West Ham United hosts AFC Bournemouth on Thursday night, in a Premier League fixture that could see Kalvin Phillips make his Hammers debut. The English midfielder just hasn’t been able to get any consistent tick at Manchester City, and you can be sure that both he and his agent might regard the move from Leeds United as a mistake.
Phillips is now on loan in east London until the end of the season.
West Ham United vs AFC Bournemouth FYIs
Kickoff: Thursday, Feb. 1, 7:30pm, London Stadium
West Ham United Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Form Guide, Standing: Bournemouth LLWWW 12th, 25 pts West Ham DDWWW 6th 35 pts
Fun Fact- see below, as hopefully, you’ll get as much of a kick out of this as we did:
In 1314, King Edward II banned football in England for being too violent. pic.twitter.com/j7L6hIk1ao
— History Facts (@UnfadingWisdom) January 29, 2024
Team News for Both Sides
Speaking of transfer talk, Said Benrahma and Maxwel Cornet have both been linked with exits this January, so it is possible that they will miss out on this match here.
Meanwhile Lucas Paqueta (calf), Michail Antonio (knee) and Edson Alvarez (calf) are all battling injuries, so their chances of featuring here are relatively low, but you never know, they might get passed as match fit.
There is better news with Mohammed Kudus though, as he’s back from international duty, and could be in the mix here. Ghana’s earlier than expected exit at AFCON means he’s back with the Irons.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.