Swansea vs West Ham: Summit Clash Between Two Top-Four Sides

West Ham have scored 18 goals in their last five Championship matches, an average of 3.6 a game, and that attacking run is the main reason they arrive at the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday as serious contenders for the top of the table.

Two sides at the summit

Swansea lead the division on 23 points, four ahead of West Ham in third. The gap is narrower than the table suggests, though. West Ham’s goal difference of +17 is eight better than Swansea’s +9, a sign of how much firepower the visitors carry. With the promotion race still open, a win for either side would open daylight over the chasing pack.

West Ham’s goal-scoring surge

West Ham have scored 29 goals in ten league games and have lost only once all season, and that defeat came at home. They have yet to lose away from home this campaign. Swansea arrive on a run of four straight wins, with a single defeat in their last five, and they have been difficult to beat in their own ground, winning three and drawing two of their five home games.

Head-to-head

The last five meetings, all in the Premier League between 2016 and 2018, were tight. West Ham won three and Swansea two, with no draws. Three of those five games finished 4-1, so neither side has been able to dominate the other for long.

Absences on both sides

Swansea will be without C. Burgess (Achilles tendon injury), S. Eustaquio (shoulder injury), J. Key (muscle injury) and F. Lissah, who misses out on yellow-card grounds. West Ham face the fixture without K. Lamadrid, who is injured.

Our prediction

Swansea 1-2 West Ham. Swansea’s home record makes them hard to beat, but their midfield and defensive depth are thinner this weekend, and West Ham’s attack has been the most productive in the division. We expect the visitors to edge a tight contest and take control of the top spot.