West Ham United

As we enter a new calendar year and the halfway point of the season, the Opta Supercomputer has been busy making its predictions.

But who is looking most likely to be playing their football outside the top flight next season?

It is bad news for fans of the teams who made their return to the Premier League this campaign.

According to the Opta Supercomputer's simulations, Southampton - rooted to the bottom of the table on just six points - are all but guaranteed to be playing Championship football again next term with a 99.47% chance of being relegated.

The picture is also not a rosy one for Leicester City and Ipswich Town supporters, who occupy the other two relegation spots. The Supercomputer does not see too much change there - the Foxes and the Tractor Boys having a 74.61% and 70.81% chance of relegation respectively.

It is better news for Wolves under new head coach Vitor Pereira, with Wanderers now having only a 39.21% chance of a Championship return, while Everton fans will be pleased to see they have just a 12.52% chance as they hope to see Premier League football in their new stadium next season.

Crystal Palace, West Ham and Brentford can all breathe easier with Opta predicting just a 1.68%, 0.81% and 0.72% chance of relegation respectively.

And what about Manchester United after new boss Ruben Amorim declared them to be facing a relegation battle? Well, it is good news for Red Devils fans as the chance of them actually playing Championship football next campaign is just 0.11%.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham have conceded at least once in each of their past 24 Premier League games against Manchester City – only against Sunderland have they had a longer run without a clean sheet in their league history (25 between 1923 and 1968). That streak ended with an 8-0 win, and Geoff Hurst scored six goals.

In 2024, West Ham conceded more goals than any other Premier League side (79), finishing the year with a 5-0 home defeat against Liverpool.

Image source, Getty Images

Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush is "going to be a superstar", says German football expert Raphael Honigstein.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League after an impressive first half of the campaign that has seen him score 18 goals and provide 12 assists in just 24 games.

It is form not too dissimilar to that of his international team-mate Mohamed Salah, drawing understandable parallels between the two.

"A really dynamic, wide forward who can play through the middle - he is not really a winger and he is not really a centre-forward; he is in between," Honigstein told the BBC Euro Leagues podcast.

"Some people have compared him to his compatriot Mohamed Salah. He is perhaps not quite as tricky and explosive but his finishing is incredible. He is one of those players that came to Germany when he was 18 and for six years and you think 'OK, interesting player but probably not really going to set the world alight,' then suddenly this season he has absolutely exploded to a different level.

"It is to the point we are talking 60-70m euros, maybe 80m euros, in the transfer market. There will be a big move ahead for him and that is why he is one to watch because it is very unlikely Eintracht Frankfurt will stick with him. Some big clubs will come in for him and, if he continues on the same path, he is going to be a superstar.

"He will be a great buy for whoever gets him."

French football journalist Julien Laurens agreed, saying: "He can probably get even better because he is still young. He has had to wait for his career to click and now he has got that confidence and momentum.

"If he plays with better players in big clubs with better coaching, then there is even more to come from him."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester City (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• It is still unclear how long Jarrod Bowen will be sidelined for after fracturing his foot against Liverpool on Sunday: "It's not going to be a few days, that's for sure. He was able to play 50 minutes with the injury, but now he has to rest and recover. It's not good news for us. I prefer not to say a number because we have to see how he is going to develop."

• On how big a blow his absence will be: "He is one of our main players and our captain too, but we have to be able to find solutions. It is a moment for other players to show they are ready to help us. We believe in the players that are in the squad, they are going to try to take advantage of this opportunity."

• He will be turning to his "leadership group", which includes left-back Aaron Cresswell and defensive midfielder Tomas Soucek, to find someone to step up and captain the side in Bowen's absence.

• Michail Antonio being discharged from hospital and being allowed to recover at home is "good news" but the forward is still "going to be out for a long time".

• On whether he will have to bolster his forward options in the current transfer window due to having two forwards out for an unknown time frame: "It is true that we have these two important losses, but the squad knows that we need someone [to step up]. At the moment, the squad is going to work around this."

• Meanwhile, striker Niclas Fullkrug is "step-by-step getting better and putting his body in the best condition" so he is "ready to help" the team, but he added: "It is up to our choice. We can choose him or another player, because Danny Ings is ready too and we can use other players in that position.

• Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski will also be back in contention after serving the Premier League's 10-day protocol for head injuries.

• On reaching the halfway stage of his first season in charge of the Hammers: "I think we have had good moments but also moments where we have to improve, so we are more demanding with ourselves. We start the second part of this season with the team knowing me better and me knowing the team better. I think that is the base we are trying to build on."

• He is expecting a "demanding match" against Manchester City: "I am sure that we are going to play one of the best teams around the world. You can speak about the last weeks but I prefer to put the focus on the team we are about to face, and I know that we are going to face a very good team with top players and a top coach. We need to put the focus on our strengths and believe in ourselves to overcome this demand."

• Lopetegui was asked about West Ham's decent away form of only three defeats from nine games on the road: "I think that we try to do well at home and away, for me it has the same importance. We have tried in the last matches to make it very tough to score in the last moments, such as the last part of the first half and the second half. We try to keep the positives and try to improve the things that we have to improve."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

West Ham, Brentford and Fulham are monitoring the contract situation of 29-year-old English midfielder Will Hughes at Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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We asked what West Ham's New Year resolutions should be.

Here are some of your replies:

Ray: The first thing that needs to be done is to get rid of Julen Lopetegui and his coaching staff and appoint Graham Potter or Michael Carrick!

Petar: Tactical changes are required to stabilise performance. Most importantly the defensive set up needs to improve and corresponding defensive adjustments need to be made to adapt to opponents in order to avoid such disgrace as against Liverpool. Such results are not necessary, there is always a solution, no matter what the quality of the opponent's attackers is. This is with the manager to impose!

Richard: The club needs to turn to it's traditional academy of players and bring them through quicker. Signings need to be more astute and target areas where the team need obvious strengthening.

Bob: Change the manager or get the players to play for the shirt rather than the money! Bring back Mark Noble!

Terry: Having watched many games this season, one New Year's resolution for West Ham is a midfield to run a game rather than be run through by the opposition every game.

Dave: For the New Year we can only wish for Sullivan, Brady and Lopetegui to leave and for new owners to take us forward not backwards.

As it's the New Year, we thought we'd share Michail Antonio's powerful message with you again.

Antonio, 34, was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, more than three weeks after undergoing surgery on a lower limb fracture following a car crash.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham have confirmed captain Jarrod Bowen has fractured his left foot.

Bowen, who is the Hammers top goal scorer and assist maker this season, limped off in the 60th minute during West Ham's 5-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.

West Ham put no timescale on Bowen's injury but a foot fracture typically takes several weeks to heal as a minimum.

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham United will donate close to £60,000 to charity after auctioning match-worn items from their recent Premier League match against Wolves.

The auction took place after Michail Antonio's road traffic accident and the money raised will be equally split between NHS Charities Together and Air Ambulances UK.

Signed walk-out tops and every match-worn shirt from the Wolves fixture were auctioned, which fetched in £29,613 - which the club's board matched, to bring the final total to £59,226.

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen said: "It's been special to see the West Ham family and the wider football community come together in support of Mic over the last month.

"We are all grateful for the care that both the NHS and Air Ambulances UK have given to Mic during a challenging time for him and his family, and for what they continue to do every single day for people around the country.

"Pulling together during difficult times is what being a part of West Ham United is all about and on behalf of the team, I want to thank everyone for helping us to raise an incredible amount of money for two great causes."

Image source, Getty Images

Former West Ham manager David Moyes says he is "disappointed" with how the Hammers are playing and believes he helped bring a really good stability to the club.

The Scot left the club at the end of last season, and during his time at the club helped them qualify for Europe three times in a row and win the Uefa Conference League.

The club currently sit 13th in the league, and speaking about his former club to Radio 5 Live Breakfast after receiving an OBE in the New Years Honours list, Moyes was asked if he feels happy that his former club are not doing well.

"It's a strange question - it can sometimes be like that, but I brought in so many of the players there," he said.

"I'm so loyal to them, from the Czech boys to Jarrod Bowen. So many of them I brought in and I've got a great relationship with.

"We had just about got to a period of really good stability at West Ham, so that would be the bit.

"The people who watch football and know will tell you, West Ham have had different difficulties throughout at different times - but I think the last three or four years were really stable.

"Regular in Europe three years in a row, finishing in a decent position in the league. I'm just more disappointed that it's not quite looking as stable as what it was then."

West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui will be given more time, despite the Hammers' poor form this season. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Christmas is boxed off.

We're almost through the confusing days before New Year and January is within touching distance.

And we need your help - what is West Ham's New Year's resolution?

It could be a new player to sign, a tactical system to implement, an off-the-pitch matter or something else entirely.

Let us know

James Jones
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

After a four-match unbeaten run, Julen Lopetegui's West Ham were brutally brought back to reality on Sunday.

Losing 5-0 to this relentless, free-flowing Liverpool side is not much to be ashamed of. However, it is the manner in which it happened that frustrates fans the most.

Over the past four years we have been tough to beat, especially against the so-called "big six" clubs. We rarely conceded more than three goals in a game. Indeed, we might not have always beaten these clubs, but we would always put up a fight. We would make them work for their wins.

But this season it has just been too easy. In all competitions, we have conceded 40 goals in 21 games. We have shipped five goals in three different games, twice against Liverpool. Twenty five per cent of our goals conceded have been against the Reds, with 65% have been against the "big six" clubs.

They might be the strongest clubs in the country, but we have allowed them to blow us away without much resistance.

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West Ham fans do not expect to beat teams like Liverpool, contrary to what some might believe. But we do expect effort. We do expect fight. We do expect passion.

We got none of that on Sunday and have rarely seen any of it so far this season.

Going four games unbeaten will have bought Lopetegui more time, and the club are never going to sack him for losing 5-0 to Liverpool. But how much longer can we go on like this?

Probably a little bit longer, because it is Manchester City away up next. We have won just one of our past 19 visits to Etihad Stadium, conceding 2.2 goals-per-game on average and scoring just 0.6 goals-per-game.

It could be a brutal start to 2025 for West Ham.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between West Ham and Liverpool, which the Reds won 5-0.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

James: It's really scary how easy teams can play through us. Our defence do not show an eagerness to get the ball, unlike our competitors. We make far too many mistakes and choose wrong options going forward. If Niclas Fullkrug needs to play, I'd rather see Jarrod Bowen on the left and Mohammed Kudus on the right. I don't know why we keep playing Paqueta either - he clearly has lost all motivation to try his best. The manager needs to go, and Graham Potter needs to come in. Now.

Michael: Truly awful performance. Just can't do the basics. I don't blame the manager. This is on the players and they were very poor. Spineless really.

Binner: Disappointed. To be honest, I didn't expect a different result with the way Liverpool have been playing, but our performance was disappointing. All you David Moyes haters; what do you say now, eh?

Fraser: We've got the worst goal difference outside the bottom three and, time and time again, defence is our weakest area. It was the same towards the end of the Moyes era - heavy defeats have become commonplace. We have talented defenders so there must be something lacking in terms of organisation, tactics and teamwork at the back. Get that sorted and the rest of the team have something to build on.

Liverpool fans

Shay: Liverpool were brilliant going forward but that was also a very poor West Ham team defensively. Mohamed Salah is surely in line for the Ballon d'Or next year if he keeps this up. Only Cole Palmer comes close to him in world football right now. Bigger tests to come but nice to see all our frontline get a goal. Over reliance on Mo may be also be our downfall were he to get injured.

Stephen: Another well disciplined display. Could have been double figures. Forget the contract problems - the three in question are not showing any discomfort and are just getting on with it. Role on Man Utd.

Paul: Great team performance -high intensity, attacking flair, intuitive passing and finishing. Massive gulf between these sides. Confidence is clearly high. Can Liverpool keep it up? Still plenty of harder challenges ahead.

Nick: Strolled through the game and never really got out of second gear. The transition from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot reminds me of when Bob Paisley took over from Bill Shankly - a more calming hand on the wheel.

Kelly Somers introduces highlights and analysis from Sunday's six Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 0-2 Nottingham Forest

• West Ham United 0-5 Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham have conceded more Premier League goals in 2024 than any other side, with their 79 goals conceded their most in a single calendar year since 1967 (85).

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We did not compete as we were thinking too today or as the opponent Liverpool demands. Today has been a tough day for us."

On if he regrets changing his starting XI: "No. We were thinking about the fact we had played three days ago and also that we had some problems today to make the lineup.

"In the first ten minutes we had the first chance in a very clear situation and after we didn't score it then it is true they overcame us and had two very clear chances. They scored the first goal but then we have the chance to draw [level] with Kudus which hit the post and then they overcome us again."

On Bowen's injury: "I do not know exactly. We will have to assess him and we will know in the coming days."

Is it unfair to judge the side against the league leaders? "Today we have played against one of the best teams in the world in this current moment, but it is true that we have to do much better."