Two out-of-form teams will lock horns at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon as Burnley welcome West Ham United for what is a hugely important Premier League fixture.
Burnley have lost each of their last three in the league to drop into 14th position in the table, while West Ham are 13th having failed to pick up all three points since overcoming Manchester United on September 22.
Match preview
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Three wins, three draws and five defeats - that is how Burnley have performed in the Premier League this season, with a total of 12 points leaving them in 14th position in the table. It has not been a terrible start to the campaign for the club, although their recent form will be concerning their fans.
Indeed, since beating Everton 1-0 at the start of October, the Clarets have lost three straight league fixtures to Leicester City, Chelsea and Sheffield United. Granted, losing to Leicester and Chelsea was not much of a surprise, but the 3-0 defeat away to Chris Wilder's side last weekend came as a shock.
Burnley's next three matches are huge when considering that they will host West Ham and Crystal Palace while also travelling to Watford ahead of a home fixture with the champions Manchester City on December 3.
Dyche's side might be just four points clear of the relegation zone, but they are also just four points off the top six and therefore a solid return from their next three matches would surely propel them up the division.
The Clarets have also won two of their last three Premier League matches with West Ham, including a 2-0 victory when the pair locked horns in the corresponding game during the 2018-19 campaign.
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When West Ham beat Man United 2-0 on September 22, there were suggestions that the London club were capable of pushing for a top-six finish during the 2019-20 season.
A 4-0 loss at Oxford United in the EFL Cup quickly followed, though, and it has been a struggle since then. A decent point was secured away to Bournemouth on September 28, but the Hammers have lost three of their last four in the Premier League against Palace, Everton and Newcastle United.
Steve Bruce's side recorded a 3-2 win at the London Stadium last weekend, and there have been suggestions that Manuel Pellegrini's job is under threat following a poor run of results.
The importance of this weekend's game is shown by the fact that West Ham will face Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal in their next four. The last thing that the capital outfit need is another loss against an out-of-form side ahead of a very difficult run of fixtures.
Summer arrival Sebastian Haller has contributed four Premier League goals this season, but big-name players in the shape of Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson have seriously struggled for form.
Burnley form: WDWLLL
West Ham form: WDLLDL
Team News
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Burnley will once again be without the services of Johann Berg Gudmundsson due to a hamstring problem, but Chris Wood is in line to feature after recovering from a thigh injury.
Wood has missed his team's last two matches but is expected to make the XI on Saturday, with the 27-year-old set to resume his partnership with Ashley Barnes, who has penned a new long-term deal at the club.
Danny Drinkwater is unlikely to be available despite returning to training, though, meaning that Jack Cork and Ashley Westwood should continue in the middle of the park.
As for West Ham, Lukasz Fabianski, Michail Antonio and Winston Reid are still on the sidelines, but Jack Wilshere could be involved as he battles to overcome a groin issue.
Ryan Fredericks and Lanzini could both return to the XI having been named on the bench against Newcastle, although Robert Snodgrass is expected to keep his position in an attacking role.
Pablo Fornals is another option in midfield, although the Spaniard is unlikely to start having failed to impress since arriving from Villarreal over the summer.
Burnley possible starting lineup: Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters; Hendrick, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Wood, Barnes
West Ham possible starting lineup: Roberto; Fredericks, Diop, Balbuena, Cresswell; Noble, Rice; Snodgrass, Lanzini, Anderson; Haller
We say: Burnley 1-1 West Ham
Both managers will be wary of what type of damage another defeat could cause and therefore it would not be a surprise to see a cagey match. We are really struggling to separate the two teams in this one.
Matt Law
