West Ham v Sunderland

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West Ham v Sunderland

Upton Park
Sunday, 21 October
Kick-off: 1600 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day.



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Team news to follow later.










BIG-MATCH FACTS
West Ham go into this game searching for a first goal in three matches, and anxious to avoid four straight league defeats for the first time in 17 outings since suffering five successive losses on 4 March.

Sunderland, who've scored two more goals on their league travels than they have at home, are looking for the win that would see them leapfrog their opponents in the Premier League table.

West Ham are vying for a fourth successive home win over Sunderland in the Premier League.


CLUB FORM
WEST HAM UNITED


Club stats
Fixtures
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Lost three of the last four in all competitions.

2. Lost 50% of their Premier League matches (four of eight).

3. Not scored in 238 minutes (three hours 58 minutes) of Premier League football since Dean Ashton's consolation in the 3-1 loss at Newcastle on 23 September.

4. Conceded a goal a game on average (eight in eight).

5. Have twice as many points as last season at this stage, when just five points were gained after nine outings.

6. One of six clubs with a 100% record from Premier League matches in which they opened the scoring (won three of three).

7. Not surrendered the lead in a Premier League game this season.

SUNDERLAND


Club stats
Fixtures
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures)
1. Gained one point from a last available nine.

2. Won one of the last nine in all competitions.

3. Gained one win in eight Premier League outings; 2-1, home to Reading on 15 September.

4. One defeat short of 1,500 losses in their league history.

5. The current tally of eight points after nine games, matches their performance in 2002-03, when they were eventually relegated.

6. On the longest current run in the Premier League of eight matches without a clean sheet, since their opening fixture; the 1-0 home win over Tottenham on 11 August.

7. Scored four goals in the last five minutes of Premier League games this term.

8. Third bottom in the Premier League "Form" table.


KEY PLAYER NOTES
WEST HAM UNITED


Dean ASHTON and Craig BELLAMY are West Ham's joint top scorers with three goals each.

The Hammers' joint top Premier League marksmen are ASHTON, Lee BOWYER and Matthew ETHERINGTON, with two each.

Matthew UPSON and Robert GREEN are the only remaining players to have been on the field for every minute of every one of West Ham's Premier League matches this season.

If selected:-

Goerge McCARTNEY will be facing a former club. The 26 year old Northern Ireland international defender started his career with Sunderland, making 157 appearances (134 in the league) in eight years at the Stadium of Light from August 1998.

SUNDERLAND


Michael CHOPRA, Kenwyne JONES, Grant LEADBITTER and Ross WALLACE are Sunderland's joint top scorers with two Premier League goals each.

CHOPRA is a hat trick shy of 50 career league goals (Newcastle, Watford, Barnsley, Cardiff and Sunderland).

Last season's top scorer David CONNOLLY needs one goal to total 100 in his league career (Watford, Wolves, Wimbledon, West Ham, Leicester, Wigan and Sunderland).

Goalkeeper Craig GORDON is the only remaining player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of Sunderland's Premier League matches this season.

If selected:-

Kieran RICHARDSON will be playing on his 23rd birthday.


HEAD TO HEAD
The Hammers have won four and drawn one of their last five Premier League matches against Sunderland.

Sunderland's last win at Upton Park secured the Championship title; 1-2 on 29 April 2005. Their only Premier League victory there was 0-2 on 13 January 2001 when Stanislav Varga and Don Hutchison were on the scoresheet.

Home and away
League (inc PL): West 22 wins, Sunderland 25, Draws 17
Prem: West Ham 5 wins, Sunderland 3, Draws 4

at West Ham only
League (inc PL): West 13 wins, Sunderland 8, Draws 11
Prem: West Ham 4 wins, Sunderland 1, Draws 1


REFEREE
Chris Foy (St Helens, Merseyside)

Premier League referees' table
Chris Foy's 2007-08 Premier League card count