West Ham Aim To Start Survival Push With Friday Clash Against Wolves

West Ham and Wolves meet at London Stadium on Friday in a high-pressure Premier League clash. West Ham sit 18th, while Wolves are 13 points adrift of safety with seven games remaining. Opta rates West Ham as favourites, giving a 50.1% chance of victory, with a 25.2% chance of a draw and 24.7% for a Wolves win.

A West Ham victory would pull them level on points with 16th-place Nottingham Forest and temporarily send Tottenham into the bottom three. Wolves, who fought back for a 2-2 draw against Brentford before the international break, must win regularly now to keep survival hopes alive, as the margin to safety remains large at this late stage.

West Ham arrive from a painful FA Cup quarter-final defeat, losing 4-2 on penalties to Leeds United at London Stadium. That result followed an improved Premier League home spell, with only one loss in their last six league games there, recording one win and four draws and collecting seven points after taking just six from their first nine home fixtures.

Nuno Espirito Santo accepted the Leeds loss was hard to take but stressed that focus has already shifted. "We had a difficult couple of days after Leeds, because we had a lot of hope and belief that we could reach Wembley," said the West Ham boss. "It was disappointing, but at the same time, we showed a good reaction in the game, and that we can fight. We didnt give up right until the end, and now we move forward, realising that our major fight starts on Friday. We are aware of the situation, but we are confident and we believe in each other. Its going to be a tough game, because theyre [Wolves] a good team that is improving. You can see that, but we are ready to compete."

Wolves’ most recent league outing showed resilience as they overturned a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Brentford. That comeback, however, did little to ease their position near the foot of the table, and pressure remains high, with Rob Edwards’ side needing a strong finish to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Midfielder Andre underlined the squad’s determination to keep competing until the final whistle of the season. "It's been a tough season. In this moment it's difficult to speak, now we have to keep believing and playing," Andre told the club website. "We have good games left and in football everything is possible. Keep believing, keep fighting, keeping trying to win the last games. We won against Villa and Liverpool, so everything is possible. Against West Ham, we won the first game. We need to think game to game, and have confidence to play, confidence to defendplay together and fight."

Attacking output from both sides could prove decisive, with Jarrod Bowen and Tolu Arokodare highlighted as players to watch. Bowen has developed a habit of punishing Wolves, while Arokodare has become important from the bench under Rob Edwards, often changing the dynamic of games when introduced as a substitute.

Bowen has scored more Premier League goals against Wolves than against any other opponent, hitting six overall. Five of those have arrived in his last five home meetings with Wolves, and Bowen has found the net in each of his previous three such matches at London Stadium, underlining a consistent threat in this fixture.

Arokodare’s equaliser against Brentford represented Wolves’ fifth Premier League goal scored by a substitute since Rob Edwards took charge, and their eighth substitute goal involvement in total. Only Arsenal, with nine goals and 16 total substitute contributions, and Fulham, with seven goals and 10 involvements, have registered more substitute impact in that period.

West Ham vs Wolves Premier League statistics and prediction

Historically, West Ham have enjoyed strong recent home results against Wolves, winning the last five league meetings at London Stadium. They have only recorded longer Premier League home winning streaks versus three clubs: nine against Blackburn Rovers, seven against Middlesbrough, and six against Sunderland across earlier seasons.

Wolves still chase a league double over West Ham for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. Since returning to the Premier League in 2018, Wolves have beaten only Southampton more often than West Ham, claiming nine wins over Southampton and eight against the Hammers during that period.

Meetings between these sides rarely end level, with none of the last 16 Premier League encounters finishing in a draw. Each club has taken eight victories during that sequence, while West Ham failed to score in all eight of their defeats, a pattern that underlines the importance of the first goal.

After an 11-game losing streak between October and December, Wolves have stabilised since matchday 19. They have lost only four of 13 league fixtures in that time, winning three and drawing six. Defensively, they have conceded 15 goals over that run, with only Arsenal, Manchester City, and Brighton and Hove Albion allowing fewer.

The numbers point slightly towards a West Ham home win, especially given recent results against Wolves in London. However, Wolves’ improved defensive record and resilience under Rob Edwards, along with Andre’s insistence on belief, suggest a competitive contest as both clubs fight to extend their Premier League status.