Live match preview – West Ham vs Leeds 16.01.2022

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of West Ham vs Leeds in the Premier League on Super Sunday; kick-off 2pm.

Team news

West Ham hope to have Tomas Soucek back for the visit of Leeds. The Czech midfielder missed the midweek win over Norwich after a positive Covid-19 test.

Defender Kurt Zouma is back in training quicker than expected after a hamstring injury and will be assessed.

Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo and Pascal Struijk are hoping to return to contention as Leeds’ injury crisis shows some signs of easing.

Bamford has been sidelined with ankle and hip injuries, while Rodrigo (heel) and Struijk (foot) have been out since the end of November.

Eight other first-team players, including Kalvin Phillips and skipper Liam Cooper (both hamstring), are definitely out, with Diego Llorente and Tyler Roberts both suspended. The latter is also nursing a calf strain.

How to follow

Live Renault Super Sunday

Sunday 16th January 1:00pm

West Ham vs Leeds will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 1pm; kick-off 2pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Last time out..

Opta stats

• West Ham have won their last three league games against Leeds, more than they had in their previous 28 against them (W2 D8 L18). They last won four in a row against the Whites between April 1948 and August 1949 in the second tier.
• Leeds lost 2-0 in this exact fixture last season but haven’t lost consecutive league visits to West Ham since December 1974.
• West Ham have won just five of their 23 Premier League games against Leeds (D4 L14), with three of these coming in their last three meetings in the competition.
• Leeds have failed to win their first away league match in each of the last 12 years (D3 L9), losing 3-0 at Spurs last year. They last won their first away league game in 2009, beating Brighton 2-0 in League One with goals from Lee Trundle and Fabian Delph.
• Following their 3-1 win against Burnley in their last league game, Leeds are looking to win consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since winning their final four in 2020-21. However, the Whites’ only away win so far this term was at bottom side Norwich in October.
• Leeds have conceded 10 goals in their last two away league games (2-3 vs Chelsea, 0-7 vs Man City), just one fewer than they had in their first seven on the road this term.

Premier League Preview: Will Spurs or Arsenal win north London derby? | Chelsea’s last chance at Man City | Bowen’s brilliance at West Ham

In the latest Essential Football Podcast, host Alice Piper is joined by Nick Wright, Charlotte Marsh, and Peter Smith to preview this weekend’s Premier League action. Plus we hear from Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith ahead of the north London derby.

PART ONE | Alan Smith delivers his north London derby verdict ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Tottenham and explains why the midfield battle will be key after the Gunners’ tiring battle with 10 men at Liverpool on Thursday.

PART TWO | It’s first vs second in the Premier League on Saturday when Manchester City host Chelsea. Is this the London club’s last chance to stay in touch with leaders City? And could a win for Thomas Tuchel’s side open the door for Liverpool, too? Plus we look ahead to Philippe Coutinho’s Aston Villa debut, with Steven Gerrard’s men facing an out-of-sorts Man Utd for the second time in a week.

PART THREE | Jarrod Bowen is in fine form and we take a look at the numbers behind his recent purple patch and discuss how it is driving West Ham back into the top-four race after their dip in December. Ahead of their match with Leeds we also examine how injuries have made life tough for Marcelo Bielsa this season. And finally, will Brighton or Crystal Palace come out on top in their rivalry showdown on Friday night?