West Ham host Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon for a meeting between two clubs with clear European aspirations.

David Moyes‘ side spent eight consecutive weeks inside the top four in the last two months of 2021 but have stuttered since mid-January.

Wolves led Arsenal going into the final ten minutes on Thursday night but eventually emerged with a second defeat against the Gunners in the space of two weeks.

Here’s all you need to know about Sunday’s delicately poised meeting.

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When is kick off? Sunday 27 February, 14:00 (GMT)
Where is the match being played? London Stadium
TV channel/live stream? Sky Sports Main Event (UK), fubo TV (US), DAZN (Canada)
Highlights? Match of the Day 2 – 10.30pm BBC One, Sky Sports Football YouTube
Referee? Anthony Taylor
VAR? Chris Kavanagh

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West Ham will be without first-choice right-back Vladimir Coufal for the foreseeable future following the defender’s recent surgery on a groin injury.

Arthur Masuaku didn’t require an operation on his knee and could even make a return to the squad this weekend. But Manuel Lanzini has been nursing an Achilles injury that will continue to sideline the creative midfielder, along with long-term absentee Angelo Ogbonna.

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Just last week Bruno Lage was boasting about the lack of fitness concerns in his squad.

However, Nelson Semedo may well start the repopulation process of Wolves‘ sparse treatment room after the wing-back pulled up during the club’s defeat to Arsenal in midweek.

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Despite losing 4-0 on their previous visit to the London Stadium, Wolves have enjoyed their clashes with West Ham above any other Premier League opponent.

The club’s win rate of 55% against the Hammers exceeds the return they have recorded when facing any other top flight side on more than six occasions (according to the Premier League’s official website).

West Ham have the chance to rack up consecutive league wins at home to Wolves for the first time since October 2004, when both were in the Championship. The capital club haven’t beaten the Midlands outfield in back-to-back top flight home games since the legendary Bobby Moore was captain and Geoff Hurst led the line of a 1970 side.

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Separated by one place and two points in the table – although the narrow leaders West Ham have a game in hand – these outside challengers for the top four have built their European tilt on different strengths.

West Ham have scored almost twice as many goals as Wolves. Yet, going into the weekend’s fixtures, only four teams in Europe’s top five leagues had conceded fewer goals than Lage’s parsimonious side.

This contrast of skills may cancel each other out in a meeting between two evenly matched teams that have been punching above their weight this term.

Prediction: West Ham 1-1 Wolves