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West Ham vs Everton – Match Preview

The last of the four Premier League encounters this afternoon takes us to East London as West Ham play host to an in form Everton. Slaven Bilic’s men are just one win from safety as things stand and will look to reach the hallowed 40 point marker this afternoon.

But if they are to do so then they are going to have their work cut out as they face an Everton side which has only lost two of their last 10 matches, a run of form that has seen Ronald Koeman’s men move level on the points with Arsenal in 7th.

A win for Everton would see them move back into 5th place but it is fair to say that would be somewhat of a false position due to the fact that they then would have played three matches more than both Manchester United and Arsenal below them.

West Ham however are nearly over the line but not quite, the last two games have certainly made life a little easier around The London Stadium with four points from a possible six. That has meant that The Hammers are not quite looking over their shoulders going into the last handful of matches.

The key win was the ‘6 pointer’ with Swansea a couple of weeks ago. That victory of Paul Clement’s men was incredibly welcome as not only did it end a run of five straight defeats but it also meant they were not dragged into a relegation battle.

At the start of the weekend West Ham are 13th but a win today could see them move into the top half of the table should other results go their way. That in itself just shows how congested the mid table section of the Premier League is right now.

After beating Swansea at home, they would arguably be disappointed at having been held to a draw by basement side Sunderland last weekend. It was a spirited performance from The Black Cats as they battled for a share of the points at The Stadium Of Light.

Opponents Everton made very light work of Burnley last weekend at Goodison Park. Romelu Lukaku enhanced his chances of securing the Premier League Golden Boot at the end of the campaign with another goal to his tally as he scored Everton’s third of the day which in turn secured all three points.

Everton are 13 points clear of West Brom in eight and a win today would secure a return of European Football to Goodison Park next season. Not only that but it would mean a third straight Europa League qualification for manager Ronald Koeman.

It seems as if you want Europa League qualifcation then Koeman is your man. After the impressive work he did in his two seasons at Southampton, he has continued that during his first season on Merseyside. We talk about the ‘top 6’ but can we now talk about the ‘top 7’

Such is the chasm between Everton and West Brom between seventh and eigth places it seems as Everton can continue to look ahead than opposed to over their shoulder. The question now is whether or not they can truly bridge the gap next season.

In what was a pivotal week, the results against arch rivals Liverpool and Manchester United have just turned what is set to be Europa League qualification into a full tilt at a top four finish. But there should be no cause for disappointment especially when compared to the performances of last season in the final days of Roberto Martinez.

Can Everton get the win they need to secure European nights again next season or can West Ham get the win they need to secure Premier League weekends here next season. I have a feeling it is going to be the former as Everton move back up to fifth place for at least 24 hours. An away win for me.

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