West Ham Clinging to a Last Straw
This Sunday at 5:00 PM, the big showdown in the Premier League takes place. With one matchday remaining, not all decisions have been made by any means. The third team to be relegated to the Championship is still up for grabs, and here the “Hammers” are teetering on the brink.
The “Irons” have managed just nine wins and nine draws so far. Their total of 36 points currently puts them in 18th place, meaning relegation to the second tier. They trail Tottenham by two points, with the Spurs holding a significantly better goal difference. So they must hope that Everton lends a helping hand with an away win against the Lilywhites. After their recent losing streak, however, it will be difficult for West Ham to secure a win on their own.
Because the “Peacocks” have been in excellent form in recent weeks. After 37 games played, the visitors have 11 wins and 14 draws to their credit. Their total of 47 points currently puts them in 14th place. An away win could see them move up two spots in the standings.
West Ham – Leeds Head-to-Head Record
In the Premier League, the two teams have faced each other 75 times so far. The record stands at 40 wins to 17 losses in favor of the visitors. Across all competitions, there have been 81 meetings with an overall record of 18-22-41. This season, the two teams have faced each other twice. In the first leg, the “Peacocks” won 2-1, and in the FA Cup quarterfinals, the visitors prevailed in a penalty shootout. The “Hammers” have won only three of their last twelve home games against Leeds. In the last five matchups, there have been more than 2.5 goals scored in each game.
West Ham – Leeds Prediction
Things haven’t gone well for the Hammers since the start of the season. Since Matchday 1, the hosts have consistently been in the relegation zone and have never managed to climb out of the bottom of the table. After 2011, they face the threat of another drop to the second division. The leaky defense is certainly one reason for their poor performance. They’ve had to fish the ball out of their own net 65 times. Only the teams already relegated—Wolverhampton and Burnley—conceded more goals. Things didn’t go much better on offense. With just 43 goals scored, they rank 16th in that statistic. The team’s top scorer is Jarrod Bowen with a mere eight goals.
The promoted side from Leeds put up a valiant fight in their first year after promotion. The goal of avoiding relegation was ultimately achieved with ease. The “Peacocks” have now gone eight league games without a loss, racking up four wins and four draws. They’ve found the back of the net 49 times. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the top scorer for Coach Daniel Farke’s squad, has netted 14 times.
The 53 goals conceded are only enough for a spot in the lower mid-table in this regard. The visitors have already come out on top twice this season against head coach Nuno Espírito Santo’s side.
Miracles happen time and again in soccer, but we don’t believe the “Irons” will be able to avoid relegation. Their form in recent weeks hasn’t been up to par, and the “Spurs” have everything in their own hands in front of their home fans to secure their place in the league with a point. Leeds, on the other hand, is coming off a strong run, and we don’t think the “Peacocks” are without a chance in the upcoming match either.
The hosts must win and will approach the match with an open game plan. Therefore, we expect quite a few goals in this matchup. So, between West Ham and Leeds, at odds of 1.70, betting on over 2.5 goals is a good choice. The “Whites” have lost only one of their last eleven away games.
