ahead of tonight’s capital clash – live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7:45pm – we’ve got all the odds and info you need…
Head-to-Head
West Ham have generally had the better of this fixture, and were especially dominant in the noughties. The nine meetings from 2005-09 saw six wins for the Irons, alongside three draws.
The hosts can also take heart from their 2-0 win at Craven Cottage in December, where Robert Snodgrass and Michail Antonio bagged the goals.
You have to go back to 2004 for the last time Fulham won away at West Ham. However, this is the first meeting at London Stadium. Will they fare better here than they did at Upton Park?
Likely XIs
The Irons have gone 4-2-3-1 in their previous two home games, and been rewarded with victory over Arsenal and a draw with Liverpool. So chances are Manuel Pellegrini sticks with it.
Manuel Lanzini is fit again after his cruciate injury, and looks set to make his first appearance of the season alongside Declan Rice in a midfield pair.
Up top, Chicharito will be aiming for his first goal of 2019 following a rare barren spell. Having played the last 20 minutes against Crystal Palace last time out, Marko Arnautovic could feature from the bench again.
As for Fulham, they’ve looked slightly more solid when going 5-4-1. In midfield, former Hammer Havard Nordtveit could make his Fulham debut.
Further forward, it’s likely to be a pairing of promotion heroes Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney out wide, behind fiery frontman Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Key Battles
The Cottagers’ defence is very much there to be got at – with Maxime Le Marchand really struggling with the demands of Premier League football.
Up against the smart movement and clinical finishing of Chicharito, the Fulham centre-back could have another torrid day. Especially so with the likely return of Lanzini helping the hosts to build from the back.
The visitors will be hoping they can supply Mitrovic from out wide. The Serbian has scored 10 of their 25 league goals this term, with three of those coming via Sessegnon assists.
With the Irons keen to push forward at home and the visitors sitting ever deeper with that back five in recent weeks, this could well be a case of grinding down the away side for Pellegrini’s men.
Match Odds
Ahead of kick-off, the Irons are 10/11 for victory. Meanwhile, it’s 11/4 for the Draw, with Fulham at 29/10 for a first away win of this Prem campaign.
The Cottagers’ games this season have produced an average of 3.19 goals. Another repeat of Over 2.5 Goals is 4/6, while a West Ham win and Both Teams to Score is 12/5.
The Irons were 2-0 up within half an hour in December’s clash between these sides. They’re 23/10 to lead at the 30-minute mark here.
In the Goalscorer markets, Chicharito is 6/5 Anytime. Meanwhile, Lanzini is 21/10 to mark his return with a goal. And the visitors have Mitrovic at 6/4 to notch.
Click here for the latest West Ham v Fulham odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
