WEST HAM UNITED v SUNDERLAND
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 22 MAY 2011
KICK-OFF: 4PM
FULL AUDIO COVERAGE - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCASTIntroduction
• West Ham United complete their Barclays Premier League season with the visit of Sunderland to the Boleyn Ground. The already-relegated Hammers will be eager to end the 2010/11 campaign on a high by recording their sixth home league win of the season. However, three points will not be enough to take them off the bottom of the table.
• West Ham will be managed by caretaker boss Kevin Keen following the departure of Avram Grant. Keen takes temporary charge for the third time, having done so previously in December 2006 and in September 2008, when he took the team for their 3-2 Premier League defeat at West Bromwich Albion.
• Sunderland go into Sunday's fixture in 14th place, having collected 44 points from 37 games. However, a victory, combined with results elsewhere going their way, could still see the Black Cats end the season in the top half of the table.
• Sunday's fixture represents the third meeting between the two sides this season. The Hammers were 2-1 winners at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday 21 September in the Carling Cup third round - Victor Obinna and Frederic Piquionne finding the target, while Sunderland secured a 1-0 home win in the reverse league match on 3 December 2010.
• Sunderland have not lost on any of their three previous visits to London this season, winning 3-0 at Chelsea and drawing at Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.
• The Hammers' biggest ever win over Sunderland came in the shape of an 8-0 success at the Boleyn Ground on 19 October 1968. Geoff Hurst scored six goals - including a hat-trick in each half - while Bobby Moore and a young Trevor Brooking added one apiece.
• Sunderland's biggest ever win over West Ham came on 5 March 1977, when the Black Cats romped to a 6-0 victory over the Londoners. Their best performance in east London was a 3-0 triumph on 25 April 1931.
Last time out
Sunday 15 May 2011
Barclays Premier League
Wigan Athletic 3-2 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Spence, Bridge, Spector (Parker 60), Collison (Keane 83), Hitzlsperger, Ba, Hines, Piquionne (Cole 74)
Subs not used: Boffin, Upson, Da Costa, Sears
Goals: Ba 12, 26
Saturday 14 May 2011
Barclays Premier League
Sunderland 1-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Mensah (Laing 87), Onuoha, Zenden, Malbranque (Noble 70), Henderson (Lynch 76), Riveros, Colback, Elmohamady, Sessegnon
Subs not used: Carson, Adams, Cook, Knott
Goals: Sessegnon 34
Last meeting
West Ham United travelled to the Stadium of Light for the second time this season on Sunday 5 December, only for Sunderland to run out 1-0 winners in a match broadcast live on Sky Sports. England midfielder Jordan Henderson settled matters, scoring the only goal of the game eleven minutes before half-time. Victor Obinna hit the post in the second half, but the Hammers were unable to fashion an equaliser.
Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Richardson, Mensah, Onuoha, Ferdinand,Cattermole, Henderson (Elmohamady 86), Bent (Malbranque 75), Welbeck, Gyan (Zenden 90)
Subs not used: Mignolet, Angeleri, Da Silva, Riveros
West Ham United: Green, Ben-Haim (Faubert 83), Gabbidon, Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Dyer (Piquionne 69), Parker, Boa Morte (Hines 69), Cole, Obinna
Subs not used: Stech, Reid, Barrera, Piquionne
Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
5 December 2010 - Sunderland 1-0 West Ham United
21 September 2010 - Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United (Carling Cup third round)
10 April 2010 - West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
31 October 2009 - Sunderland 2-2 West Ham United
4 April 2009 - West Ham United 2-0 Sunderland
23 November 2008 - Sunderland 0-1 West Ham United
• Sunday's game marks the 82nd time West Ham and Sunderland have faced one another in competitive fixtures. West Ham have won 32, Sunderland 29 and there have been 20 draws. In league meetings, the Hammers have won 26, Sunderland 27 and there have been 18 drawn matches.
Overall record v Sunderland (all competitions) W 32 D 20 L 29
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Sunderland
2009/10 Premier League 13th (44 points)
2008/09 Premier League 16th (36 points)
2007/08 Premier League 15th (39 points)
2006/07 Championship 1st (88 points - promoted to Premier League)
2005/06 Premier League 20th (15 points - relegated to the Championship)
2004/05 Championship 1st (94 points - promoted to Premier League)
2003/04 Championship 3rd (79 points)
2002/03 Premier League 20th (19 points)
2001/02 Premier League 17th (40 points)
2000/01 Premier League 7th (57 points)
Referee
• The match referee will be Anthony Taylor, who will be taking charge of a West Ham United fixture for the first time.
• Taylor is in his first season on the Select Group of referees appointed to control Barclays Premier League fixtures.
• The Greater Manchester-born official started refereeing in the Northern Premier League in 2002 before being appointed to the Football League list at the start of the 2006/07 season, refereeing his match between Wrexham and Peterborough United in League Two on 12 August 2006.
• Taylor's first Premier League appointment was the 3 February 2010 encounter between Fulham and former West Ham United manager Avram Grant's Portsmouth, with the Cottagers winning 1-0.
• While he has yet to take charge of a West Ham United fixture, Taylor has refereed two Sunderland matches this season - the 2-2 opening-day draw with Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light and the goalless draw with Arsenal at the Emirates on 5 March.
• When asked in an interview what his favourite match that he has refereed was, he named British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division side Chasetown's victory over Port Vale in the FA Cup second round in December 2007.
West Ham United
• West Ham United's leading Barclays Premier League scorer this season is Demba Ba with seven goals.
• Frederic Piquionne has created five goals for his team-mates in the league this term, one more than both Carlton Cole and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
• Robert Green has made a team-high 36 Barclays Premier League appearances this season, while Cole has appeared 35 times and Piquionne 33.
• Danny Gabbidon has the quickest card in the division this season, earning a caution just 1min and 25 seconds into the Fulham home game.
• Scott Parker has been booked eight times in the league this season, while Luis Boa Morte has been shown a yellow card on seven occasions.
Sunderland
• Sunderland's leading Barclays Premier League scorer is Asamoah Gyan with ten goals. The injured Danny Welbeck has six league strikes to his name. Gyan has also chalked-up a team-high five assists.
• Jordan Henderson has made a club-leading 36 league appearances this season, while Ahmed Elmohamady has appeared 35 times, Steed Malbranque 34 and Phil Bardsley 33.
• Lee Cattermole is one of only five players to be sent-off twice in the Barclays Premier League this season. The midfielder has also been shown a team-high ten yellow cards - one more than Kieran Richardson. Cattermole was also red-carded against West Ham United while playing for Wigan Athletic in March 2009.
Team news
West Ham United
• Caretaker manager Kevin Keen has promised to pick a side who 'will go out and try their hardest for West Ham'. As well as established internationals, the former Hammers winger could call on a number of the club's homegrown players for the final match of the season, with the likes of Jordan Spence, James Tomkins, Jack Collison, Freddie Sears, Zavon Hines and Dylan Tombides all hoping to feature.
• Hammer of the Year Scott Parker could return to the starting XI after making a substitute appearance at Wigan Athletic last weekend.
• Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge will end respective their loan spells from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City following Sunday's game.
• Mark Noble will hope to feature following hernia surgery, while Junior Stanislas is back in action after recovering from a similar problem.
• Gary O'Neil is definitely out of Sunday's game and is not expected to return until 2012 after suffering a serious ankle injury against Aston Villa last month.
Sunderland
• Sunderland could welcome Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan back following a hamstring injury.
• Midfielder David Meyler, centre-backs Titus Bramble and Michael Turner, goalkeeper Craig Gordon and striker Fraizer Campbell are all definitely out with knee problems.
• Midfielder Lee Cattermole has a back injury and is out, as are hamstring injury victims Anton Ferdinand and Danny Welbeck.
• England midfielder Kieran Richardson has a shin problem and is also sidelined.
Old boys
• Anton Ferdinand began his career at West Ham's famed Academy, making 163 appearances and scoring five goals for the Hammers before joining Sunderland in August 2008.
• Midfielder Kieran Richardson began his career at West Ham, but failed to make a first team appearance before joining Manchester United in 2002. The 24-year-old joined Sunderland in July 2007.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Dick Bell, Gary Breen, Clive Clarke, Keith Coleman, Ernest England, John Foreman, Harry Forster, Jack Foster, Harry Hooper, Don Hutchison, George McCartney, Mick McGiven, Andy Melville, Billy Moore, Bryan 'Pop' Robson and Dave Swindlehurst.
Travel information
A number of London Underground lines will be affected by engineering works this Sunday. For full details, visit the TfL website by clicking here.
• Circle line - No service between Moorgate and Hammersmith via King's Cross St Pancras.
• District line - No service between Barking and Tower Hill westbound and Tower Hill and Upney eastbound.
• Hammersmith & City line - No service between King's Cross St Pancras and Barking. Replacement buses will operate.
• Metropolitan line - No service between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate.
• DLR - No service between Westferry and Beckton/London City Airport. Replacement buses will operate.
• c2c - Due to West Ham resignalling work taking place, c2c services will be diverted to run to/from Liverpool Street station, calling at Stratford. Fenchurch Street, Limehouse and West Ham stations will have no c2c services. For more details, click here.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• Sunday's forecast in east London is for heavy rain showers, with temperatures peaking around the 18C mark.