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West Ham logo
Premier League
Aug 22, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
Bournemouth logo

3-4

Noble (48' pen.), Kouyate (53'), Maiga (82')
FT(HT: 0-2)
Wilson (11', 28', 79' pen.), Pugh (66')

Preview: West Ham United vs. Bournemouth

Sports Mole checks on the preparations of both sides ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash between West Ham United and Bournemouth.

Two sides looking to recover from defeats will meet on Saturday when West Ham United host Bournemouth at Upton Park.

The Hammers were unable to build on an excellent start to the season last weekend, while Bournemouth make the trip to London still searching for their first points.


West Ham

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic watches on during the game with Leicester on August 15, 2015© Getty Images

Slaven Bilic was the talk of the Premier League after the first weekend of the new season, but the praise was quickly forgotten last week when the Hammers followed a shock win over Arsenal by losing 2-1 at home to Leicester City.

Second-best for much of the game, the Hammers were justifiably disappointed with a couple of decisions after they were denied a penalty in the first half before Adrian was shown a straight red card late on.

It appeared that West Ham found it difficult to take charge of the game at Upton Park following such an impressive defensive display in the win over the Gunners, but there were still positives for Bilic to take, despite seeing hopes of a six-point start dashed last Saturday.

The game served as more evidence of the quality possessed by Dimitri Payet, whose goal gave West Ham hope in the second half, and the feeling is that if the Hammers are to challenge with the sides in the top half of the table, the Frenchman could be the key man.

More signings seem inevitable before the end of the transfer window as the club desperately search for attacking reinforcements, but neither Emmanuel Adebayor nor Burak Yilmaz appear to be heading to East London, with Galatasaray rejecting a bid for the latter earlier this week.

As West Ham's passionate supporters continue to hope that Bilic is the right man to lead them forward with a new style, the pressure will be on the Croatian's side to prove that they can improve on that memorable display at the Emirates Stadium.

Recent form: WL
Recent form (all competitions): WLDLWL


Bournemouth

AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe looks on prior to the Pre Season Friendly match between Salisbury City v AFC Bournemouth at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium on July 21, 2015© Getty Images

After the celebrations which followed promotion in May and the anticipation ahead of Bournemouth's Premier League debut, the Championship winners have been brought back down to earth with a couple of defeats which have been difficult to accept.

Despite being the better side for much of the opening day, the Cherries started the season with a loss to Aston Villa and another impressive display passed by without a reward as Liverpool claimed a 1-0 victory at Anfield on Monday night.

Eddie Howe watched his side match Liverpool for long spells, and the Bournemouth boss had every right to feel aggrieved when Philippe Coutinho appeared to interfere with play in an offside position as Christian Benteke scored a first-half winner, but he will also be fully aware that the squad must not allow a frustrating decision to affect them for too long.

Bournemouth's players will quickly get tired of being told that they have played well in defeat, and the pressure is now on the Cherries to ensure a losing start does not become a crisis as they look to get their first points on the board in the capital.

It will certainly take some time for the summer signings to gel with their new teammates after the club moved quickly to invest in the squad earlier the window, but the Premier League is an unforgiving place, and Howe will know that his side must not extend a disappointing start to the campaign.

However, more additions seem likely over the next couple of weeks after reports suggested that the club were hopeful of improving their attack by signing Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe.

Transfer speculation is certain to dominate the headlines before the window shuts, but Howe must find a way for the current group to convert a promising display into a positive result as the Bournemouth fans wait anxiously for their first Premier League points.

Recent form: LL


Team News

Darren Randolph of West Ham United in action during the pre season friendly match between Southend United and West Ham United at Roots Hall on July 18, 2015© Getty Images

West Ham failed with an attempt to have Adrian's red card rescinded earlier this week, which means that backup goalkeeper Darren Randolph is set for a starting role with the club still chasing Queens Park Rangers shot-stopper Robert Green.

Bilic could consider changes elsewhere, too, with Pedro Obiang and Argentine attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini among the players pushing to start for the hosts.

Bournemouth have no new injury concerns for the trip to the capital, with Harry Arter still the only notable absentee as he continues to work on his recovery after missing pre-season.

Howe is likely to make changes, though, and Lee Tomlin could be handed his full debut for the club in a move which would see Max Gradel play further forward alongside Callum Wilson.

West Ham possible starting lineup:
Randolph, Jenkinson, Reid, Ogbonna, Creswell, Noble, Kouyate, Obiang, Payet, Lanzini, Sakho

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, O'Kane, Surman, Tomlin, Gradel, Wilson


Head To Head

West Ham and Bournemouth have not met in a league fixture since April 1990. Julian Dicks, who currently serves on Bilic's coaching staff, was on the scoresheet that day in a 4-0 victory for the Hammers.

It was a 2-0 triumph for West Ham in the last competitive meeting, with Marc Keller and Frank Lampard scoring the goals in a League Cup third-round clash.


Video Preview

Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:


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We say: West Ham 2-1 Bournemouth

Bournemouth's first two performances in the Premier League suggest that they will not be emphatically beaten on too many occasions this season, but they will need to capitalise on any chance they create this weekend, which piles the pressure on the likes of Wilson and Gradel. West Ham will be desperate to recover from last week's loss and it could be a narrow win for Bilic's side.



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Darren Randolph of West Ham United in action during the pre season friendly match between Southend United and West Ham United at Roots Hall on July 18, 2015
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