West Ham United will be bidding to make it four Premier League victories in a row when they welcome Leeds United to London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Hammers are currently fourth in the table, boasting 37 points from their 21 league matches this season, while Leeds have picked up 19 points from as many matches to sit down in 16th position.
Match preview
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A run of just one win from seven Premier League matches between November 20 and December 26 threatened to derail West Ham's top-four challenge, with the Hammers struggling for results and performances.
However, David Moyes's side have responded in excellent fashion, winning each of their last three in the league against Watford, Crystal Palace and Norwich City to move into fourth position in the table.
West Ham also beat Leeds 2-0 in the FA Cup last weekend, meaning that the capital outfit have been victorious in each of their last four games in all competitions, and they will now end the month with Premier League matches at home to Leeds and away to Manchester United.
The Hammers were not at their best against Norwich on Wednesday night, but a double from the in-from Jarrod Bowen was enough to record a 2-0 victory over the league's basement side.
Moyes's team have the fourth-best away record in the Premier League this season but have only won half of their 10 league matches at London Stadium, and Sunday's contest is threatening to be a tricky affair.
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There is no getting away from the fact that Leeds have struggled to show their best form during the 2021-22 campaign, boasting a record of four wins, seven draws and eight defeats from their 19 matches.
A total of 19 points has left the Whites in 16th position in the table, just eight points clear of the relegation zone, and they have worryingly conceded 15 times in their last four league fixtures.
Marcelo Bielsa's side managed to pick up a huge three points in their last top-flight fixture against Burnley, though, with the hosts running out 3-1 winners at Elland Road courtesy of goals from Jack Harrison, Stuart Dallas and Daniel James.
Leeds are not in any immediate relegation danger at this stage, but Burnley in 17th have two games in hand over the Whites, and losses in their next two against West Ham and Newcastle United would certainly make the club's supporters uncomfortable heading into February.
The Whites have lost their last four matches against the Hammers in all competitions, including a 2-1 defeat when the pair locked horns at Elland Road for the reverse fixture back in September.
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Team News
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West Ham will again be without the services of Kurt Zouma, Ryan Fredericks and Angelo Ogbonna this weekend through injury, while Said Benrahma is absent due to his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Tomas Soucek missed out against Norwich on Wednesday due to a positive COVID-19 test, but Moyes is hopeful that the midfielder will be available to return against Leeds.
Manuel Lanzini could be pushed further forward if Soucek or Mark Noble are available for this match, with Nikola Vlasic potentially dropping out, but Pablo Fornals, Bowen and Michail Antonio will again be certain starters for the top-four hopefuls at London Stadium.
As for Leeds, Liam Cooper, Kalvin Phillips, Tyler Roberts, Joe Gelhardt, Jamie Shackleton and Charlie Cresswell will miss out through injury, while Diego Llorente is absent through suspension.
Bielsa, however, is hopeful that Patrick Bamford, Pascal Struijk and Rodrigo Moreno will all be available for selection following recent issues.
Junior Firpo should also be cleared to play despite suffering a head injury in the FA Cup loss to West Ham, and an attacking front four should include Harrison, James, Raphinha and Bamford.
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Lanzini, Fornals, Bowen; Antonio
Leeds United possible starting lineup:
Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Koch, Firpo; Forshaw, Klich; Raphinha, James, Harrison; Bamford
We say: West Ham United 2-1 Leeds United
This is an important game for West Ham in terms of their top-four hopes, and it would be huge for the Hammers if they could record another win ahead of their trip to Man United. We are expecting Leeds to make it difficult for the home side but believe that West Ham will navigate their way to all three points.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a West Ham United win with a probability of 58.19%. A draw had a probability of 23.3% and a win for Leeds United had a probability of 18.46%.
The most likely scoreline for a West Ham United win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.68%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (11.11%) and 2-1 (9.71%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.07%), while for a Leeds United win it was 0-1 (6.32%). The actual scoreline of 2-3 was predicted with a 1.2% likelihood.
