Four Things to Watch for when West Ham hosts Fulham

West Ham hosts Fulham in a London derby at the London Stadium Saturday night on matchday Eight.

The Hammers are expected to get a result against the Cottagers who are currently 17th in the Table. West Ham are 14th in the Premier League table and could jump up the table with a victory. Here are things to watch for.

The Haller Debate Rages On

Sebastian Haller’s performance vs Liverpool did nothing among the fanbase to quiet the Haller debate. Is he good or not? Did he perform well? Does he fit Moyes’ current system?

It seems unlikely that Haller doesn’t start this week vs Fulham. But once again it will be interesting to see if Moyes changes any of the players around him, changes the formation or his approach. Prior to last week, it was a winning (or non-losing) side. He doesn’t have to stick with that here. And against a bottom club, the Hammers should be setting up to go for the win.

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Of course, Moyes could choose to leave Haller on the bench and start a front three of Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen and Andriy Yarmelenko. Or he could play Yarmelenko through the middle. And maybe Fornals loses his spot to Said Benrahma. But all of these moves are meant to address the central issue—is Sebastian Haller the solution to the Antonio injury or does his play just add to the problem Moyes has in replacing his first-choice striker.

Take a Breath, The Tough Run of Fixtures is Over

When West Ham’s fixture list was released, the just-completed run of six fixtures vs Top 6 sides from last season looked like a very daunting start to the season. Relax. It’s over. And West Ham pulled 8 points from these difficult matches highlighted by back to back clean sheets. Just about everyone would’ve taken that beforehand. And they could’ve earned points vs Arsenal and Liverpool too.

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So now that it’s over, things get really difficult for the Irons. These matches aren’t played on paper, so the club have to turn up, perform well and earn their points. Nobody is rolling over for anyone in the Premier League. And as long-time observers of West Ham can attest, there are matches from every season where a result was expected and it wasn’t earned. (Brighton away anyone?) The Irons can’t afford that attitude vs any opponent after being in a relegation battle the last two years. And that starts this week vs Fulham.

This next part of the season also needs to be approached differently by the Manager. Some players have already talked about this in the press. It’s one thing to soak up pressure, hit on the counter and earn tough points against better clubs. Now the goal will be for the Hammers to retain the ball, create offence on their own and score goals from their style of play. Without Antonio mind you. There are no moral victories when playing two sides in the bottom four in the next two matches.

Said Benrahma Into the Starting XI

It could be this match, or maybe after the international break when the club faces Sheffield United. But Said Benrahma should get into the Starting XI. Reports say that he has been working his socks off in training to impress the manager and backroom staff enough to earn his place in the XI.

The newest signing got some game action vs Liverpool, but in typical Moyes fashion, it was too late in the contest for him to have any real impact on the match. As already noted, having a playmaker alongside Haller could be just what is needed. But Moyes has to agree that now is the time.

Now is the time.

Next. Which West Ham Players Are Close to Being Dropped?. dark

Where to Watch

West Ham vs Fulham TV Coverage:

UK: BT Sport Box Office USA: Peacock CAN: DAZN AUS: Optus Sport CHN: QQ Sports Live

MEX: Sky HD UAE: Be In Sports Connect

Four Things to Watch For: West Ham vs Fulham

By Jeff Catlin | Nov 5, 2020