West Ham have risen up the Premier League standings following a swift upturn in form, which has seen the Hammers defeat Chelsea and Stoke City either side of a goalless draw with Arsenal- securing clean sheets in each match.
David Moyes has led his side out of the relegation zone but the fight must continue, with this weekend’s clash with fellow strugglers Newcastle United being extremely significant- and the form guide certainly favours the Hammers.
Newcastle head into the game on the back of a run that has seen them lost eight of their last nine games, losing four consecutive games in the process, and it’s expected that the Hammers will inflict further misery upon Rafael Benitez’s side this weekend.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson is another one of those who expects West Ham to be victorious as he predicts a 2-0 win for the Hammers and identified one player who will be crucial in the process. Writing in his weekly predictions, he said:
“Newcastle put in a good performance against Arsenal and were unlucky. You look at games like that and think ‘if you can play like that against Arsenal, why not against clubs lower down the league?’ You have to do it week-in-week-out, against teams around you.”
“West Ham are playing really well. They were outstanding against Stoke. I am not sure Newcastle will be able to handle Marko Arnautovic. David Moyes is doing a great job.”
Extending a fine run of form would be the perfect present to West Ham fans in the days building up to Christmas and would provide a huge boost in the battle to avoid relegation.
