Lincoln vs West Ham Preview
Lincoln have started to drop points in the Championship and face a tough test against high-flying West Ham. Jarrod Bowen is in good scoring form and can fire the Hammers to victory at the LNER Stadium.
Key Stats - Bowen Finding the Net
- Lincoln have lost their last 2 games.
- West Ham have won 4 of their last 6 Championship matches.
- West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen has scored 4 goals in his last 4 Championship games.
H2H - West Ham Advantage
West Ham have an 11-7 advantage against Lincoln, alongside six draws.
Lincoln Falling Down the Championship Table
Lincoln made a positive start to their Championship campaign after securing promotion from League One. The Imps gained 11 points from their opening seven games and sit in mid-table.
City’s decent start gave way to a downturn in form following back-to-back defeats. That run started with a 2-1 home defeat against top of the table Swansea.
The Lincolnshire side fell to another defeat after the international break and lost 3-0 at Sheffield United. Lincoln faced five shots on target, conceded before half time and shipped two more goals in the second period.
West Ham Keeping Chase at the Top
West Ham are third in the Championship and four points behind league leaders Swansea. The Hammers are unbeaten in eight of their opening nine league games.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were on a four-match winning streak, including a 3-2 victory at Bolton. Jarrod Bowen scored twice in that away victory.
The East Londoners' winning run ended with a 2-2 comeback draw at Millwall. West Ham had 1.87 XG and six shots on target.
The Hammers were held to a 1-1 home draw against QPR on Friday. Espirito Santo’s side conceded first and Jarrod Bowen levelled in the second half and missed a 91st-minute penalty.
Predicted Starting Lineups & Team News
Lincoln (3-4-2-1): George Wickens; Deji Elerewe, Sonny Bradley, Tom Hamer; Andrei Coubis, Ivan Varfolomeev, Conor McGrandles, Adam Reach; Chiedozie Ogbene, Ben House; Freddie Draper
Midfielder Tendayi Darikwa is unavailable due to a knee problem. Attacker Mason Melia is also ruled out due to a thigh injury.
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Mads Hermansen; Kyle Walker-Peters, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, Morato; Tomas Soucek, Arne Engels; Jarrod Bowen, Divine Mukasa, Manor Solomon; Taty Castellanos
Midfielder Keiber Lamadrid is injured and unavailable against Lincoln.
Tomas Soucek is likely to start after making his comeback from an ankle ligament injury against QPR. The midfielder was positive about his return and said:
“I just want to be in the best condition and I want to show it because I didn't want to wait that long for this game, so I want to show much more.”