West Ham United, with 58 points, are one of this season’s biggest and best feel good stories. Unless the fifth place Hammers fall to seventh place, the London club will achieve their highest finish since 1999. So technically, this is the best Irons side of the millenium.
Their opponents on Sunday, Everton FC, have a milestone to reach as well. They have a good chance of finishing above arch-rivals Liverpool for the first time since 2012-13, and if they do so, it would mark just the fourth instance of the Premier League era. Now that would certainly be something to celebrate.
West Ham United vs Everton FC FYIs
Kickoff: 4:30 GMT Sunday May 9, London Stadium
Team news for both sides: go here
TV/Stream: NBCSN, NBCSports.com
Odds: West Ham +125, Everton +210, Draw +235
Form Guide: West Ham WLLWW Everton LWDDD
Obviously, there is much more at stake in this match, beyond what we already mentioned, as the London club is fighting for Champions League qualification and the Merseyside club is striving for placement into next year’s Europa League tournament.
In other words, this fixture has a whole lot on the line. Let’s take a look at who the two managers may select in their first teams, as they battle for critical points.
West Ham Starting XI Prediction (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal; Dawson, Diop, Cresswell; Soucek, Lanzini; Bowen, Lingard, Fornals; Antonio
Everton FC Starting XI Prediction (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Coleman, Godfrey, Holgate, Digne; Allan, Doucoure; Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Richarlison; Calvert-Lewin
Prediction: West Ham 2, Everton 1
Look for Moyes to get the best of Carlo Ancelotti this one.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.