West Ham United host Wolverhampton Wanderers at the London Stadium on Monday night in a crucial Premier League clash that could have significant implications for both teams' seasons.
The Hammers are in a precarious position, having lost their last two league matches.
Julen Lopetegui’s future was discussed by the board in the aftermath of Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to Leicester, but the Spanish coach has been given a chance to turn things around.
Wolves, meanwhile, are struggling at the wrong end of the table, sitting in 19th place after winning just two of their opening 14 Premier League games this season.
Gary O'Neil's side suffered a humbling 4-0 defeat to Everton in midweek, increasing the pressure on the Molineux manager.
- BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
- MOHAMMED KUDUS ANYTIME GOALSCORER
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Goals Expected At London Stadium
Both teams have shown defensive vulnerabilities in recent matches, which suggests an entertaining affair could be in store for the fans at the London Stadium.
West Ham have seen both teams score in five of their seven home league games this term, while Wolves have found the net in five of their last six away games.
The Hammers demonstrated their attacking prowess in midweek, registering a record 31 goal attempts against Leicester City.
Profligacy was the problem at the King Power Stadium, but Lopetegui is likely to recall Michail Antonio for this one while summer signing Niclas Fullkrug should also see his first significant action for a while.
Wolves have struggled defensively this season, conceding a league-high 11 goals from set-pieces. This could play into West Ham's hands, as they look to exploit their opponents' aerial weakness.
Given the attacking potential and defensive frailties of both sides, backing both teams to score looks a sensible option.
And it is also worth adding over 2.5 goals to the bet. West Ham’s last five home games have seen 18 goals scored and an average of five goals per game have been registered across Wolves’ last five road trips.
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
Kudus Can Kick On After Ban Break
West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus has had an up-and-down campaign, an example of which was when he was sent off after scoring in his side’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in October.
Originally suspended for three games, the Ghanaian had another two games tacked onto the ban after he admitted violent conduct.
Kudus returned to the Hammers line-up at Leicester on Tuesday and showed few signs of rustiness. In fact, if anything, the winger looked much fresher than the rest of the players on the pitch.
He completed the most dribbles (5) in the match. He was also the most fouled player in the match (2 times) and was the most accurate passer (94%) to play 45 minutes or more.
Kudus will be relishing the chance to show what he can do against Wolves, opponents he has tormented on two occasions before.
The former Ajax star scored twice in this corresponding fixture last season and again in a pre-season match against O’Neil’s team back in July.
MOHAMMED KUDUS ANYTIME GOALSCORER
