When the fixture list was released, fans could not wait to see what Potter’s West Ham United would bring in Premier League football for the first time as a head coach, as a testy encounter awaits on Tuesday evening against Fulham.
West Ham comes into the match after being knocked out of the FA Cup third round after a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa while Fulham advanced to the fourth round after a comfortable 4-1 win over Watford.
West Ham were leading Villa by a 1-0 margin coming into the 9th minute of the FA Cup in their last match palayerd by Lucas Paqueta but Unai Emery’s team responded by scoring two goals in a space the of 5 second half minutes to seal victory with a place in the next round of FA Cup.
There are no European football for the Hammers this term and now they only have the league to concentrate on, depending on new head coach Potter to steer Westham clear of relegation zone and possibly towards a top eight position in the English premiership.
West Ham has been beaten in their last two English Premier League matches by Liverpool and Manchester City with an aggregate score of 9-1 and occupy the 14th position on the log with 23 points garnered in 20 of their league matches this season.
The Hammers are just seven points clear of the relegation zone, which is somewhat worrying given their current form, and the team is desperately lacking firepower and creativity in the final third of the pitch which, at worst, is going to need addressing ahead of the end of the January transfer window.
West Ham have been unable to beat Fulham in their last three top- flight meetings and have lost all their last three Premier League fixtures, and their run of five Premier League games against fellow London based clubs has yielded no victories and three losses.
In contrast, Fulham has won all ten of their Premier League derbies, the longest streak since October 1938. Marco Silva's team will also enter the match with a strong winning record overall.
In fact, the Cottagers have won nine straight games in all competitions, including their last eight Premier League games, which included victories away to Chelsea and draws against Arsenal and Liverpool.
With 30 points from 20 games, Fulham is currently in ninth place in the league and just six points outside of the Champions League spots. Their most recent league loss occurred on November 23 at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
At the end of last week, Silva's team defeated Watford 4-1 in the FA Cup. They will now be looking for another win before facing Leicester City at the King Power Stadium the following weekend.
West Ham, who have only won three home league games in their lackluster 2024–25 campaign, will be the opponent for Fulham, who have only lost two of their nine away Premier League games this season.
Because of this, Ings, who has only scored one goal and provided one assist in 10 Premier League games this season—his only goal came against Fulham in the 1-1 draw—is anticipated to start through the middle.
Regarding Fulham, Sander Berge and Rodrigo Muniz are serious concerns, while Kenny Tete and Reiss Nelson will undoubtedly miss out.
In the FA Cup match against Watford, head coach Silva made several changes, but the mainstays—Issa Diop, Raul Jimenez, Tom Cairney, Calvin Bassey, and Bernd Leno—will be remembered. Harry Wilson may also be included in the starting lineup.
With eight goals in 20 games this season, Jimenez has been in outstanding form for the visitors and is anticipated to start at the top of the lineup, with Adama Traore likely to be a replacement.
