WEST HAM UNITED v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Thursday 1st January 2015, 3:00pm
Upton Park

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 98th competitive meeting of the two clubs. Both Albion and the Hammers currently have 38 wins to their name.

Albion's game on New Year's Day last season saw the Baggies beat Newcastle United 1-0 at The Hawthorns thanks to a late Saido Berahino penalty.

New Year's Day 2014 saw West Ham beaten 2-1 at Fulham.

Albion have won just three of the previous 13 Premier League matches with West Ham.

Five of the last eight meetings between the two sides have ended in draws.

Albion's last six games: Stoke City (A) 0-2; Manchester City (H) 1-3; Queens Park Rangers (A) 2-3; Aston Villa (H) 1-0; Hull City (A) 0-0; West Ham United (H) 1-2.

West Ham's last six games: Arsenal (H) 1-2; Chelsea (A) 0-2; Leicester City (H) 2-0; Sunderland (A) 1-1; Swansea City (H) 3-1; Albion (A) 2-1.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Jonas Olsson remains out due to his Achilles injury whilst Victor Anichebe is also missing due to his ongoing groin problem.

Sebastien Pocognoli, Stephane Sessegnon and James Morrison all face fitness tests ahead of the trip to East London after picking up knocks prior to and during the game at Stoke City on Sunday.

West Ham United

Hammers' defender James Tomkins misses the game through suspension so James Collins is likely to partner Winston Reid at the back. Loanee Carl Jenkinson returns to the squad after being forced to sit out the game with parent club Arsenal.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 7/2, West Ham United Win: 17/20, Draw: 23/10.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Berahino 13/2, Ideye 15/2, Anichebe 9/1, Samaras 10/1, Sessegnon 11/1, Gardner 12/1, Blanco 12/1, Varela 12/1, Dorrans 14/1, Brunt 16/1, Morrison 16/1, Dawson 25/1, McAuley 25/1, Mulumbu 25/1, Lescott 28/1, Baird 33/1, Yacob 33/1.

West Ham United: Carroll 9/2, Sakho 9/2, Valencia 9/2, Cole 13/2, Zarate 13/2, Nolan 15/2, Downing 8/1, Amalfitano 11/1, Noble 12/1, Kouyate 14/1, Jarvis 14/1, Song 20/1, Cresswell 25/1, Tomkins 25/1, Reid 25/1, Collins 33/1.

No Goalscorer: 9/1.

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REFEREE

Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire)

Moss has officiated one Albion game so far this season - the 4-0 win at home to Burnley back in September.

He took charge of three Albion games during 2013/14 - the 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester United in March, the 1-1 draw at home to Hull in December and the 4-1 defeat at Liverpool in October.

The West Yorkshire official last took charge of a West Ham game back in November - the Hammers drawing 0-0 at home to Aston Villa.

West Ham lost all four games in which Moss officiated them last season - the 1-0 defeat at Everton in March, the 6-0 thrashing at Manchester City in the Capital One Cup in January, the 3-1 defeat at Norwich in November and the 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke in August.

Moss has handed out 53 yellow cards and six red in the 15 games he has refereed so far this season.

A full run-down of Moss' history refereeing the Baggies can be found here

TICKET INFORMATION

Albion's allocation of tickets for the game have now sold out.

WEATHER FORECAST

Thick cloud, 9°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT UPTON PARK

West Ham United 3-3 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 28th December 2013, 12.45pm

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Diame, O’Brien, Tomkins (Demel 10), McCartney; Rat, Nolan, Noble, Jarvis; Joe Cole (Collision 83); Carlton Cole (Maiga HT). Subs not used: Adrian (gk), Taylor, Diarra, Chambers.

Goalscorers: J Cole 6, Maiga 65, Nolan 67

Booked: C Cole 44 (foul), Nolan 57 (foul), Diame 81 (foul)

Albion: Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Lugano (Amalfitano 68), Ridgewell; Morrison (Yacob 78), Mulumbu, Brunt (c); Anelka; Berahino (Sessegnon 85). Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Vydra, Dawson, Sinclair.

Goalscorers: Anelka 40 & 45+1, Berahino 69

Booked: Mulumbu 48 (foul), Ridgewell 90 (time-wasting)

Attendance: 34,946

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

Three goals in four second-half minutes meant Barclays Premier League strugglers West Ham and West Brom had to settle for a share of the spoils from a 3-3 draw at Upton Park. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce had labelled the game a 'must win' for his side, who remain 19th in the table and without a league victory in December. Joe Cole seemed to alleviate the pre-game nerves for the Hammers when he scored early on, only for Nicolas Anelka to score his first two West Brom goals before the interval. Anelka, who was Allardyce's talisman during his latter days as Bolton boss, had not featured for the Baggies in over two months but was named as one of six changes to Keith Downing's starting line-up from the Boxing Day draw at Tottenham. The visitors had looked comfortable at 2-1 but two goals in two minutes from half-time substitute Modibo Maiga and skipper Kevin Nolan put West Ham back in front. Downing's side did not let their heads drop and were back in the game almost instantly with a very smart finish from Saido Berahino.

The two sides met less than 48 hours after both had been involved in tough Boxing Day fixtures and, with neither side in any sort of form, a draw was arguably the most likely outcome. West Brom captain Chris Brunt had a great chance to open the scoring after just four minutes as he arrived unmarked at the back post but could only fire James Morrison's cross in to the side netting. Cole went one better moments later as Jussi Jaaskelainen's goal kick found it's way to the midfielder courtesy of Carlton Cole and Nolan, with the former Liverpool man finishing low under Ben Foster for his third goal of the campaign. Allardyce has been struggling with injuries to his defensive line in recent weeks and he lost James Tomkins to what looked like a groin problem with only 10 minutes on the clock. Guy Demel replaced Tomkins in a Hammers back four which no longer contained any recognised central defenders. The Hammers may have had less penetration in the first half but they created much more as an attacking force, Carlton Cole was proving a constant threat and Demel clipped a post from close range at the end of a flowing move before West Brom made their own pressure count. Brunt poked a perfectly-weighted through pass in to the path of Anelka, who timed his run well before side-footing the ball past the on-rushing Jaaskelainen to level proceedings and become the eighth player to score for six different Premier League clubs. The former Chelsea and Arsenal striker added his second in first-half injury time following a disputed corner which was poorly defended by West Ham. Anelka reacted quickest to Carlton Cole's goal-line clearance from Jonas Olsson's header to beat Jaaskelainen and put the visitors in front at the break.

Allardyce introduced Maiga at half-time with Carlton Cole, who had been cautioned towards the end of the half, making way. However, it was West Brom who started brightly once more and Anelka came close to scoring his hat-trick inside the opening two minutes of the second half. Billy Jones skipped past Razvan Rat with ease and pulled the ball back towards the former France international, whose effort was kept out by Jaaskelainen at his near post. Berahino arrowed a low effort wide five minutes later as the Baggies, who had made six changes as opposed to West Ham's two, remained the fresher side. Foster had been largely untroubled in the West Brom goal but that was all to change as the former Manchester United goalkeeper was forced into action just after the hour-mark as he pushed away Maiga's curling effort at full stretch to keep his side ahead. Moments later, however, Maiga got the better of Foster as he gathered a pass from Nolan and bent in a low shot that went through the diving goalkeeper. The equalising goal had the home fans singing en mass for the first time in the game and the tempo was raised even higher just two minutes later as Nolan bundled the Hammers in front once again. Maiga was heavily involved once more as he headed back across goal where Nolan was on hand to turn the ball home. The delirium amongst the West Ham supporters was short-lived as Berahino rifled an effort in off the post to draw the teams level with 20 minutes remaining. Brunt almost capitalised on defensive indecisiveness from West Ham to put the Baggies back in front but his powerful volley was struck straight at Jaaskelainen, who held the ball well. The experienced Finn, recalled by Allardyce following Adrian's shaky display against Arsenal, was left stranded shortly afterwards as Berahino struck a free-kick which cracked off the post. That proved to be the closest either side could come to mustering a winning goal with both having reasons to be upset at having to go home with just a point apiece.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was Albion's player / reserve team coach for two years under Brian Talbot from 1989-1991. Dudley-born Allardyce made just one substitute appearance for the club.

Hammers midfielder Morgan Amalfitano spent the 2013/14 season on loan at The Hawthorns from Marseille, scoring four goals in 30 appearances. He joined West Ham in September for an undisclosed fee.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Jeroen Boere, David Burrows, Peter Butler, Franz Carr, David Cross, Alan Dickens, Fred Fenton, Danny Gabbidon, Bobby Gould, Tommy Green, Sir Geoff Hurst, Harry Kinsell, Ted Martin, Peter McManus, Frank Nouble, Nigel Quashie, George Reid, Liam Ridgewell, Charles 'Chippy' Simmons, David Speedie, Gary Strodder, Steve Walford and Chris Whyte.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS WEST HAM UNITED