Hammers and Royals Clash

Reading look forward to their first visit to West Ham as a Premiership club on Sunday. The match kicks off at 1PM and will The Royals will enjoy a full house of away support after selling out the full 2910 allocation of their seats.

Alan Pardew`s Hammers will be looking to take their first win of the season since opening day when they defeated Charlton. The boys in claret and blue have lost their past four games, last taking a point at home to Aston Villa on the 10th of September. Interestingly, it has been since the signing of Argentinean international stars Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez the Hammers have not taken a win from a game.

Reading, meanwhile have been off to a spectacular start to their season, now unbeaten in their last four games. The Royals will be hoping to secure their first ever win at Upton Park, losing both times the Royals and Hammers have clashed before in league games. The story at the Madejski Stadium is very different however with Reading capturing all the points from the two Championship games.

Vital Quotes:

West Ham Unites Team News:

It is thought that Pardew will not stick with the 4-3-3 formation used as the Hammers crashed out of the UEFA Cup`s First Round tie against Palermo Thursday evening. The Italian club ran away with a 4-0 aggregate win after beating the Hammer`s 1-0 on English soil and 3-0 in Sicily. The Hammers boss choose Carlton Cole, Marlon Harewood and Tevez as his strikers in the fixture so lead goal scorer Bobby Zamora could be bought back in to zest up the attack. Zamora has scored 5 of West Ham`s six goals this season.

Word on the return of Anton Ferdinand to the fold is still being waited upon. James Collins took his place in the UEFA fixture, however American Jonathan Spector may also be involved after making his debut in the same game. Meanwhile the Hammer`s remain without Dean Ashton and George McCartney, both players having long-term injuries.

Player to watch: Carlos Tevez

This could be the game he finally gets off the mark and scores his first Premiership goal.

Reading Team News:

The Royals` starting eleven is unlikely to change except for the possibility of skipper Graeme Murty`s place. Murty could be out after the hamstring injury he gained in the historic draw with Man Utd last weekend. Peter Mate will not join Brynar Gunnarsson, Andre Bikey, Ulises De La Cruz, and John Halls in the fight for his position as he is suffering from damage to his knee ligament, picked up in the Reserves victory on Monday evening.

There is minor concern about Bobby Convey`s knee, but the American winger is expected to start. Fellow starters, Nicky Shorey, Steve Sidwell, Ibrahima Sonko, and James Harper were all taken ill in the week but should be fine to start.

Meanwhile Simon Cox will be out for a month with a broken leg, joining Dave Kitson, Aaron Brown and Sam Sodje on the unavailable list.

Shane Long, and Graham Stack are almost guaranteed their places on the bench after sterling performances against the Chelsea Reserves team. Stephen Hunt, John Oster, and Glenn Little are likely to join those vying for Murty`s place for a spot in the squad.
Ibrahima Sonko will be making his 100th appearance for the club against the Hammers. Steve Coppell signed Sonko in the summer of 2004, after taking over at the Reading helm from Alan Pardew just half a year before. Sonko featured in every league game for the Royals last year and missed only two of all cup games. Sonko has became a lynchpin in defence next to Ivar Ingirmarsson and played his heart out last weekend against the Red Devils, Man Utd.

The game is another trip down memory lane for Steve Coppell after Man Utd, the club the Royals boss played for visited Reading last weekend. Hammers boss Alan Pardew once played underneath Coppell at Crystal Palace with fellow Premiership manager Gareth Southgate. The managers remain friends and Pardew even gave Coppell advice about coming into the Premier League, however there will be no love lost between the two as their clubs lock horns for what promises to be a gripping fixture.

Player to watch: Ibrahima Sonko

In his milestone centurian game for the club Sonko will play with even more heart then usual. The French-born defender is a danager in the box from set pieces or corners.

Match Facts & Stats

League Games Played: 4

Reading: 2 home victories and 2 away defeats

West Ham United: 2 home victories and 2 away defeats

Ref Watch:

Uriah Rennie (Sheffield, Yorkshire)

Match Prediction:

After the unbelievable high of leading Man Utd and taking a draw against one of Europe`s biggest clubs, Reading should have the momentum to take a victory against a struggling West Ham. 2-1 Reading, with good football being played both ends of the pitch.

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