West Ham vs Burnley Preview: Classic Encounter, Key Battle, Team News & More

West Ham United host Burnley in their next Premier League encounter. The Hammers are coming off the back of consecutive 4-1 defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Swansea City. 

West Ham are three points above the relegation zone, but remain among the contenders for the drop. 

After going 12 games without a win, Burnley won their last game against Everton in a much needed 2-1 victory. The Clarets are still on course for a record breaking season and are just five points behind sixth place Arsenal.

Here's the rundown on Saturday's tie:

Classic Encounter

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West Ham and Burnley put on an eight goal thriller back during Burnley's first stint in the Premier League in November 2009. 

Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas, and a Carlton Cole penalty got West Ham off to a great start where the hosts found themselves 3-0 up at half time. Guillermo Franco and Luis Jimenez would add two more to make it a 5-0 romp after just 64 minutes. 

It was looking like a night to forget for Burnley, but they put on a spirited fightback as they attempted to salvage anything from the game. 

Steven Fletcher scored twice in the space of six minutes to give the Clarets some hope. Chris Eagles added a third in injury time, but it was far too late to complete the comeback. Burnley would be relegated that season, with West Ham narrowly avoiding the drop themselves with a 17th place finish.

Key Battle

Marko Arnautovic vs James Tarkowski

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After a poor showing against Swansea, West Ham could opt to field joint top scorer Marko Arnautovic more centrally once again. The Austrian's purple patch under David Moyes helped guide the Hammers out of the relegation zone, but they will need to call on him once again after this most recent poor run of form.

After two spells on the sidelines, Burnley welcomed back James Tarkowski in their 2-1 win over Everton. The Clarets are finally able to field the trusty back four which helped lead them on their terrific run at the start of the season. 

Burnley have conceded just 26 league goals all season, and could prove to be tricky for this struggling West Ham side to break down. Arnautovic will need to be at his best to get the better of World Cup hopeful Tarkowski.

Team News

Winston Reid suffered a horrible looking injury against Swansea. The defender was knocked unconscious during the match, but a knee injury has ruled him out for the remainder of the season. 

Pedro Obiang, Andy Carroll, and Sam Byram are all ruled out. Arthur Masuaku will complete his six match ban on Saturday. The Hammers could welcome back James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna who recover from a hamstring injury and illness, respectively. 

For Burnley, Robbie Brady, Steven Defour, and Jonathan Walters are all ruled out with knee injuries. Tom Heaton and Scott Arfield are nearing a return for the Clarets, but will likely not be fit in time for Saturday's clash.

Potential West Ham Starting Lineup: Adrian; Rice, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Zabaleta, Noble, Kouyate, Evra; Antonio, Lanzini; Arnautovic 

Potential Burnley Starting Lineup: Pope; Lowton, Mee, Tarkowski, Ward; Lennon, Cork, Westwood, Gudmundsson; Hendrick, Barnes

Prediction

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While Burnley have had an excellent campaign, their away form is letting them down. The Clarets have failed to win in their last seven away league matches and have not scored in five of that seven. 

Meanwhile, West Ham have won five of their last six home games against Burnley. It's sure to be a close game. With the Hammers not scoring many and Burnley conceding few, just a goal could separate the two sides on Saturday.

Prediction: West Ham 1-0 Burnley