A relegation six-pointer is upon us, with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United eager to return to winning ways and get their campaigns back on track.

The first half of the 2025/26 Premier League season is behind us, and the second half begins this weekend with Gameweek 20. The latest round of fixtures start with the game between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest at Villa Park before continuing with two simultaneous games, including Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United at Molineux.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a season from hell, as they are yet to win a game in the Premier League thus far. Rob Edwards’s men have managed only three points in 19 outings, and their latest point came earlier this week against Manchester United, ending a run of 12 successive defeats. The players have responded to the manager’s tactics, and Edwards will hope the result at Old Trafford gives his charges the push to avoid relegation.

Like Wolves, West Ham United also played a draw earlier this week, thus ending a losing streak. However, Nuno Espirito Santo will be disappointed that his players twice squandered a one-goal lead before Brighton & Hove Albion held them to a 2-2 stalemate. While the Hammers’ winless run continued, they closed the gap to 17th-placed Nottingham Forest to four points.

The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-0 win for the Black Country outfit, with Jorgen Strand Larsen finding the back of the net. Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham have also met once this season, with the Midlands club clinching a 3-2 victory in the EFL Cup second round. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sa; Mosquera, Doherty, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Andre, Joao Gomes, Hugo Bueno; Arias, Mane; Arokodare

West Ham United

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles; Magassa, Potts; Bowen, Fernandes, Paqueta; Wilson

Key Stats

• After winning four consecutive Premier League games vs West Ham United in 2018/19 and 2019/20, Wolverhampton Wanderers have won only three of their last ten against the Hammers (L7). However, they won the corresponding fixture in the 2025/26 season 1-0 in April. The Irons have lost five of their seven most recent Premier League away matches against Wolves, the exceptions being victories in April 2021 (3-2) and April 2024 (2-1).
• Wolverhampton Wanderers have drawn their opening league game in three of the last five calendar years (W1 L1). They lost 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest in their first game of 2025, with current West Ham United boss Nuno Espírito Santo in charge of Forest for that tie.
• West Ham United have lost their opening league game in just one of the eight most recent calendar years (W4 D3). However, it was a 4-1 loss to Manchester City in 2025. They last lost their first league game in consecutive calendar years between 2006 and 2008 (a run of three).
• Wolverhampton Wanderers are winless in their 19 Premier League games this season (D3 L16). In English top-flight history, only Bolton Wanderers have had a longer run without a win from the start of a campaign (22 in 1902/03).
• Following successive victories at the start of November, West Ham United are winless in their eight most recent Premier League games (D4 L4). They last had a longer run between March and May 2011 (9).
• Wolverhampton Wanderers (0) and West Ham United (1) have kept the fewest clean sheets in the Premier League this season. Only four teams have gone longer without a clean sheet from the start of a Premier League campaign than Wolves: Blackburn Rovers in 2011/12 (27), Norwich City in 2011/12 (21), Bolton Wanderers in 2009/10 (20) and Watford in 2021/22 (20).

Player to Watch

Jarrod Bowen

While Mateus Mane, Joao Gomes, and Lucas Paqueta were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Jarrod Bowen as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United at Molineux.

The English international has a splendid record against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he will be the go-to man for Nuno Espirito Santo this weekend. Bowen has scored more Premier League goals against Wolves than he has against any other opponent (6).

However, only one of these strikes has come at Molineux (April 2021). So, the 29-year-old will be eager to correct that record and guide West Ham to a crucial victory by delivering the goods this weekend.

Prediction

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 West Ham United

Nuno Espirito Santo has an excellent record against Wolverhampton Wanderers since departing from Molineux, and he is unbeaten in all four Premier League games against former side (W2 D2) after winning on both of his visits to Molineux with Tottenham Hotpsur (August 2021) and Nottingham Forest (January 2025).

However, Wolverhampton Wanderers have had the measure of West Ham in the two most recent meetings between the two sides. With the team absorbing the new head coach’s methods, another victory may be on the cards after a closely-contested affair. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Rob Edwards and his charges.