West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Premier League, London Stadium, Sunday 17 December 2023, 2pm GMT
West Ham United continue a busy December schedule with a home Premier League contest against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Having faced a trio of London derbies in the league, the Hammers now welcome former midfielder Gary O’Neil’s Wolves to east London with another three points up for grabs.
David Moyes’ West Ham sit ninth in the division, on 24 points, while Sunday’s visitors occupy 13th in the league with 19 points.
Tickets…
Tickets for this sold out game are still available on the Ticket Exchange, with Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend this fixture relisting their seats for other supporters to buy. Click here to check availability or relist.
Travel…
The TFL Central and Jubilee line are expected to operate with a good service on Sunday.
On the Elizabeth Line, there will be no service available between Paddington and Ealing Broadway early morning, but otherwise a regular service is anticipated.
The Docklands Light Railway will be operating without services between Canning Town and Woolwich Arsenal, while replacement bus services will be in place between Canning Town and London City Airport.
Meanwhile, on the Overground, there will be no service between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction. Replacement buses will be in operation.
C2C will see engineering works between Limehouse and Upminster, impacting services on the Basildon, Ockendon and Rainham lines. As a result, services will be diverted and call additionally at Stratford but will not call at West Ham. Ticket acceptance will be available on Jubilee line services between Stratford and West Ham.
There are also minor works being undertaken on the Greater Anglia Railway, between Bethnal Green and London Liverpool Street. As such, trains between Stratford and London Liverpool Street will have slightly extended journey times.
Finally, Southeastern Railway will have no service available to and from London Victoria on Sunday, and supporters utilising this line should check their travel before departure.
How To Follow…
West Ham United’s home Premier League match with Wolverhampton Wanderers has been selected for broadcast in the United Kingdom by Sky Sports, with coverage starting at 1pm GMT.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC Radio London and worldwide on our official website and app.
Official Programme…
The 116-page publication is the largest in the Premier League and, at just £4 per issue, represents superb value for money for supporters wanting exclusive interviews, attention-grabbing opinions and eye-catching photographs, plus the regular news, columns and statistics and insightful content from across all areas of the Club.
The Official Programme is the definitive Claret and Blue publication for West Ham fans and the latest issue can be ordered here.
Team News…
Manager David Moyes confirmed in his pre-Wolves press conference that Edson Álvarez took a knock to the hip in Thursday's win over SC Freiburg.
Michail Antonio is still absent for the Irons, having sustained an injury during the November internatonal break while away with Jamaica.
Joseph Hodge is dealing with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss out for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Pedro Neto (thigh) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (ankle) are believed to be nearing a return to fitness, and could be involved this weekend for Wolves.
Opposition…
Amid a summer dominated by media headlines and a late change in management, Wolves are finding their way under Gary O’Neil.
The former West Ham United midfielder was introduced as manager a day after former Spain boss Julen Lopetegui departed the Midlands club. While concerns were floated regarding the team’s financial situation and standing in the Premier League, O’Neil was tasked with bringing stability on the pitch.
The 40-year-old appears to have done that so far. While the season did not start too brightly in the Premier League for Sunday’s visitors, Wolves have claimed impressive wins over the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur while also claiming valuable points versus Aston Villa and Newcastle.
Four points against Burnley and Nottingham Forest in the last two games shows that O’Neil’s side are able to get results against the sides around them too.
Wolves are certainly in a season of transition, with experienced names such as Rúben Neves, Diego Costa, Adama Traore, Nathan Collins, Raúl Jiménez and Matheus Nunes all departing Molineux.
Their respective exits have opened the door for other players to stake their claims to starting positions. Matt Doherty has returned to the side while the likes of Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha have stepped up in attack.
In a closely fought Premier League campaign, Wolves will be hoping to find the levels that saw them qualify for European competitions only three seasons ago.
Previous Meetings…
The Hammers have hosted Wolverhampton Wanderers seven times in Premier League action.
The first campaign that put both sides in the English top flight, after the formation of the Premier League in 1992, was the 2009/10 season. Gianfranco Zola’s Irons claimed a 2-0 win away from home but lost 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground that campaign.
A New Years’ Day home win over Wanderers in 2011 – a 2-0 victory – was the last time the two sides would meet until over five years later in the FA Cup third round. A Nikica Jelavic goal was the difference that day in east London.
Since Wolves returned to the Premier League for the 2018/19 season, there have been five meetings between the two sides at London Stadium. West Ham have won the last three of these, including a 2-0 victory last season as Gianluca Scamacca and Jarrod Bowen fired the Hammers to three points.
Match Officials…
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan
Fourth Official: Graham Scott
VAR: Jarred Gillett
Assistant VAR: Darren Cann
Chris Kavanagh has been appointed as the referee for Sunday's game.
Kavanagh is from Ashton-under-Lyne – the same town in Greater Manchester where Sir Geoff Hurst was born – and began his refereeing career at the age of 13.
Now 38, he worked his way up through the officiating ranks and was promoted to the National League in 2012. He started working in the English Football League in 2014 and was invited into the Select Group of Referees, and therefore the Premier League, in 2017.
In all, Kavanagh has refereed over 350 matches at all levels, including 128 in the Premier League and 113 in the EFL, in addition to ten in senior UEFA club competitions.
He was the man in the middle for the 2021 EFL Championship Play-Off final at Wembley Stadium, where Brentford defeated Swansea City.
In 2019, he was appointed to FIFA’s international list of referees and he has since refereed three UEFA Nations League ties.
Kavanagh has refereed West Ham United on 21 previous occasions, the most recent of which was the 3-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool in September this year. He has also taken charge of 14 previous Wolverhampton Wanderers fixtures.
