Bournemouth vs West Ham prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-04-22 13:00.
Manager Gary O’Neil warned his Bournemouth team that they are “still in a scrap” to maintain their place in the Premier League (PL) despite pulling clear of the relegation zone thanks to three wins in their last four outings (L1). Indeed, the Cherries come into the round six points clear of the bottom three, but their boss is all too aware that their current total of 33 points “is not going to be enough” to beat the drop.
Even knowing more points are needed, things are looking far rosier for the South Coast outfit, who head into this fixture against fellow relegation strugglers West Ham buoyed by back-to-back victories for the first time in 2023. They are now looking to replicate that form at the Vitality Stadium on a more consistent level, with just two wins from their last eight home outings across all competitions (D2, L4) a little concerning.
History suggests they might be able to improve that record here, given the Hammers have only beaten Bournemouth away once in their history (D4, L2). However, David Moyes’ side make the journey south full of confidence after booking their place in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals by beating Gent 4-1 on Thursday night, leaving West Ham with the bizarre possibility of potentially winning a European competition and also being relegated in the same season!
Moyes said he would allow his players to “enjoy” their European exploits for an hour, as he tries to ensure they don’t take their eye off the ball domestically. A victory in this match would lift them above their opponents in the table and further enhance their own chances of survival following a run of one defeat in nine outings across all competitions (W5, D3), although they have worryingly won only one of their last 12 away league fixtures (D3, L8).
Key battle: After netting against Spurs last weekend, Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke has lost just two of the last 18 games in which he has scored (W12, D4). Trying to thwart him might be Hammers goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański, who is going in search of his first away win against the Cherries (D1, L4) having conceded at least two goals on four occasions.
Hot stat: West Ham are the only team in the PL yet to score a goal in the opening 15 minutes of their league matches this season.