Mark Lawrenson has predicted that West Ham United will continue their good run by picking up all three points against Norwich City.
The newly-promoted side have lost two of their opening three games so far, conceding eight goals in the process and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday against Crawley.
Lawrenson singled out Teemu Pukki as the Canaries’ biggest threat but highlighted their defensive fragilities that have already come to light in the opening month.
The Match of the Day pundit claimed that Norwich will get punished if they continue on the same path, and predicted that the Hammers will pick up a 2-0 win.
“I said at the start of the season Teemu Pukki would do well to get 10 goals but he is on five already,” Lawrenson said on the BBC Sport website.
“My great worry about Norwich is defensively, they have conceded eight goals. You get so heavily punished in this league. They will rely on winning enough games and generally, those wins come at home.”
OPINION
Lawrenson is right, if you don’t get your defensive set up sorted in the Premier League, you will not get away with it like you possibly could when playing in the Championship. West Ham have also conceded seven goals, and Manuel Pellegrini will not be best pleased with his side’s effort this season but will recognise that they have already played Manchester City. Both sides have had similar starts, and have highlighted that they can both score goals and concede them at the same time. It is all good to point out Pukki as a danger, but with Sebastien Haller opening his account against Watford – the Frenchman could definitely pick up where he left off. The Hammers can really kickstart their season before the international break, with a victory making it two in a row before the break. Norwich have been really fragile and have looked like conceding at any point, and that is what West Ham must prey on going into the game at the London Stadium.
