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West Ham United Fan View: Three things to look out for when Bournemouth head to London

Zakir Hasan
HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND – JANUARY 13: Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United celebrates scoring with Marko Arnautovic (L) Cheikhou Kouyate (2nd L) and James Collins (R) during the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and West Ham United at John Smith’s Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images)

West Ham face Bournemouth this Saturday with the Hammers looking to build on last week’s impressive win. Bournemouth currently sit in 13th place following their win over Arsenal. Here are three things to look out for…

Is this the week we go into the top half?

David Moyes is continuing to impress as West Ham manager and, as it stands, many would not complain if was to continue on next season. He has gotten the best out of most of our players and performances are improving. Yes, there is still a lot of work to be done but the signs are very encouraging.

READ MORE: Three talking points from West Ham’s draw at Tottenham

We showed against Huddersfield that we do have the quality to put in good attacking performances against teams that we should be beating. Only 1 point is between us and the top half and a win against Bournemouth could see us go there. This was unthinkable when Moyes first came and with the momentum that we currently have, we have to take advantage.

Will we see an attacking-minded game?

Our matches against Bournemouth are always entertaining for the neutral given that a lot of goals are always scored. Since they have come in the Premier League, this fixture has seen 23 goals in 5 games. Now this isn’t a surprise given how poor our defence has been over the past two seasons.

READ MORE: West Ham Fan View: Does Joe Hart have a future with the Hammers?

Bournemouth are coming off a great win against Arsenal and their confidence will be high. But they have only scored 8 goals from 11 away games this season though their pace up front will be a worry. We are at home and like against Huddersfield, we have to attack with confidence.

Has the void left by Dimitri Payet been filled?

Mark Arnautovic has carried on his excellent form for longer than we expected and he was fantastic to watch against Huddersfield. He scored a stunning goal and with two assists in that game, he has proven himself to be one of the best players in the Premier League on current form.

We have not had anyone performing on such a high level since Dimitri Payet was at the club. Manuel Lanzini, who is also performing well, has come close though he has failed to be consistent. Arnautovic now has 6 goals in the Premier League – will he reach double figures?

My prediction? 2-1.