Boss Julen Lopetegui is firmly targeting a first home three-point haul of the season against Ipswich Town this weekend, as West Ham United continue their preparations for their final bout of Premier League action before the October international break.
The Hammers have been defeated in each of their three outings at London Stadium so far in 2024/25, at the hands of Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea, although a three-game unbeaten run on the road has yielded a number of positives.
Lopetegui has now challenged his players to build on last week’s 1-1 draw at Brentford by securing a full share of the spoils against newly-promoted Ipswich, who themselves are without victory since returning to the top flight for the first time since 2002.
Kieran McKenna’s charges have impressed with four draws in their last four outings though, including away at Brighton and at home to Aston Villa, and former Irons Ben Johnson and Kalvin Phillips could feature for the away side on their old turf.
Saturday’s fixture marks the two sides’ first competitive meeting since the 2011/12 EFL Championship season, while the Tractor Boys will take to the field at London Stadium for the first time ever.
With West Ham currently one point and one place above the Suffolk side in the standings, all signs point to an enticing encounter in east London. Little over 48 hours ahead of kick-off, Lopetegui shared his thoughts with members of the press…
Expecting another tough test
We go into every match knowing we are going to play against a good team, and Ipswich are another good team.
They’ve worked well together for a few years now, with a very good coach, and obviously achieved back-to-back promotions to get into the Premier League.
I think they are a very consistent team - that’s why they’ve drawn their last four games in the Premier League - and with and without the ball they are a very interesting team.
We have to be ready to compete to be able to win this game, and that’s definitely what we’re working towards.
The importance of three points
It’s always very important to win, and that’s why we work hard every day.
We don’t look too far into the future - the only thing we have in our minds at this time is the game against Ipswich, but it is important for us to perform well in this match and get the desired result.
Our job in football is to live with pressure - it is normal, because we want to win. We haven’t lost away, but we haven’t won at home, and we want more. That’s why we are continuing to work hard, and our aim is to change that record on Saturday.
Every player has to be ready to make an impact
Always there is a big focus on the starting line-up, but for me the players on the bench are as important. That’s why we have the chance to make substitutions in a match.
We have a really strong squad, and we’re able to pick players who we think might be best to play against a particular opponent, or in a particular moment of a match.
Football is a collective game, and we want everyone to do their best for the whole team. The only way I know for a team to be successful is if everyone is together, and it’s important that everyone knows they have a role to play.
