West Ham vs Sheffield United preview, team news, player to watch & prediction

West Ham United will be looking to move into the top half of the Premier League table with a win over Sheffield United at the London Stadium this weekend.

The Hammers currently sit 11th in the division after being easily beaten 2-0 by Everton at Goodison Park last Saturday afternoon with goals from Bernard and Gylfi Sigurdsson securing a routine win for the Toffees.

Boss Manuel Pellegrini will therefore be desperate to get back to winning ways on Saturday and build some momentum as it’s been an inconsistent start to the new campaign for the east Londoners.

However, West Ham will take on a Sheffield United side who’ll be in high spirits following their shock 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Monday night. Gunners fans were left raging after the game due to a couple of controversial decisions but Sheffield United didn’t care and they’ll be looking to build on that win with another positive result in the capital.

Team news

West Ham will have to make a late check on the fitness of Aaron Cresswell as the defender is a doubt with a groin injury while Winston Reid remains on the sidelines with a knee problem.

Michail Antonio is also still on the treatment table with a long-term thigh injury while Lukasz Fabianski is out for the foreseeable future after undergoing surgery on a thigh injury.

Jack Wilshere is pushing for a recall after being named on the bench last time out while Andriy Yarmolenko could also come in to the attack in place of Pablo Fornals.

As for Sheffield United, they suffered no fresh injury problems during the win over Arsenal and are expected to have a fully-fit squad to choose from this weekend.

Player to watch

Declan Rice: The midfielder had a rare off day against Everton but he’s become one of West Ham’s most important players and is now a regular in the England set-up. When he’s on form, Rice oozes class and sets the tempo for the Hammers so Pellegrini will be hoping he’s back to his best against Sheffield United. However, Rice was recently pranked by team mate Mark Noble and West Ham sponsors Betway Soccer when they pretended to have his car clamped. Let’s hope Rice doesn’t lose his head on Saturday like he did in this video!

Prediction

West Ham 1-0 Sheffield United: West Ham are struggling to score goals this season as they’ve managed just 11 in their 9 Premier League games so far this season while Sheffield United have scored just 8 so I certainly don’t expect a goal-fest in London this weekend. The Blades also have the joint best defensive record in the division with just 7 goals conceded so they’ve proven to be extremely difficult to break down.

However, West Ham desperately need to get back to winning ways after a few disappointing results and Pellegrini will be demanding a response from his players. I don’t envisage a classic at the London Stadium but I do think the Hammers extra quality in attack will mean they edge it 1-0.