Burnley vs West Ham United

Mid-table West Ham United travel to Turf Moor to encounter Premier League basement boys Burnley in a high-stakes encounter.

With two points fewer to their name after 12 Premier League matches than the disgraceful Derby County side of 2007/08 who hold the division’s unwanted record of fewest points in a season, relegation looks like a virtual-certainty for Burnley. Despite Eveton’s notorious ten-point deduction during the international break, the ‘Clarets’ start this round pinned to the bottom of the table after losing as many as ten of their opening 12 league games (W1, D1). However, they’ve somehow resisted the temptation of firing under-fire manager Vincent Kompany despite losing all six top-flight outings at Turf Moor this term via an aggregate score of 18-4. Another mistake could prove the end of the road for the Belgian, who bids to end Burnley’s underwhelming four-game winless H2H streak against West Ham (D2, L2).

It’s not like the visitors are having a dream campaign either, despite fighting back to beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 at home last time out, halting a disappointing three-game losing league stretch. Manager David Moyes continues to walk a tightrope as West Ham head into proceedings stranded in mid-table, eight points adrift of fifth-placed Aston Villa. While their record after 12 Premier League games stays perfectly balanced (W5, D2, L5), a three-game losing run on the road threatens to tilt the scales in Burnley’s favor. Despite West Ham’s notoriously inconsistent performances away from home, their last five top-flight travels have seen over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring, highlighting the potential for a high-stakes contest.