Saturday 2 May 2015 15:04, UK
With just four games remaining, Burnley travel to West Ham for a must-win game in their bid for Premier League survival on Saturday.
Sean Dyce’s side suffered a major blow as they lost at home to fellow strugglers Leicester last weekend. Jamie Vardy was the man to make them pay for missing a second half penalty, Matt Taylor the culprit.
The result leaves Burnley rooted to the bottom of the table and five points form safety having lost four of their past five games, picking up just a point in that run.
West Ham are also desperately out of form having failed to win in their past four matches.
Sam Allardyce’s men have slipped into the bottom half of the table having been in the hunt for the European places just a couple of months ago.
Team news
Sam Allardyce has no fresh injury concerns.
The 60-year-old has confirmed teenager Reece Burke will start after impressing on his Premier League debut at QPR last week - with fellow defenders Winston Reid (hamstring), James Tomkins (shoulder) and Guy Demel (calf) all ruled out.
Alex Song missed the trip to Loftus Road with a back problem but may return, whilst strikers Diafra Sakho (thigh) and Andy Carroll (knee) still missing.
Ashley Barnes returns from suspension for Burnley on Saturday.
Fellow forward Sam Vokes will have a fitness test on Friday to see whether he has recovered from the thigh injury that ruled him out of the 1-0 defeat to Leicester last weekend.
Long-term knee injury victims Dean Marney and Kevin Long remain sidelined.
Opta facts
West Ham have won just two of their last 17 Premier League games (W2 D7 L8) but those two victories in that run have been at Upton Park (W2 D3 L3).
Burnley have failed to score in seven of their last eight Barclays Premier League matches and netted only one in the other game.
The Hammers have scored more headed goals than any other team in the top flight (15).
33% of the goals Burnley have conceded have been from headers; the league’s highest proportion.
Adrian is the ninth goalkeeper in Premier League history to save three penalties in a row; no keeper has ever done four.
The Clarets have the worst chance conversion rate in the top flight this season, scoring with just nine per cent of their shots.
Merson's prediction
Burnley just don't seem to score goals - that's seven out of eight games they've failed to score, and you just can't do that. Danny Ings has scored over a third of their league goals, and that says it all.
West Ham have to win a game sooner or later, and it should be this weekend. If Matty Taylor had scored that penalty against Leicester last week, and QPR had scored their penalty, they're both above Leicester. That's how tight it is at the moment.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (17/2 on Sky Bet)
Betting
Sky Bet make Burnley 12/5 to boost their waning survival hopes by securing three points at Upton Park, with West Ham 23/20 favourites while the draw is priced 9/4. The Clarets were pushed out to 8/1 to stay up following last weekend’s defeat to Leicester and are considered joint favourites to finish bottom at 1/1. Danny Ings is considered their most likely source of salvation at 11/2 to open the scoring, while Diafra Sakho heads the first goalscorer betting at 5/1.
