West Brom match preview

Introduction

• West Ham United travel to the Hawthorns on Sunday to face West Bromwich Albion in what will be their second consecutive 4pm Sunday kick-off.

• The Baggies have lost just twice at home all season, to Manchester City and Stoke City, but have yet to win in December after losing to Stoke and then away at Arsenal last time out.

• West Brom did however enjoy a fine November, winning four games in a row for the first time in their Barclays Premier League history.

• Steve Clarke was subsequently named as the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month for November, becoming only the second West Brom manager to win the award. Roberto Di Matteo was the first to win it in September 2010.

• The Hammers enjoyed an encouraging start to December, after games against high-profile opposition. The month started in exceptional fashion as the Hammers beat Chelsea 3-1 and they came close to making it a stunning double win, only to see Liverpool stage a late comeback to win 3-2 at the Boleyn Ground last Sunday.

• West Ham United sit four points behind West Bromwich Albion in the Barclays Premier League in eleventh, with the Baggies currently in sixth position.

• The Hammers' visit to the Hawthorns is one of two games taking place on Sunday, the other sees Tottenham Hotspur take on Swansea City

Team news

West Ham United

• George McCartney is a doubt for Sunday's game after picking up a knee injury in training

• Momo Diame will also be missing after picking up a hamstring injury in the 3-2 loss to Liverpool. Gary O'Neil or James Tomkins is likely to replace him.

• Jack Collison has made a return to training after missing the duration of the season so far, but he is not likely to play until the New Year.

• Yossi Benayoun has returned to Chelsea to receive treatment after a fresh injury setback.

• Andy Carroll (knee), Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) and Alou Diarra are all making good progress but are still some weeks from making a return.

West Bromwich Albion

• Claudio Yacob, Ben Foster and Liam Ridgewell have all spent time on the sidelines but they could return on Sunday to face the Hammers.

Background

• West Ham United's biggest win over West Bromwich Albion was a 6-1 victory on 16 April 1965. Martin Peters opened the scoring before Brian Dear took centre stage scoring the other five.

• The Baggies went one better by beating the Hammers 7-1 on 24 October 1925 at the Hawthorns, James Ruffell got the consolation for the away side.

• There have been three penalties in the last four Barclays Premier league meetings between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion.

• West Ham United are the only Barclays Premier League side that have not yet conceded a headed goal yet.

• The last three meetings between the two sides have ended in draws but there have been ten goals in the last two meetings

Last time out

Sunday 9 December
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 2-3 Liverpool
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, O'Brien, Collins, Demel (McCartney 46), Nolan, Jarvis, Taylor (Maiga 86), Noble, Diame (Tomkins 73), Cole.
Subs not used: Spiegel, Spence, O'Neil, Moncur
Goals: Noble 36 (pen), Gerrard 43 (og).

Saturday 8 December
Barclays Premier League
Arsenal 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion: Myhill, Reid, Olsson, Ridgewell (Popov 6), McAuley, Morrison, Brunt, Mulumbu, Gera (Rosenberg 75), Long, Odemwingie (Lukaku 62).
Subs not used: Daniels, Tamas, Dorrans, Fortune 

Previous meeting

West Ham United 3-3 West Bromwich Albion

Demba Ba scored twice as West Ham United came from three goals down to earn a point against West Bromwich Albion. Graham Dorrans, Jerome Thomas and an own goal from Winston Reid gave the home side a 3--0 lead at half-time as their new manager Roy Hodgson watched from the stands. Ba pulled one back five minutes into the second half after latching onto Mark Noble's pass and slotting home, before Carlton Cole headed home eight minutes later. Ba equalised seven minutes from time and Freddie Piquionne almost won it for the Hammers but he blazed over with seconds remaining.

West Ham United: Green, Reid, Da Costa, Bridge, Jacobsen, Parker, Boa Morte (Piquionne 57), Noble, O'Neil (Spector 78), Cole, Ba.

West Bromwich Albion: Myhill, Olsson, Shorey, Jara, Brunt, Thomas (Barnes 61), Dorrans (Tamas), Mulumbu (Morrison 14), Scharner Odemwingie, Fortune.

Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)

12 February 2011 West Bromwich Albion 3-3 West Ham United
10 November 2010 West Ham 2-2 West Bromwich Albion
16 March 2009 West Ham United 0-0 West Bromwich Albion?
13 September 2008 West Bromwich Albion 3-2 West Ham United?
1 May 2006 West Bromwich Albion 0-1 West Ham United?
5 November 2005 West Ham United 1-0 West Bromwich Albion?

Overall record v West Bromwich Albion

Ten-year records W 35 D 19 L 37

West Ham United

2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
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 via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)

West Bromwich Albion

2011/12 Barclays Premier League 10th (47 points)
2010/11 Barlcays Premier League 11th (47 points)
2009/10 Championship 2nd (91 points, promoted to Premier League)?
2008/09 Premier League 20th (32 points, relegated to Championship)?
2007/08 Championship 1st (81 points, promoted to Premier League)?
2006/07 Championship 4th (76 points)?
2005/06 Premier League 19th (30 points, relegated to Championship)?
2004/05 Premier League17th (34 points)?
2003/04 Championship 2nd (86 points, promoted to Premier League)?
2002/03 Premier League 19th (26 points, relegated to Championship)?

Referee

• Sunday's referee will be Phil Dowd.

• Phil Dowd is in his 12th season as a Select Group official, having initially been promoted to the Barclays Premier League list of referees in 2001.

• Dowd began refereeing in local leagues in 1984, officiating in the Staffordshire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance. He was appointed to the Football League list of assistant referees in 1992, before joining the League's full list of referees in 1997, aged 34.

• The 49-year-old is commonly considered to be one of England's best match officials, an opinion backed by his appointments as the referee for the 2012 FA Cup and 2010 Football League Cup finals.

• Previously, Dowd was the fourth official at the 2006 FA Cup final between West Ham United and Liverpool at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

• Dowd has refereed 19 West Ham fixtures in total, the most-recent being a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in October.

• He will be assisted by Scott Ledger and Lee Betts, the fourth official will be Neil Swarbrick.

Old boys

• West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Clarke spent just under two-years at the Boleyn Ground as assistant manager to Gianfranco Zola. During his first season at the club the Hammers had a relatively successful year, finishing ninth in the Barclays Premier League. Clarke left the club by mutual consent in June 2010 before joining Liverpool as first-team coach in January 2011.

• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are David Cross, Gary Strodder, Tommy Green, Vincent Hayes, Geoff Hurst, Thomas Kinsell, Tudor Martin, Nigel Quashie and Chippy Simmons.

General information

• For ticket information, click here.

• Sunday's weather forecast in West Bromwich is for light rain with temperatures reaching a maximum of 6C.