EPL: West Ham v Newcastle preview
West Ham v Newcastle preview
West Ham will look to cash in on Newcastle's alarming run of form and continue to pull away from the relegation zone when they host the Magpies on Saturday afternoon.
David Moyes has enjoyed an immediate impact in east London - victories over Chelsea and Stoke sandwiched a goalless draw with Arsenal - and those results have helped lift the Hammers out of the drop zone for the first time this season.
Newcastle's slump has seen them lose eight out of nine Premier League games since beating Crystal Palace on October 21.
They have already lost four times in December and have now replaced Saturday's opponents in the bottom three; the memory of them beating the Hammers 3-0 at the end of August must feel a very long time ago.
But Rafa Benitez insists his side are working hard and just need some luck, saying after the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last week: "Sometimes you need a little bit of luck, sometimes it's the final decision.
"We've had these situations in the last two or three games, losing to one goal, but at the same time you can see the reaction of the players and the effort they put on the pitch - that's the positive thing."
Andy Carroll faces a late fitness test having been absent recently due to a back problem. Cheikhou Kouyate could miss out due to a hamstring injury. Joe Fonte, Edimilson Fernandes (both ankle) and Sam Byram (thigh) are all absent.
In contrast, Benitez has a fully-fit squad to choose from with Jonjo Shelvey the only absentee from the Newcastle squad as he serves the second of a two-game suspension.
Newcastle's slump has seen them lose eight out of nine Premier League games since beating Crystal Palace on October 21.
They have already lost four times in December and have now replaced Saturday's opponents in the bottom three; the memory of them beating the Hammers 3-0 at the end of August must feel a very long time ago.
But Rafa Benitez insists his side are working hard and just need some luck, saying after the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last week: "Sometimes you need a little bit of luck, sometimes it's the final decision.
"We've had these situations in the last two or three games, losing to one goal, but at the same time you can see the reaction of the players and the effort they put on the pitch - that's the positive thing."
Andy Carroll faces a late fitness test having been absent recently due to a back problem. Cheikhou Kouyate could miss out due to a hamstring injury. Joe Fonte, Edimilson Fernandes (both ankle) and Sam Byram (thigh) are all absent.
In contrast, Benitez has a fully-fit squad to choose from with Jonjo Shelvey the only absentee from the Newcastle squad as he serves the second of a two-game suspension.