PREVIEW: Swansea v West Ham

 An away game is probably just what the doctored order for the Hammers, particularly when you consider how well we’ve been performing away from home compared to our form at the Boleyn Ground.

And if you add to that the busy schedule of our hosts Swansea City, who face their third game in eight days, this is a big opportunity to start putting points back on the board and climbing up the Premier League table and away from the drop zone.

We’re currently six points off the total we had at this stage last season, which is somewhat frustrating when you consider the way we’ve been playing all season. The home loss to Stoke City aside, we’ve played well and have arguably done enough to take something from the games we’ve already lost this season.

But our lack of clinical strike options up top have cost us so far this season, leaving Sam Allardyce resorting to the now famous 4-6-0 formation. It worked wonders at White Hart Lane, but not so much last weekend at home to Manchester City. We enjoyed some positive periods of play against Pellegrini’s men, but we were eventually beaten by a better side, so we can have no complaints about that.

The fact that we’ve conceded just one goal away from home all season, which came from the penalty spot at Hull, and had only conceded one goal from open play before the City game, a lot of credit has to go to the defence. Winston Reid (as usual), James Tomkins and James Collins have all been in fine form this season and we can be sure to expect more of the same at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Allardyce did not reveal how he’ll line-up for this game, but it won’t be a surprise if he sticks with his 4-6-0 and try and pack out what might be a tired Swansea midfield. It worked against Spurs and and it’ll work against the Swans if it’s executed perfectly.

There’s not a single player who hasn’t had a mad season so far. Ricardo Vaz Te has come in and backed up his claims that he should be played regularly with two goals in two starts, while Ravel Morrison, Stewart Downing and Mark Noble are all impressing.

On paper, this is a game that we can and should win. The only worry, of course, is the lack of options to finish off all the chances we are capable of creating. Carlton Cole‘s experience off the bench could be vital for us, while Mladen Petric has looked a decent player when he’s played. But experience and looking decent is only good if goals come as a result of that, which is what we could really do with while we eagerly await Andy Carroll‘s return.

Nothing’s a certainty in football, but I’m pretty certain we won’t see a repeat of that 3-0 battering we got at the Liberty Stadium last season. We’re more organised and look a lot better this time around, and we could finish the weekend higher than the Swans and, potentially, in the top-half of the Premier League.

Verdict: It’ll be tight, but three points are there for the taking. Smash and grab job for the Hammers.

Team News:

Swansea City (11th, 10 points)

Defender Ashley Williams faces a late fitness test after missing the last five weeks with an ankle injury.

Ben Davis (ankle) will definitely miss out, but Pablo Hernandez returns after a hamstring injury.

West Ham United (15th, 8 points)

Carlton Cole is still a few games from match fitness and should start on the bench, but Andy Carroll, James Collins, Alou Diarra and George McCartney all miss out through injury.

Last five meetings:

Possible starting XI:

Match in Numbers:

4 – West Ham won just four of their 22 league trips to Swansea (D4, L 14).

6 – West Ham are looking for their first back-to-back away wins in the top-flight for almost six years.

29.6 – The Hammers have the worst shooting accuracy in the Premier League so far this season with 29.6%.

1 – Sam Allardyce’s men have conceded just one goal on their travels so far this season.

3.5 – The last 44 league meetings between these two sides have produced an average of 3.5 goals-per-game.

16 – There have 16 goals scored at the Liberty Stadium so far this season, higher than any other Premier League ground.

2 – Ravel Morrison’s two league goals this season have come from his two only shots on target.

18 – Mark Noble has created 18 goal scoring chances this season, more than any other Hammers player.

5 – Five of the eight goals West Ham have conceded this season have come from a set-piece, which is a divisional high of 63%.

6 – West Ham have failed to scored in six of their last nine away matches in the Premier League.

Head-to-Head (all competitions)