WEST HAM PREVIEW

Sunderland will play a Premier League match for the first time since 2017, hosting West Ham United. Here's what you need to know about our opponents:

LAST SEASON

The Hammers finished 14th in the Premier League, dropping five positions from the season prior. This was the first time West Ham ended a campaign outside the top half and/or not qualifiying for Europe since 2020. They went out at the third round stage in both the FA and League Cups.

THE MANAGER

Graham Potter is currently in charge of the Irons and has been since January 2025, this will be his 20th game in the job. Previously, he's been the boss of Leeds Carnegie, Östersund, Swansea City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea. While managing in Sweden he won a Swedish Cup and won promotions from the second, third and fourth tiers. Potter also used to play as a left back, turning out for Birmingham City, Wycombe Wanderers, Stoke City, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, Northampton Town, Reading, York City, Boston United, Shrewsbury Town and Macclesfield Town.

KEY PLAYERS

West Ham's top scorer last term was Jarrod Bowen with 14 goals in all competitions, he also was their top playmaker with 10 assists. Centre back Max Killman made 41 appearances in 2024/25, making him their most commonly seen player. France international Alphonse Areola is their number one goalkeeper but they have also recently completed the signing of Danish goalie Mads Hermansen from Leicester City. Other new signings include 25-year-old centre back Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice, left wing back El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague and centre forward Callum Wilson, after he left Newcastle United, on a free transfer.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Last time out against West Ham, we drew 2-2 in the Premier League in April 2017 on home soil. André Ayew gave the visitors the lead early on before Wahbi Khazri equalised around about midway through the first half. James Collins reestablished the away team's lead two minutes after the break and then Fabio Borini equalised in the 90th minute. Sam Byram was sent off, for a second bookable offence, in stoppage time. You have to go all the way back to January 2013 to see the last time we beat our upcoming opponents, we ran out 3-0 winners via one goal in the first half and two in the second at the Stadium of Light.

PREDICTION

This won't be the easiest game of the season by any means, easy Premier League fixture is in fact an oxymoronic phrase, but this is definitely a game we can win. Looking at our early season schedule as a whole, we need to pick up a few points from our opening three games. Three points against these or Burnley is vital. The SoL will be buzzing, loud and everyone will be up for it. I don't know how effective Graham Potter is at motivating his players against such an offensive home support and their only wins towards the end of last season were against a Manchester United team who had all but given up on the league and an already relegated Ipswich Town. Our players will need time to gel with each other in competitive football but there were plenty of positives in preseason, particularly against Augsburg. I'm going to say we score a couple within the first half an hour and then ease off and get forced to play without the ball and deeper for much of the rest of the game as the adrenaline wares off a bit. Then West Ham will score with 10 minutes to go but we hold on. 2-1 to Sunderland.