MATCH PREVIEW: Albion v West Ham

	PLD	W	D	L	F	A	GD
HOME	45	23	10	12	84	53	31
AWAY	47	14	9	24	67	95	-28
NEUTRAL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TOTAL	92	37	19	36	151	148	3

Interesting facts


There were six goals in this fixture when West Ham last visited The Hawthorns two years ago with the Baggies squandering a three-goal half-time lead to draw 3-3 – the Upton Park clash earlier that season ended in a 2-2 draw.

Steve Clarke was assistant manager to Gianfranco Zola at United for two seasons between 2008 and 2010.

Only Albion and the two Manchester teams have won six Premier League home fixtures this season – but United will be looking to earn their seventh Old Trafford triumph in their clash with Sunderland on Saturday.   

Despite three successive defeats the Baggies can claim their highest league position at this stage of a top-flight campaign since December 1980 when Ron Atkinson’s side were also placed sixth following 16 fixtures.

Going into the weekend, only Villa and Wigan (both four) have scored fewer away goals than West Ham (five) so far in this campaign.

Including caretakers, the Hammers have only ever had 18 managers – a role Albion’s joint-assistant head coach, Kevin Keen, twice undertook in 2008 and 2011. Keen also made over 200 league appearances as a player for the Upton Park club between 1983 and 1993.

The Baggies have not lost four successive league games since January 2011.
Last time out


ALBION (v Arsenal - away L 0-2): Myhill; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell (Popov 6); Morrison, Mulumbu; Odemwingie (Lukaku 62), Gera (Rosenberg 66), Brunt (c); Long. Subs not used: L Daniels (gk), Dorrans, Fortune, Tamas.

WEST HAM (v Liverpool - home L 2-3): Jaaskelainen; Demell (McCartney HT), Reid, Collins, O’Brien; Noble, Nolan, Diame (Tomkins 73); Taylor (Maigal 86), Cole, Jarvis. Subs not used: Spiegel (gk); Spence, O’Neil, Moncur.