West Ham vs Ipswich predictions: Second-half goals could be scarce in London
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- There have been fewer than 1.5 2nd Half goals in West Ham’s last four PL matches
- There have been fewer than 1.5 2nd Half goals in Ipswich’s last five PL matches
- Recommended Bet: Total Goals 2nd half - Under 1.5
West Ham and Ipswich are separated by a single point ahead of Saturday’s Premier League meeting at London Stadium.
The pressure is mounting on Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui, whose team have failed to win any of their last four in the league and suffered a 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup last month.
Meanwhile, Ipswich stretched their unbeaten run to four games in the league when they rescued a point in a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa last Sunday.
Team news
The only confirmed absentee that West Ham have going into the weekend is Niclas Fullkrug, who has missed the last four games in all competitions due to a calf and Achilles injury.
Edson Alvarez is available again after serving a one-match ban last Saturday, but the Mexican may have to wait for a chance to displace Guido Rodriguez or Tomas Soucek in midfield.
Lopetegui reportedly clashed with Mohammed Kudus after substituting him at half-time last weekend and it remains to be seen if the former Ajax star will keep his place in the starting XI.
As for Ipswich, midfielder Jens Cajuste misses out again with a knee injury while boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed a couple of other players were having “little issues” assessed.
Jack Clarke could be preferred to Sammy Szmodics on the left with Wes Burns in contention to replace Chiedozie Ogbene on the right-hand side.
Nathan Broadhead (hamstring) and Harry Clarke (Achilles) have been back in training for a few weeks and have been cleared to play, although neither has yet featured in a matchday squad.
The stats
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West Ham have started the season with three consecutive Premier League home defeats for the first time.
The Hammers last lost four in a row at home, at any point during a league campaign, between November and December 2019.
Ipswich could become the first side to draw five successive Premier League games since Fulham in January 2021.
Town midfielder Sam Morsy is one of five players heading into the next round of fixtures with a potential one-match ban hanging over his head after he accumulated four yellow cards in Ipswich’s opening six games.
Prediction
Ipswich have picked up points in their last four Premier League games and it would not be a huge surprise to see them take something from Saturday’s game either.
They shut out Aston Villa in the second half last Sunday, limiting Unai Emery’s side to 0.1 expected goals after the break.
In fact, McKenna’s men have not conceded a second-half goal since their trip to Manchester City in August.
None of their last five Premier League games have featured more than one goal after half-time and that trend could continue at London Stadium,
West Ham’s last four league matches have all featured a solitary goal after half-time as they continue to struggle up front.
Only four clubs have scored fewer top-flight goals than the Hammers this term — Southampton, Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Ipswich.
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