West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Premier League, London Stadium, Monday 9 December 2024, 8pm GMT
West Ham United return to London Stadium to host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday evening, looking to bring a two-game losing streak to an end with a positive performance and result against one of the Premier League's bottom three sides.
Following an impressive 2-0 triumph on the road at Newcastle United on 25 November, the Hammers have fallen to consecutive defeats at the hands of Arsenal and Leicester City, leaving us 14th in the standings.
The Gunners disappointment last weekend is our only loss in four at home, however, and Head Coach Julen Lopetegui will be hopeful his charges can punish his former side, particularly after producing a record 31 goal attempts at Leicester in midweek.
Despite their 19th-place position in the table, and their record of just two wins in 14 this season, Wolves will be gunning for a result at London Stadium to ease the pressure on themselves though, having conceded eight in their last two outings. Before consecutive defeats to AFC Bournemouth and Everton, Gary O'Neil's team had shown improvement in back-to-back wins over Southampton and Fulham.
An enticing encounter awaits under the lights, then, with so much at stake for both clubs. Read on for everything you need to know ahead of the fixture...
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.
Supporters are urged to arrive early at London Stadium on Monday as security and ticket checks will be in place at all entry points.
Travel…
There are no planned disruptions to TfL Underground services on the Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines, and the Docklands Light Railway, though there are set to be issues on the Suffragette and Weaver lines on the London Overground. Supporters using the Overground are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
Similarly, there are planned engineering works on the c2c mainline service, as well as the Southeastern network that serves Stratford International, though Greater Anglia services should run as normal.
Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.
How To Follow…
Monday’s 8pm kick-off has been selected for live broadcast in the UK by Sky Sports. If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
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 talkSPORT, and worldwide on our official website and app.
We Are West Ham. United...
At West Ham United, we are proud to be based in one of the most multicultural areas of the country where equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. Regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or beliefs, everyone is welcome at our Club.
Our aspiration is to be the equity leader in football and alongside our supporters, this is something we are continually looking to build on and improve. We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and for helping us to eradicate the bad behaviours which do not represent our Club, our community or our West Ham United family.
To report any concerns on matchday, text SUPPORT plus your message to 83121 or speak to the nearest steward, SLO or Police Officer. Text messages are treated in the strictest confidence, and, for our staff, it is better to monitor the situation as it is happening and to be able to take action at the time of it occurring.
Our Conduct Charter is created to further support the provision of a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all West Ham United supporters and staff at home and away matches, on social media, Club related meetings or events, or in any other forum.
Official Programme…
Our tenth issue of the season is led by an extensive interview with our stalwart Czech midfielder Tomáš Souček, who discusses success for Club and country, as well as his life away from football.
The front cover shows Souček and his compatriot Vladimír Coufal celebrating Christmas Jumper Day, which takes place just three days after the Wolves fixture, by wearing items from the official West Ham United Christmas retail range. The cover, which also shows Souček with his hands on his favourite Christmas food - potato salad - has been created by renowned illustrator James Yuill,
We also have words from Club captain Jarrod Bowen, Head Coach Julen Lopetegui and Steve Blowers’ chat with former Hammers and Wolves striker Bobby Gould, as we continue celebrating the 50th anniversary of our 1975 FA Cup win, while we've got exciting features with Jean-Clair Todibo and Crysencio Summerville
With the latest news from our Academy, women’s team and Foundation, plus puzzles, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from Molineux, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!
Team News…
Defender Jean-Clair Todibo will be assessed ahead of the visit of Wolves, having missed the defeat away at Leicester City on Tuesday night.
Forward Niclas Füllkrug, meanwhile, will be hoping for more gametime back on home soil after marking his first appearance since late August with his first goal for the Hammers late on against the Foxes.
Yerson Mosquera, Enso González, Saša Kalajdžić and Boubacar Traoré are all likely to be out for Wolves, but Nélson Semedo is available after completing a one-match suspension for accumulating five yellow cards.
Opposition…
It is eight-and-a-half years since Wolverhampton Wanderers were bought by Chinese investment group Fosun.
After being relegated from the Premier League in 2012, and dropped into League One the following year, Wolves returned to the second tier in 2014.
They missed out on the Play-Offs by a single place in 2014/15, then finished the 2015/16 season in 14th place in the Championship, with supporters increasingly unhappy at the direction the club appeared to be travelling in.
Fosun’s arrival did not initially lead to an improvement in on-field results, with Wolves employing three managers in their first season in charge - Kenny Jackett, Italian Walter Zenga and Scot Paul Lambert - on their way to a 15th-place Championship finish.
However, the appointment of Portuguese Nuno Espírito Santo in May 2017, combined with Fosun’s close relationship with Nuno’s compatriot, agent Jorge Mendes, saw Wolves’ fortunes rapidly improve thereafter.
Mendes used his influence and contacts to bring in a succession of Portuguese players to Molineux - Ivan Cavaleiro and Hélder Costa had arrived in July 2016, followed by Rúben Neves, Rúben Vinagre and Diogo Jota the following summer.
All five played starring roles as Wolves won the Championship title in 2017/18, before their fellow countrymen Rui Patrício and João Moutinho, Mexico striker Raúl Jiménez and Spanish pair Adama Traoré and Jonny were signed to help the club finish seventh in the Premier League the following season.
The 2019/20 season brought a second successive seventh-place finish and a run to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals under the unflappable Nuno.
That level of achievement was always likely to be difficult to maintain, especially after Nuno’s departure to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021, and Wolves have settled for four mid-table finishes in the last four seasons under three different managers.
Yet another Portuguese, Bruno Lage, took Wolves to tenth in 2021/22. Current West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui replaced him in November 2022 and led the Old Gold to safety, before departing in August 2023.
Since then, former Hammers midfielder Gary O’Neil has been in charge. The 41-year-old led Wolves to 14th and the FA Cup quarter-finals last term, but has found things challenging so far this season.
Seven defeats in the opening eight Premier League matches left Wolves bottom of the table, before a run of eight points from four games took tonight’s visitors out of the relegation zone, only for a 4-2 home defeat by AFC Bournemouth little under a week ago, and a 4-0 thrashing away at Everton on Wednesday, to send them back into the bottom three.
Previous Meetings…
The Hammers have faced Wolverhampton Wanderers 16 times in Premier League action previously.
The first 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, with future West Ham winger Matt Jarvis among the Wolves goalscorers.
A 2-0 home win on New Year’s Day 2011 - courtesy of a Ronald Zubar own-goal and a Freddie Sears strike - was the last time the two sides would meet until just over five years later in the FA Cup third round. A goal from Nikica Jelavić was the difference at the Boleyn Ground in January 2016.
Since Wolves returned to the Premier League for the 2018/19 season, there have been six meetings between the two sides at London Stadium. West Ham have won the last four of these, including a 3-0 victory last season as a Mohammed Kudus brace and a Jarrod Bowen effort fired the Hammers to three points.
David Moyes' men later completed the 2023/24 double over Wolves, claiming a 2-1 triumph at Molineux in April that saw James Ward-Prowse net directly from a corner.
Match Officials…
Referee: John Brooks
Assistants: Simon Bennett and Dan Robathan
Fourth Official: Tim Robinson
VAR: Andy Madley
Assistant VAR: Steve Meredith
John Brooks has been confirmed as the referee for West Ham United’s home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
The Leicestershire-born official was promoted to Select Group One in June 2021 and refereed his first Premier League match in December of the same year.
He has held the whistle during six top-flight clashes this season, and last refereed a West Ham fixture when we were defeated 3-1 away at Manchester City in May 2024, while he also oversaw the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium in April.
Besides his domestic duties, he also refereed last term’s UEFA Youth League final, won by Olympiacos, and has featured in the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying and on the international scene.
