West Ham United will be keen to secure their first win of the campaign as they host Wolverhampton Wanderers at the London Stadium on Saturday. The Hammers are the only club yet to register a single point in the league thus far.
However, Manuel Pellegrini’s side did secure a comfortable 3:1 victory against Wimbledon in the EFL cup fixture in midweek. Thus, the Londoners will be full of confidence coming into this game.
That being said, Wolves will be in an even better mood, having snatched a point against defending champions Manchester City last week. The newly promoted outfit were excellent containing the mighty Sky Blues attack and coach Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping his troops can produce a similar performance this weekend.
Here are three key battles that could decide the outcome of this important fixture.
Marko Arnautovic vs Conor Coady
Marko Arnautovic has been an integral figure in West Ham’s attacking unit ever since he joined the club last summer. And especially under Manuel Pellegrini, the Austrian international has looked quite dangerous, although he has lacked adequate support from his teammates in the final third.
It’s probably needless to say that the former Stoke City superstar will be tasked with the responsibility of leading the line for West Ham United. His ability to carve through defence by utilizing his pace and goalscoring prowess could provide to be helpful for the Hammers.
However, standing against him will be Conor Coady. The robust centre-back has already played a key role in keeping out the likes of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and David Silva last weekend and thus, preventing Arnautovic and co. shouldn’t be a difficult proposition.
Arthur Masuaku vs Adama Traore
Wolverhampton fans are buzzing about the prospect of seeing Adama Traore starting the game this weekend, having played a key role in the win over Sheffield Wednesday in midweek whilst making a strong impression in his Premier League debut against Manchester City.
The former Aston Villa starlet is blessed with impeccable speed and physicality, which allows him to accelerate quickly in the final third. Therefore, the onus will be on left-back Arthur Masuaku to prevent him causing any danger to the West Ham backline that has already conceded a chunk of goals this season.
Masuaku has been a regular under Pellegrini and he will definitely have a great chance of proving himself by providing a strong display against the bulky attacker this weekend.
Jack Wilshere vs Ruben Neves
By far the most intriguing personal duels of this matchday, Jack Wilshere will be coming head to head against Ruben Neves. Two highly talented technical midfielders, both equally adept in not just orchestrating play with excellent passing and ball circulation techniques but also to create numerous chances in the final third whilst boasting immense ball carrying abilities.
While Wilshere is yet to make his mark at his new club, Ruben Neves is regarded as one of the best promising midfielders in the English top flight, thanks to an incredible debut campaign at Wolves. And the former Porto prodigy has already looked rather impressive in this new season.
That being said, Wilshere has ample amount of experience in the Premier League which could give him a substantial advantage against the 21-year-old, who is yet to be tested in the English top flight.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored