Monday 19th November 2012
Kick-off: 21.00
(live @ Sky Calcio 2)
Upton Park
West Ham
(6th)
v
Stoke City
(12th)
Kick-off: 21.00
(live @ Sky Calcio 2)
Upton Park
West Ham
(6th)
v
Stoke City
(12th)
West Ham recorded their first win in three matches with a 1-0 victory at Newcastle last Saturday, thanks to Kevin Nolan’s fifth goal of the season. The Hammers have lost just once at Upton Park this term, a 3-1 reverse to Arsenal, and victory today could move them into the top four. Stoke City also ended a four-match winless run with a 1-0 win against bottom side QPR last Saturday, with Charlie Adam bagging his first goal for the club since his summer move from Liverpool. Tony Pulis’ side have won just twice so far this season and both victories have come at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke made the trip to Upton Park twice last season - once in the League Cup - losing on both occasions.
• Mark Noble has made more successful tackles in 2012-13 (49) than any other Premier League player
• Stoke City have lost only six of their 18 Premier League games played in the month of November, winning an average of 1.56 points per game in the month. (the fifth best of all PL sides).
West Ham have some doubts over George McCartney, Yossi Benayoun and Matt Jarvis after all three were substituted with knocks against Newcastle, but they should be fit for this game. Sam Allardyce has a decision to make on whether to bring James Collins back into his defence. Collins was among the substitutes for the 1-0 win at Newcastle but could now return to the starting line-up in place of James Tomkins, while a possible absence for McCartney could see Guy Demel return after the Ivorian recovered from injury to earn game time as a sub last weekend.
J Jaaskelainen • J O'Brien, J Collins, W Reid, G McCartney • M Noble • Y Benayoun, K Nolan, M Diamè, M Jarvis • A Carroll
Stoke are waiting to discover the outcome of a scan on Glenn Whelan’s hamstring problem as they prepare for Monday night’s visit to West Ham United. Whelan had to come off in the first half of the Republic of Ireland’s friendly against Greece with a recurrence of the injury which he sustained early last month. The possible absence of the 28-year-old midfielder presents manager Tony Pulis with a selection headache due to the absence of the suspended Dean Whitehead. Two players who fall into category are Wilson Palacios and Maurice Edu who have been restricted to places on the substitutes bench for much of the season so far. Charlie Adam and Jon Walters both pulled out of international duties in midweek but are expected to be available, while Matt Etherington could keep the role on the left after Michael Kightly dropped to the bench last weekend for the first time this season.
A Begovic • G Cameron, R Huth, R Shawcross, A Wilkinson • J Walters, G Whelan, S N'Zonzi, C Adam, M Etherington • P Crouch
Ritmo altissimo per tutti i novanta minuti, due squadre che si sono date battaglia senza esclusione di colpi. Lo Stoke City è riuscito ad attuare il suo gioco, difensivo con ranghi stretti, solo per i primi 45 minuti, aprendo notevolmente le maglie difensive nella seconda parte di gara, favorendo ancora di più lo spettacolo. Ingenuo McCartney in occasione del primo gol potters, ha subito un blocco da Adam in area liberando il suo marcatore, Walters, che ha infilato Jaaskelainen con un rasoterra. 1-1 in apertura di secondo tempo di O'Brien, in spaccata da vero attaccante che non è 
