Comments on the match Sunderland vs West Ham, 9:00 p.m. August 16: Newcomer traps await the "Hammer"

VHO - Commentary on the match Sunderland vs West Ham, round 1 of the Premier League, the battle at The Light stadium may end in a draw.

Sunderland vs West Ham form

Last season, Sunderland finished fourth in the Championship. However, the Black Cats' success in the play-offs against Coventry City and Sheffield United helped them return to the Premier League for the first time in nearly a decade.

Being in the highest arena in the foggy country is difficult, the plan to stay is even more thorny.

Looking at the three newcomers who have participated in the Premier League 2024/25, we can see that such concerns are not unfounded. Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester City were all full of spirit but were eventually beaten to a pulp and became one of the worst trio of newly promoted teams in the history of the tournament.

Sunderland certainly do not want to make the same mistake. The team at The Light is making careful preparations in terms of both tactics and personnel.

Before hosting West Ham, Sunderland spent nearly 150 million pounds to bring in enough new players to form a starting lineup.

Among them, names like Habib Diarra, Simon Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Enzo Le Fée, Noah Sadiki, Granit Xhaka are expected a lot. On the contrary, the Black Cats still almost keep the mainstays of last season, only saying goodbye to Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson.

However, planning to buy and integrate new elements into a harmonious squad is never easy.

Sunderland are also experiencing difficulties with poor results on the field. In the last 7 friendly matches, the Black Cats have only won 1, drawn 1 and lost 5.

Bowen and his teammates did not easily earn 3 points at The Light.

However, that does not mean the home team can be pessimistic before the opening match.

Because the opponent of coach Regis Le Bris and his team is only West Ham, a team that caused a lot of disappointment last season. Instead of competing for a European Cup spot, The Hammers are sinking at the bottom of the rankings.

This summer, West Ham spent just over £70 million to buy centre-back Todibo and recruit left-back Hadji Malick Diouf and goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

While many of the London Stadium's veterans such as Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio, Kurt Zouma, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimír Coufal and especially Mohammed Kudus have all left.

Without the Ghanaian star, the team under the direction of coach Graham Potter will only rely on Lucas Paqueta for the ability to create breakthroughs. With their current strength, the London team probably only modestly aims to avoid relegation.

Sunderland vs West Ham squad information

Sunderland: Luke O'Nien, Aji Alese, Leo Hjelde, Dennis Cirkin and Romaine Mundle are absent due to injury.

West Ham: Crysencio Summerville is injured. Callum Wilson's ability to play is also unclear.

Expected lineup Sunderland vs West Ham

Sunderland: Roefs; Hume, Seelt, Balland, Reinaldo; Sadiki, Xhaka, Diarra; Talbi, Mayenda, Adingra

West Ham: Areola; Todibo, Kilman, Aguerd; Wan-Bissaka, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Diouf; Bowen, Paqueta; Fullkrug

Prediction: 1-1

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/nhan-dinh-tran-dau-sunderland-vs-west-ham-21h00-ngay-168-cam-bay-tan-binh-cho-bua-ta-161406.html