West Ham United vs Sunderland Preview (24 January 2026) | Premier League Prediction, Team News & Odds

Survival Scrap Meets European Dream

Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off at the London Stadium brings together two clubs with very different worries but equally urgent ambitions, as 18th-placed West Ham United host top-half challengers Sunderland.

• For West Ham, this is about survival and momentum. A long-awaited league win at Tottenham has breathed life back into their season and given Nuno Espírito Santo a platform to work from.
• For Sunderland, it is about sustaining an unlikely push towards European football, building on their recent victory over Crystal Palace and FA Cup progression.

Both sides are chasing three wins in a row in all competitions, something neither has achieved in 2025-26. One of those streaks will almost certainly end on Saturday – and the consequences at both ends of the table could be significant.

📌 Quick Facts

⚒️ West Ham United: Life in the Old Hammers Yet

🔻 From Crisis to Hope

Heading into gameweek 22, the narrative around West Ham was bleak:

• ❌ 10 Premier League games without a win
• ❌ Defensive shakiness, no clean sheets and late collapses
• ❌ Managerial pressure mounting on Nuno Espírito Santo

But football moves fast. With rumours swirling that Callum Wilson might be leaving, the veteran centre-forward stepped off the bench at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and completely changed the mood.

After Crysencio Summerville’s deflected opener was cancelled out by Cristian Romero, the match looked destined for another West Ham disappointment. Instead:

• ⚽ Wilson struck a dramatic late winner
• ✅ West Ham ended their league winless run dating back to 8 November
• 💪 The result gave the squad a badly needed injection of belief

Add in a narrow FA Cup victory over QPR, and suddenly the Hammers are staring at the possibility of:

• Three straight wins in all competitions
• A genuine swing in momentum heading into February

They remain inside the bottom three, five points from safety, but there is at last a sense that the slide might be slowing.

🛡 Defensive Issues Still Loom Large

Even in victory, the underlying numbers tell a worrying story:

• West Ham are now 19 Premier League games without a clean sheet
• 17 of those have come under Espírito Santo
• Only three managers in PL history have had to wait longer for their first clean sheet with a single club

Romero’s goal last weekend underlined how fragile West Ham remain from crosses and set pieces. Until that changes, every game risks becoming a tightrope walk, especially against sides with athletic forwards like Brian Brobbey.

🏟 London Stadium Factor

If West Ham are to stay up, the London Stadium must become a weapon again:

• The atmosphere is at its loudest in daytime kick-offs when the team is on the front foot
• Early intensity – especially from Summerville, Jarrod Bowen and the attacking full-backs – tends to lift the crowd
• Sunderland’s poor away record presents an opportunity to impose themselves physically in the opening stages

A fast start and sustained energy from the stands could turn this into the type of frantic, second-ball battle that suits West Ham’s more combative players.

🐱 Sunderland: Black Cats Eyeing Europe

🔺 Le Bris Factor

Under Régis Le Bris, Sunderland have quietly turned themselves into one of the Premier League’s most intriguing sides:

• Technically capable in midfield
• Well-drilled pressing structure
• Brave with and without the ball

After three false starts to 2026, they finally registered their first league win of the new year with a 2–1 home success over Crystal Palace:

• Yeremy Pino gave the visitors the lead
• Sunderland responded through Enzo Le Fée and Brian Brobbey
• The Stadium of Light roared them over the line

That win followed an FA Cup victory over Everton (on penalties), meaning:

• Sunderland come into this one on a two-match winning streak
• A win in London would make it three in a row in all competitions for the first time this season

They sit comfortably in the top half, and crucially, just three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool. In a congested race for European places, every point counts.

🚍 Away-Day Weakness

For all the optimism, there is one major caveat:

• Sunderland have not won any of their last six away league games
• They have failed to score in seven of 11 Premier League away matches this season

That split between a vibrant, confident home side and a tentative, blunt away team is stark. Le Bris must find a way to translate the bravery and fluency shown at the Stadium of Light into performances at bigger, more hostile grounds.

The London Stadium, with an anxious home crowd, can either become a platform for Sunderland to break their away hoodoo or another chapter in their travel sickness.

🔙 Psychological Edge from August

Sunderland do not arrive in East London empty-handed from the memory bank. On the opening weekend of the campaign, they thrashed West Ham 3–0, showcasing the best of Le Bris’ philosophy:

• Aggressive pressing
• Clean, vertical passing
• Ruthless finishing

A repeat of that scoreline would complete Sunderland’s first Premier League double over West Ham since 2010-11 – the season that saw the Hammers relegated.

You can be sure the London Stadium faithful have not forgotten that statistic; nor will the players.

🧠 Tactical Match-Up

⚒️ How West Ham Are Likely to Approach It

Nuno Espírito Santo’s recent selections suggest a hybrid between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-1-1, with flexibility in the wide areas.

Key features:

• Aréola (if fit) as the sweeper-keeper, comfortable facing volume of shots
• Full-backs such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka offering defensive solidity on one side and licence to push on the other
• Souček and João Gomes / Fernandes providing bite and aerial threat in central areas
• Wide threats like Bowen and Summerville tasked with attacking the half-spaces and delivering early balls for the central striker (Pablo or Castellanos, with Wilson as impact off the bench)

Expect West Ham to:

• Press selectively, not maniacally – focusing on Sunderland’s build-up through Xhaka and Le Fée
• Make maximum use of set pieces, where Souček, Mavropanos and Todibo can all threaten
• Aim to make the game chaotic, with plenty of second balls and duels

If Lucas Paquetá is fit enough to feature, even from the bench, his ability to unlock compact defences and produce moments of individual quality could be decisive.

🐱 Sunderland’s Blueprint

Le Bris prefers a system built on:

• A double pivot (often featuring Granit Xhaka) to control tempo
• Aggressive full-backs or wide players who push high
• A mobile striker in Brian Brobbey who can link play and run channels

Sunderland typically:

• Play out from the back with bravery, inviting pressure before exploiting gaps
• Allow creative players like Le Fée and Adingra to drift between the lines
• Use quick interchanges to reach the final third rather than long, direct balls

However, given the context:

• Poor away form
• Physical presence of West Ham
• Lunchtime kick-off on a potentially heavy pitch

Le Bris may temper some of that ambition, at least early on, favouring a slightly more compact shape, looking to frustrate West Ham and hit on transitions.

⭐ Key Players to Watch

⚒️ West Ham United

Jarrod Bowen 🎯
Even when West Ham have been struggling, Bowen’s work rate and direct dribbling have remained vital. Cutting inside from the right or driving down the channel, he will seek to expose any hesitation from Sunderland’s full-backs and test the keeper early.

Crysencio Summerville ⚡
Fresh from scoring – albeit via deflection – at Tottenham, Summerville offers unpredictability. His low centre of gravity and one-v-one ability could be crucial for breaking down Sunderland’s mid-block.

Callum Wilson 🧊
Whether starting or off the bench, Wilson’s movement in the box and knack for clutch goals make him a constant menace. His last-gasp strike at Spurs has already bought him cult status among fans this season.

🐱 Sunderland

Brian Brobbey 🚀
Strong, quick and increasingly composed in front of goal, Brobbey is central to Sunderland’s attacking identity. He can bully centre-backs physically, run in behind or drop deeper to link play. West Ham’s shaky back line will be fully tested.

Enzo Le Fée 🎨
The creative conductor. Le Fée’s ability to receive under pressure, turn and pick passes could give Sunderland a route through West Ham’s midfield press. If he finds space between the lines, the Hammers may be in trouble.

Granit Xhaka 🧱
A leader in midfield, Xhaka’s passing range and aggression set the tone. He will look to dictate rhythm, recycle possession and disrupt West Ham’s attempts to build momentum through Souček and Fernandes.

🚑 Team News & Selection Notes

⚒️ West Ham United

Positives:

• The win at Tottenham brought no new injuries.
• El Hadji Malick Diouf should be available again after AFCON success with Senegal, boosting defensive depth.
• Lucas Paquetá has an outside chance of returning from a back problem; even a bench role would be significant.

Concerns:

• Veteran goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański is still out with a back issue, keeping the goalkeeping hierarchy clear.
• Paquetá’s long-term future remains uncertain, which could influence how much he is risked.

New faces:

• Forwards Pablo and Taty Castellanos have slotted into the attacking rotation and could both start again after solid displays.
• New winger Keiber Lamadrid has arrived on loan but is not yet ready for competitive action.

🐱 Sunderland

Fitness:

• Romaine Mundle came off against Crystal Palace, but indications are that fatigue – not a serious injury – was the issue.
• Bertrand Traoré (knee) and Arthur Masuaku (ankle) remain sidelined.

AFCON factor:

• Chemsdine Talbi and Habib Diarra are due back from AFCON involvement in gameweek 23, so this match may come too soon for them to start.

Selection:

• Le Bris could consider starting either Talbi or Simon Adingra if Mundle is not ready for back-to-back starts.
• Otherwise, the Sunderland boss has little reason to tinker with a winning XI, especially given the need for continuity on the road.

🔍 Match Dynamics: How It Might Play Out

• 🕐 First 15 minutes: West Ham, buoyed by recent results and the home crowd, press aggressively and look to pin Sunderland back. The visitors focus on control and avoiding early concessions.
• ⚔️ Mid-game: Sunderland begin to find their rhythm, especially through Xhaka and Le Fée. The game may then swing between spells of West Ham pressure and quick Black Cats counters.
• ⏳ Final 20: If scores are level, both managers have impact substitutes – Wilson for West Ham, attacking options like Adingra for Sunderland – to chase the three points. The contest could become stretched, inviting late drama.

Given West Ham’s inability to keep clean sheets and Sunderland’s away goal drought, whichever side breaks their respective pattern first is likely to take control of the result.

🧮 Betting View & Prediction

(Indicative logic only, not live odds)

• Match Result:
  • West Ham slight favourites due to home advantage and Sunderland’s away form.
  • Draw a serious runner, especially if Sunderland’s approach is cautious.
• Goals Markets:
  • Both Teams To Score: Attractive; West Ham rarely keep clean sheets, and Sunderland are due an away breakthrough.
  • Over 2.5 Goals: Reasonable given the attacking talent on show and the defensive vulnerabilities.

⭐ Rezilta / Goal.mu Prediction

🔮 West Ham United 2–1 Sunderland

Why this outcome fits:

• The London Stadium factor and recent morale boost give West Ham extra edge.
• Sunderland’s away issues are too persistent to ignore, even with their quality.
• Both teams are in better attacking than defensive shape, pointing towards goals rather than a cagey 0–0.
• A late West Ham winner – possibly again from the bench – feels entirely plausible.

✅ Suggested Angles

• West Ham Draw No Bet
• Both Teams To Score – YES
• Over 2.5 goals

🧑‍🎤 Final Verdict

This is more than just a mid-table vs relegation clash. For West Ham, a win would turn a flicker of form into a genuine survival charge. For Sunderland, three points in London would show they are not just a top-half curiosity but serious contenders for European football.

Expect a spirited, physical encounter with momentum swings, defensive wobbles and plenty of narrative. In the fine margins, home advantage and desperation may just carry the Hammers over the line.

The content provided in this article is intended solely for informational and entertainment purposes. Betting and gambling involve significant risks, including the potential loss of the principal amount wagered. Readers should be aware of their local regulations and laws concerning online betting and gambling. Always gamble responsibly, knowing that the outcomes are unpredictable and can lead to financial losses.If you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, please seek help. Many organizations provide resources and support for individuals struggling with gambling addiction. Remember, the best bet is always a well-informed decision.Never gamble with funds that are essential for your daily life, and always set limits to ensure you’re not gambling more than you can afford to lose. The thrill of the bet should never overshadow the potential consequences of loss. Stay safe, informed, and gamble responsibly.