West Ham United desperately need to beat Wolves on Friday night – and pundit Chris Sutton expects them to do exactly that.
While Sutton is frequently negative about West Ham, the leading BBC Sport pundit believes Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will get the job done on Friday night.
Sorry Pablo, but this team (if fit) are beating Wolves 👍
Any changes?
A graphic showing West Ham United's ideal XI against Wolves.
Credit: GRV Media
Indeed, anything other than three points for West Ham against Wolves would be a bitter disappointment and could prove fatal to their chances of ensuring Premier League survival.
It’s a huge game and the Irons do have Sutton’s backing, for whatever that’s worth…
Sutton thinks Jarrod Bowen will lead West Ham to victory against Wolves
Writing in his BBC Sport column, Sutton said while predicting a 2-1 win for West Ham: “It’s so hard to know what to expect this weekend, because so many teams have not played for a few weeks, and they will have lost any momentum.
“Wolves know they are down but they have definitely improved under Rob Edwards, who has had some decent results after a difficult start. They are one of the teams who have been on a good run, but their last match was on 16 March.
“Seeing West Ham’s FA Cup tie with Leeds go to extra-time last weekend was the worst-case scenario for them, with a massive game like this on the horizon.
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David Sullivan takes in a West Ham match from the directors' box
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“They obviously lost on penalties in the end, and their league form has not been great either, with only one win in their past six games.
“That’s why they are still in the bottom three at the moment but I think they will be out of the relegation zone on Friday night.
“Wolves have beaten West Ham twice already this season, at Molineux in the league and the Carabao Cup, but this time I am going for a Hammers win.
“All the pressure is on them here, but they are at home and Jarrod Bowen will probably be the player who makes the difference.”
He is right to an extent when it comes to extra-time against Leeds. That would have been a draining experience but, thankfully, several key West Ham players are expected to be fit for Wolves.
Jarrod Bowen celebrates during West Ham United v Brentford - Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Jarrod Bowen’s record against Wolves
It’s easy to see why Sutton would tip Bowen to make a difference on Friday night. The England international so often does – particularly against Wolves.
In 14 games against the Midlands club, Bowen has scored six goals. Brentford are the only team against whom he has had more success.
This is a must-win game for the Irons and they need their skipper to step up. Bowen has endured a bit of criticism this season, but he can respond to any doubters with another big goal here.
Truthfully, it doesn’t matter who scores on Friday – just that someone does. Though there will be six games left by the time that the Wolves clash finishes, this is surely the most important one.
Such is the magnitude of the game, West Ham won’t stay up if they beat Wolves, but they will almost certainly be relegated if they do not.
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