West Ham United will be looking to build on their improved start to 2023 when they take on relegation-threatened rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Following a run of six straight Premier League defeats, David Moyes’ side have shown more encouragement in their two matches in the New Year so far.
A week ago, they started the year with a 2-2 draw at Elland Road against Leeds United, who are also fighting for safety. Less than 72 hours later, they booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win at Brentford.
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Having recorded their first competitive win in over two months at the Gtech Community Stadium, West Ham will be hoping to take that into the Premier League on Saturday away at Wolves, having not won in the Premier League since October 24.
Going into the game, West Ham will have had a full week to prepare for the trip to the West Midlands, with no midweek game to worry about.
However, hosts Wolves are in action on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup against fellow Midlands side and co-Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest. Their kick-off at the City Ground at 7:45pm on Wednesday means that Wolves have just over 65 hours from kick-off there until they kick-off against the Hammers.
It leaves Wolves boss Julien Lopetegui with a selection dilemma on his hands. Victory against Forest would put them in the Carabao Cup’s semi-finals, but to do that, they may need to field a strong side.
It means that regardless of the side Wolves put out, West Ham have a huge advantage going into the tie, with more time to recover from their most recent match and prepare for Saturday’s match.
Ahead of the tie, two of West Ham’s players have been credited with interest from Wolves. The club are open to offers for centre-back Craig Dawson, with Wolves said to be re-igniting their interest in him after he nearly joined them last summer. Striker Michail Antonio has also been linked with a move to Molineux.
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