The Black Cats also secured a much needed three points at the weekend, as their form had dropped off since December. Prior to last weekend, Sunderland had won just one of their 10 matches, which has seen them slump to 9th in the Premier League standings. But Regis Le Bris’ men finally put in a strong showing as they beat Crystal Palace at the Stadium of Light. With key players returning to the first team picture, the Black Cats looked succinct going forward, as they carved out 13 shots and three big chances, worth a total of 1.71 xG.

West Ham also found success in the final third last time out, as they managed 17 shots and four big chances amounting to 2.85 xG against Spurs. That was quite an open game, with chances available for both teams, but Callum Wilson scored the decisive goal in the 93rd minute to secure the spoils for his side.

Both teams will come into this clash with a spring in their step, and should approach this game with front-footed tactics. West Ham are priced as marginal favourites, but it’s difficult to split the two sides.

Sunderland secured a comfortable victory in the reverse fixture back in August, but the 3-0 scoreline massively flattered the hosts. They managed 10 shots to West Ham’s 12, while also having less possession.

The Black Cats were able to break into the final third often, registering five corners, but West Ham accumulated more again. The Hammers racked up seven, taking the total corner count to 12 for the match, exceeding this line comfortably. The London side are averaging 12.0 corners per game at home this season, seeing at least nine corners in 11 of their 12 home league matches overall.

Eliezer Mayenda led the line for Sunderland against West Ham when the sides last met, and to good effect. The 20-year-old opened the scoring after 61 minutes, registering two shots before being replaced by Wilson Isidor after 76 minutes. Isidor also managed to find the back of the net despite his limited minutes. Brian Brobbey has emerged as the primary option start upfront for Sunderland over the last few weeks, and he comes into this clash in good form.

Brobbey scored the winning goal against Crystal Palace at the weekend, in what was a wonderful effort that rebounded in off the crossbar. He did seem to feel a bit of discomfort after that finish, although that was confirmed to only be cramp, so he should have more than enough time to recover for this Saturday afternoon clash. With the Super Sub feature, this bet has landed in seven of Brobbey’s last eight starts.

Nordi Mukiele is averaging just 0.95 fouls drawn per 90 this season, which is nothing particularly special, but he has drawn a total of seven fouls in his last three matches operating at right back. The Frenchman has shown a real willingness to get stuck into duels this season, and has landed this selection in four of his last five away matches.

However, the main focus here is his matchup against West Ham. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have displayed an increased intensity in their press in recent weeks, registering foul counts of 15, 18 and 17 in their last three matches across all competitions.

New signings Valentin Castellanos and Pablo Felipe have contributed heavily to that, racking up 16 infringements between them, and they should find duels against Mukiele here. The opposition right back has been fouled in each of the last nine West Ham games, and the odds look enticing for that trend to continue.

The aforementioned pair have brought a renewed sense of vitality and determination to West Ham since their arrival, which has inspired the upturn in form. Valentin Castellanos scored his first goal for the Hammers against QPR in the FA Cup, and he has racked up 11 shots across his three starts.

This selection landed in the reverse fixture between the sides, too, as Robin Roefs was forced into four saves. It wasn’t a vintage performance from the Hammers going forward, but they should have more confidence coming into this weekend.

Sunderland boast the 3rd-best defensive record in the Premier League this season, but they haven’t been completely watertight, and Roefs has really had to earn his paycheck. The Dutchman ranks 2nd of all top-flight keepers for total saves made, boasting a 75.8% save rate, which is a league-high.

Dan Ballard had an eventful game when he last faced West Ham, as he scored in the 73rd minute to put his side 2-0 up. The Black Cats had a clear gameplan in that one, as Ballard managed four shots, with two on target.

West Ham have shown a vulnerability from set pieces this season, and Sunderland have the tools to exploit that. To perfectly exemplify that, Cristian Romero managed three shots against the Hammers last weekend, scoring the only goal for his side.

Alderete is another player with serious aerial prowess, which makes this price stand out. The Paraguay international is averaging 0.92 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, with that figure rising even further to 1.23 when playing away. Alderete has been a standout performer for the Black Cats this season, and will hope to score his second goal for the club in an ideal matchup this Saturday.

Jarrod Bowen will hope for a bit more success against Roefs this time around, as he was left frustrated when the sides met in August. Bowen registered four shots in that game, hitting the target once. He didn’t commit a foul in that one, but it is worth noting how he did play more centrally alongside Niclas Fullkrug. In recent matches, Bowen has featured much wider on the right, which should give him an excellent matchup to commit a foul here.

Reinildo has returned from AFCON, and he played the full 90 against Crystal Palace last weekend. He was fouled once in that match, taking his average to 2.02 fouls drawn per 90 for the season. Eliezer Mayenda has also been playing on the left in recent weeks, and he has drawn 11 fouls in his last three appearances. Both players should occupy a similar zone of the field as Bowen does out wide.