TEAM NEWS
West Ham have no new injury worries, with Alex Song hoping to return after a back problem.
Manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed teenage defender Reece Burke will start after impressing on his debut last weekend.
Burnley's Sam Vokes will have a fitness test on the thigh injury that ruled him out of last weekend's defeat by relegation rivals Leicester.
Fellow forward Ashley Barnes is available again after a suspension.
MATCH PREVIEW
Forget "No, Nay, Never"*, for Burnley it's NOW or never for getting the points they need to stay in the Premier League - or they'll "play B****** Rovers" again sooner than they'd like to.
Five points away from safety, the Clarets are more than likely looking at a minimum of three wins from their remaining four games to stay up - a tall order for a team that have only won five of 34 this season.
Scoring goals is the problem, with only one netted in the last eight games and leading scorer Danny Ings without one in nine appearances.
So not a lot of hope then? Well, you wouldn't believe that listening to manager Sean Dyche, whose calm manner and matter-of-fact way of speaking would have us believe that anything is possible.
Lawro's prediction |
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"I think Burnley know their chances of staying up are fading fast. The goals have dried up - for Danny Ings and the rest of the team - and especially with Leicester's form of late, the Clarets are probably looking at their situation and thinking they are doomed."
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He's pointed to Burnley scoring nine in four games at the turn of the year as evidence that there are goals in his team, and called on his players to "retain that relaxed focus and play freely".
With Sam Allardyce having set a target (of sorts) of 50 points and a ninth-place finish to represent "progress" this season, his West Ham team need to re-focus for the run-in - not least to help the position of a boss Stewart Downing says the players "love playing for".
Having won just two of 17 league games since Boxing Day (they'd won nine of their first 17 this season), we're back to a position of there not being a lot of love from many Hammers fans towards Big Sam, who has said there's no truth in reports of talks over a new contract - and seems perfectly relaxed himself about that.
His current deal expires in the summer. He might need a big finish to avoid a new start elsewhere in August.
*The words of Burnley fans' ode to their Blackburn rivals, sung to the tune of "The Wild Rover".
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- The three Premier League meetings between these sides have averaged five goals per game.
- Burnley lost 5-3 on their last Premier League visit to Upton Park in November 2009.
TEAM NEWS
West Ham have no new injury worries, with Alex Song hoping to return after a back problem.
Manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed teenage defender Reece Burke will start after impressing on his debut last weekend.
Burnley's Sam Vokes will have a fitness test on the thigh injury that ruled him out of last weekend's defeat by relegation rivals Leicester.
Fellow forward Ashley Barnes is available again after a suspension.
MATCH PREVIEW
Forget "No, Nay, Never"*, for Burnley it's NOW or never for getting the points they need to stay in the Premier League - or they'll "play B****** Rovers" again sooner than they'd like to.
Five points away from safety, the Clarets are more than likely looking at a minimum of three wins from their remaining four games to stay up - a tall order for a team that have only won five of 34 this season.
Scoring goals is the problem, with only one netted in the last eight games and leading scorer Danny Ings without one in nine appearances.
So not a lot of hope then? Well, you wouldn't believe that listening to manager Sean Dyche, whose calm manner and matter-of-fact way of speaking would have us believe that anything is possible.
Lawro's prediction |
|---|
"I think Burnley know their chances of staying up are fading fast. The goals have dried up - for Danny Ings and the rest of the team - and especially with Leicester's form of late, the Clarets are probably looking at their situation and thinking they are doomed."
|
He's pointed to Burnley scoring nine in four games at the turn of the year as evidence that there are goals in his team, and called on his players to "retain that relaxed focus and play freely".
With Sam Allardyce having set a target (of sorts) of 50 points and a ninth-place finish to represent "progress" this season, his West Ham team need to re-focus for the run-in - not least to help the position of a boss Stewart Downing says the players "love playing for".
Having won just two of 17 league games since Boxing Day (they'd won nine of their first 17 this season), we're back to a position of there not being a lot of love from many Hammers fans towards Big Sam, who has said there's no truth in reports of talks over a new contract - and seems perfectly relaxed himself about that.
His current deal expires in the summer. He might need a big finish to avoid a new start elsewhere in August.
*The words of Burnley fans' ode to their Blackburn rivals, sung to the tune of "The Wild Rover".
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- The three Premier League meetings between these sides have averaged five goals per game.
- Burnley lost 5-3 on their last Premier League visit to Upton Park in November 2009.
West Ham
- West Ham have won just one of their last 12 Premier League matches, and have scored just three goals in their last seven games.
- The Hammers were fourth at Christmas but have since won just twice.
- They have scored 15 headed goals, more than any other team in the top flight.
- Adrian is the ninth goalkeeper in Premier League history to save three penalties in a row; no keeper has ever managed four.
- However, the Hammers are the only top-flight team not to score from the penalty spot this season.
Burnley
- Burnley have failed to score in their last five league matches, spanning seven hours and 59 minutes, and have managed just one goal in their last 10 hours and 39 minutes of Premier League action.
- The Clarets have picked up one point from the last 15 available. Defeat at Upton Park would be their fourth in a row, making it their worst losing run of the season.
- Burnley have conceded exactly twice as many goals as they've scored in the league this season (52:26).
- One third of the goals they have conceded have been from headers, the Premier League's highest proportion.
- West Ham have won just one of their last 12 Premier League matches, and have scored just three goals in their last seven games.
- The Hammers were fourth at Christmas but have since won just twice.
- They have scored 15 headed goals, more than any other team in the top flight.
- Adrian is the ninth goalkeeper in Premier League history to save three penalties in a row; no keeper has ever managed four.
- However, the Hammers are the only top-flight team not to score from the penalty spot this season.
Burnley
- Burnley have failed to score in their last five league matches, spanning seven hours and 59 minutes, and have managed just one goal in their last 10 hours and 39 minutes of Premier League action.
- The Clarets have picked up one point from the last 15 available. Defeat at Upton Park would be their fourth in a row, making it their worst losing run of the season.
- Burnley have conceded exactly twice as many goals as they've scored in the league this season (52:26).
- One third of the goals they have conceded have been from headers, the Premier League's highest proportion.
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