Latest

Three key battles: Hammers vs Canaries

|
Image for Three key battles: Hammers vs Canaries

Norwich City vs West HamWest Ham take on Norwich City on Tuesday evening, looking to notch a third successive victory in the Premier League. However, the men from East Anglia will be no pushovers, especially after their morale boosting point against Manchester City at the weekend.

Here are three key battles that the Hammers need to win on the night to give them the best possible chance of claiming all 3 points.

Nathan Redmond v Guy Demel/George McCartney

Nathan Redmond is a pacey winger who, alongside Robert Snodgrass, is probably Norwich’s greatest creative force.

With Snodgrass a doubt for this match after missing their last fixture against Manchester City through injury, the onus is likely to be upon Redmond to supply the service for the likes of Gary Hooper up front.

Redmond can pop up on either wing, and likes to take on his full back to get crosses into the box, but is also capable of cutting inside and shooting. Therefore the West Ham full backs, who will most likely be George McCartney and Guy Demel, need to be alert to the danger posed by the former Birmingham City player.

Both have performed well during West Hams recent good form, which has included four clean sheets in the last five league games, but with both players over 30, they could face problems against such a tricky and speedy opponent. How they deal with Redmond could play a huge part in how much of a goal threat Norwich pose the Hammers goal.

Stewart Downing v Martin Olsson

As is the case with Norwich, much of the attacking threat from West Ham is likely to come from the wings, and in particular Stewart Downing on the right hand side.

Downing’s career at Upton Park has been a bit interrupted with several injury problems this season, but when he has played, he has looked very good. His crosses are generally very accurate and he’s very proficient at taking on players with trickery, just as he showed at the weekend against Aston Villa with his assist for the opening goal.

The likes of Kevin Nolan, Carlton Cole and perhaps Marco Borriello will be quite heavily relying upon Downing’s guile to set up goalscoring opportunities for them.

Also, watch out for him cutting inside from the right and shooting from outside the box. The man, who will be tasked with stopping the England winger, is Martin Olsson at left back for the Canaries.

The swede has been in good form this season, and has contributed towards an impressive eight clean sheets in his 21 appearances. He is quick and strong, and certainly won’t be easy to get the better of. An important battle, as Downing has played a big part in West Ham’s recent run of good results.

Mark Noble v Bradley Johnson

Perhaps the most important head-to-head, however, will be the battle for midfield supremacy between two players who often control the tempo of their respective sides.

Mark Noble has been in fantastic form this season for West Ham, being pivotal to the team in terms of helping to protect his back four rom opposition attacks, as well as starting offensive moves with his excellent ball retention and passing ability.

Bradley Johnson performs a similar type of role for Norwich. Whoever can make a bigger influence on the game and get on the ball the most, is likely to see their side on top of the opposition for long periods. You would have to fancy Noble to win this particular battle if he keeps up the same quality levels he has shown in recent games, and if he does, West Ham should be the dominant side and go on to take all three points.

Prediction: A tight, low scoring affair between two defensively minded teams, but West Ham will just sneak it 1-0.

Share this article

1 comment

  • JB says:

    After 26 games to date 11/02/2014:
    Clean sheets; Arsenal 11,Man City 12,Chelsea 11,Liverpool 7,Everton 10,Tottenham 9,Man Utd 8,Newcastle 7,Southampton 10,Hull 7,Aston Villa 7,Stoke 6,Swansea 7, West Brom 5, Norwich 11, Fulham 3, WEST HAM 13! Cardiff 6, Sunderland 7, Crystal Palace 7. Please correct me if any of these figures are wrong, but West Ham definitely have the most.
    West Ham, with 13 clean sheets, have kept the more than anyone else in Premier League games under Sam! And with 4 in the last 4 games, that is phenomenal. I think we all owe Sam an apology in the light of his recent successes. Well done you irons. Great stuff & a great win last night. Keep it up lads

Comments are closed.