Daily WHUFC News - 19th March 2016

Friday 18 Mar Updated Friday 18 Mar 15:12
WHUFC.com

PREVIEW
Preview - Chelsea

The background

With the Blues falling out of both the FA Cup and the Champions League in their last two matches, there may not be a better time for West Ham United to face Guus Hiddink's side.

And it's a chance for the Hammers to do the double over their London rivals, having beaten Chelsea, then managed by Jose Mourinho, 2-1 back in October.

Goals from Mauro Zarate and Andy Carroll either side of Gary Cahill's equaliser from a corner secured Slaven Bilic's side's sixth league win of the campaign that day.

And there will be concerns for the hosts at Stamford Bridge too, with the Hammers in great form having jumped up the league table into fifth.

Previous to their defeats to Everton and Paris St. Germain which meant they exited two competitions, Chelsea have just one win from their last five home league matches.

Currently sitting down in tenth, Chelsea are set for their lowest league finish in 20 years unless they can catch those four places above them.

The history

The Hammers will take on Chelsea for the 105th time on Saturday, with the Blues having edged the previous meetings over the years.

This weekend's hosts have won 47 of those, with West Ham victorious on 38 occasions. The two sides have played out 19 draws.

In the last meeting at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea – who went on to win the league – were 2-0 winners with John Terry and Diego Costa grabbing the goals in December 2014.

Match info
Team news

Chelsea

Diego Costa is banned for the Blues after his red card at Everton last weekend, and Eden Hazard is a doubt.

Last season's champions will also be without Kurt Zouma and Radamel Falcao who are out with long-term problems.

West Ham United

The cup-tied Sam Byram missed out at Manchester United last weekend but could return on Saturday, however James Collins and James Tomkins will miss out through injury.

Another player unavailable for selection will be Victor Moses, who is ineligible to face his parent club.

Match facts

Robert Madley is referee at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The official has taken charge of 25 games so far this season, issuing 70 bookings and four red cards
If West Ham record the victory on Saturday, it will be the first time they have completed the league double over Chelsea since the 2002/03 season
The Hammers, however, have only won two of the last seven meetings between the sides
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last seven matches (W5, D2)
Chelsea have only won three of their last nine outings in all competitions (W3, D3, L3)
With Manchester City not playing until Sunday, a win for the Hammers would put them into the top four

Ticketing, coverage, travel and other info

Away tickets for Saturday's match have SOLD OUT
A cloudy but dry day is expected at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and the temperature will be 8C (46F) at kick-off
There will be no district line service between West Ham and Tower Hill due to planned engineering works this weekend, but replacement bus services will operate
Supporters should travel to Fulham Broadway if travelling by tube to visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday

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Payet wins another award!
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet has been voted PFA Fans' Player of the Month for February after his string of terrific performances propelled the Hammers to fifth in the Barclays Premier League table.
The Frenchman, who enjoyed a sensational month in the league and Emirates FA Cup, just pipped teammate and Hammers skipper Mark Noble, who came second, to the award voted by supporters.
The 28-year-old's impressive displays saw him register a goal and assist at Norwich City and contribute to wins over Aston Villa and Sunderland for Slaven Bilic's side. His brilliance was clear in the FA Cup too. There, he again showed his talent by setting up Angelo Ogbonna's dramatic fourth-round replay winner and in the 5-1 destruction of Blackburn Rovers by scoring a 25-yard free-kick and marvelous individual goal. Payet was voted winner just ahead of Noble, who plays in his Testimonial match at the Boleyn Ground on Monday 28. The captain smashed in a late leveller at Carrow Road and was influential throughout the month of February. The latest accolade comes just a fortnight after Payet picked up the London Player of the Year award in recognition of his super season as a whole. The Frenchman, who has ten assists and eleven goals to his name since moving to east London from Marseille last summer, was also recalled to his national side for upcoming friendly matches with the Netherlands and Russia. Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Dimitri on his latest achievement.

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From the Terraces
WHUFC.com

Lifelong Hammers fan Jack Fawbert looks back at some special moments at the Boleyn Ground...

Until the age of 12 I wasn't very interested in football. Then, in 1962, a mate from school took me to see West Ham beat Everton 4-0 at the Boleyn Ground. I immediately fell in love with everything about the experience; the roar of the crowd, the chicken run swaying to 'Bubbles' and the commitment of all those men in flat caps. I saw every game of the 1964 cup run, including the final. I saw every home game of the European Cup Winners' Cup run as well as the Final at Wembley. Our coach from Barking broke down on the way and we just got inside the stadium as they kicked off. Much has changed since those halcyon days; the flat caps are gone, as have the old chicken run and the standing terraces in the, then uncovered, North Bank.
But, many things have stayed more or less the same; the closeness of the pitch to the terraces where, in Trevor Brooking's words 'you can smell the grass', the singing of 'Bubbles', the passion of the fans and, of course, those famous claret and blue shirts. Whilst the claim that 'football is always better in the past' is questionable, not least because of a seeming collective amnesia about the bad times, there is no doubt that such 'tradition' and 'heritage' are very important to West Ham fans like me as well as to the new generations of fans who have bought into the 'West Ham family'. Whilst nostalgic reminiscences of 'the good old days' of Greenwood, Lyall, Moore, Hurst and Peters also need to be tempered with the realities of a more globalised, commercialized and corporate enterprise today, the years of commitment to an ideal held by many thousands of people like me has to be memorialised into the very structures and ethos of the new Stadium as we venture into a brave new world post-Boleyn Ground.

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Cheik's in for five more years!
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to confirm that Cheikhou Kouyate has signed a new long-term contract with the Club.

The Senegal star has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at the Club until summer 2021.

For Kouyate, the new contract comes after 20 outstanding months in Claret and Blue, during which the No8 has caught the eye and won over fans and pundits alike with his power, pace, technical ability and knack of scoring important goals.

Get your Kouyate shirt now - personalise your 2015/16 shirt for £15

In all, the midfielder becomes the ninth player to commit his future to the Hammers since the start of 2015, following Payet, Mark Noble, Winston Reid, Adrian, James Collins, James Tomkins, Aaron Cresswell and Diafra Sakho.

Speaking to West Ham TV, Kouyate said the Club's vision for a successful future, on and off the pitch, played a big part in his decision to ink his new deal.

The 26-year-old said: "I am happy to have renewed my contract with West Ham. I am very happy and would like to thank everybody here at the club, the manager, the fans and also my parents. I think that it is the start of the next chapter for us to go on and discover the new Stadium."

"It means that the Club trusts me and that means a lot for me. There is a lot of work for me still to do and I need to continue working hard and prepare for the move to the Olympic Stadium and most of all to keep on entertaining the fans."

Born in Dakar, where he started with the ASC Yego club, Kouyate moved to European football with FC Brussels in 2006 at the age of 16.

From there, the 6'4 player was snapped up by RSC Anderlecht, where he enjoyed six outstanding seasons, winning four Belgian Pro League titles, three Belgian Super Cups and appearing more than 40 times in European competition.

Kouyate moved to east London in summer 2014 and has not looked back, immediately catching the eye with his athleticism and will to win.

Likened to former France star Patrick Vieira, the new Hammer scored fine goals against Arsenal, Manchester United – winning the Club's Performance of the Season award for his display against the Red Devils – Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.

Kouyate began the current campaign with another Barclays Premier League goal against the Gunners, followed by a last-gasp equaliser at home to Norwich City and another in a victory over Aston Villa.

It has not just been the African player's goals that have set him apart, however, as Kouyate is also regularly among the Hammers' leaders in tackles, interceptions and blocks made.

Capped more than 20 times, Kouyate has captained his country and appeared for the Lions of Teranga at the 2012 London Olympic Games and 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

With West Ham riding high in the Barclays Premier League, still in the Emirates FA Cup and preparing to move to the 54,000-seater Stadium in Stratford, and Senegal through to the third round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Kouyate's star is set to rise still further for Club and country.

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

I want to start with more fantastic news for the Club and I am thrilled that Cheikhou Kouyate has pledged his long-term future to West Ham United and signed a new five-year contract.

It once again proves that we are determined to bring in top quality players and keep them on a long-term basis as we move ever closer to our historic move into the new Stadium during the summer.

We have won the right to dream and for once our dreams are coming true. Our dream was not to face a relegation struggle and challenge at the very top and that is what we have done.

It will be a surprise to many but we always felt that the squad of players that we were putting together would help us knock on the door of the big teams.

As I said earlier in the season the big boys will start looking over their shoulders and that has proved to be the case.

In fact we are now looking over our shoulders at some of the big teams! We have come a long way.

I hope our good run against the London teams can continue on Saturday when we face Chelsea.

We have already done the double over some big clubs this season, notably Liverpool for the first time in over 50-years and this is another great opportunity for us by beating Chelsea at their place.

We know it will not be easy as they have gone 13 games unbeaten in the Premier League and have been on an incredible run since Guus Hiddink took charge. They will be looking to continue that run.

However we are not the team of yesteryear and have every chance of pulling off the double.

It is hard to believe the transformation that has taken place at the Club but it was always our plan to bring in quality players.

We had confidence in the manager and have continued our policy of bringing in quality signings.

We are over our injury scares of a few months ago when we were getting more than normal and all our players are coming back which is great news.

It is fantastic news that Dimitri Payet has won the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for February with Mark Noble coming second.

It once again shows the quality of our players and the impact that Slaven is having on players like Mark who is arguably having his best season.

Although Dimitri has missed two months of the season, he has been absolutely exceptional throughout the rest of the season and keeps getting better.

The fans are singing his name every game and only special players are treated in this way.

He has the natural ability where he relates to the fans and enjoys the fans love. It is a one-off and he would certainly be my Player of the Year with Mark Noble just behind him.

It is the perfect storm – we have players who have been at the club for a number of years and are having their best season.

We also have new players coming in who are performing beyond our expectations and have a manager who is exceeding our expectations.

All these things have come together at a time when we are celebrating our final ever season at the Boleyn Ground and we then prepare for our move to the new Stadium during the summer.

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FA Cup replay date confirmed
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Emirates FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United will be played on Wednesday 6 April, with a kick-off time of 7:00pm. The tie will be the last ever match in the competition to be played at the Boleyn Ground and will be live on the BBC. The Hammers were held to a draw at Old Trafford last Sunday when Anthony Martial cancelled out Dimitri Payet's superb opener. The Frenchman curled in a 30-yard free-kick to send the travelling supporters wild, but his fellow countryman Martial was able to equalise with seven minutes remaining. In the previous round, Slaven Bilic's side had progressed by beating Blackburn Rovers 5-1 at Ewood Park. The winners of the quarter-final replay will face Everton at Wembley on Saturday 23 April at 5:15pm.

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The Big Interview - Cheikhou Kouyate
WHUFC.com

Cheikhou Kouyate joined the list of West Ham United players to commit their long-term future to the Club on Friday when he put pen-to-paper on a new five-year deal.

The Senegal midfielder is excited at the prospect of playing an integral role as the Hammers look to establish themselves at the top end of the Barclays Premier League in the Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

More immediately, he also has ambitions of getting his hands on silverware this term…

Congratulations on signing the new deal, Cheikhou. What is your reaction?

CK: "I am happy to have renewed my contract with West Ham. I am very happy and would like to thank everybody here at the club, the manager, the fans and also my parents. I think that it is the start of the next chapter for us to go on and discover the new Stadium."

What was the main reason for agreeing to extend your contract?

CK: "It means that the Club trusts me and that means a lot for me. There is a lot of work for me still to do and I need to continue working hard and prepare for the move to the Olympic Stadium and most of all to keep on entertaining the fans.

"We know that this is the last season here at Upton Park and that this summer we leave behind this stadium, but I am really excited to begin the next year with my team. I am delighted to have signed the contract which allows to play a part in this project."

How excited are you to play in front of 54,000 West Ham fans next season?

CK: "Even when playing at Upton Park, I get excited by the support the fans give us. It is the same when we play away from home too, they are always there for us. At Manchester United this weekend, there were around 10,000 fans and their support sent shivers down my spine. So now, imagining the new stadium, when we will have over 50,000 fans behind us, it is just going to be magnificent."

Do you feel like you have a special relationship with the fans?

CK: "It is incredible with the fans. I have never seen that in my career, the fans here really are magnificent. I often speak with Dimitri and we are both really impressed by the fans here."

On the pitch, how have you grown as a player?

CK: "It is my second year in England. I used last year as a year to learn and I think that I learnt a lot from Sam. This year, we have had a new manager in Slaven and he has helped me a lot. He has helped me to open up my game and I think that working with him will allow me to improve a lot more as a player.

What has been the highlight of your West Ham career so far?

CK: "I want to keep that to myself because we really want to go right to the end of the FA Cup this year. I take pleasure from every game that I play in a West Ham shirt and we really want to win the Cup. We have two finals before the final. First of all, we will give our all to beat Manchester United at home. Then if we manage that, it will be at Wembley and I am really striving to win this cup with West Ham and to try to guarantee a place in Europe for us for next season."

How much has the manager helped you?

CK: "He has really helped me and he is a coach that is really close to his players. He speaks to us a lot and personally, he speaks to me a lot and he has freed my game up. He is a coach that can take us forward and I am really pleased to be working with him. "

What are your hopes now for yourself and for West Ham?

CK: "We have our project here and I will be trying to lead West Ham as far as I possibly can. Within a few years, I think you will see us playing our football at the highest level possible."

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Adrian has fond memories of Stamford Bridge
WHUFC.com

Adrian has enjoyed many career highlights at West Ham following his move to the Boleyn Ground back in June 2013. Few could forget his match winning penalty against Everton in the FA Cup last season, while he will never forget his first save for the club when he made a superb block to deny Manchester United's Tom Cleverley on his debut at Old Trafford. But one of the best games for Adrian came against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge back in January 2014. The Hammers were facing a relegation battle at the time, but their season turned around following a superb display in west London when they came away with a 0-0 draw against the former Premier League champions. One of the biggest factors behind that result was the superb form shown by Adrian that night as he made an incredible 39 saves to stop Chelsea getting on the scoresheet. One of the best saves was to deny Oscar's curling effort which looked destined for the top corner and it won him the save of the season at the Club's end of season awards. Adrian says he will never forget that match and hopes to come away with another clean sheet this weekend. West Ham return to the Bridge with different aspirations this season and can move into the top four on Saturday if they manage to secure another crucial three points.

Adrian said: "I have happy memories of going to Stamford Bridge. For a goalkeeper that had to be my best game there because I kept a clean sheet after many shots on targets and I made a number of saves. "We came away with a point and it was so important for us because we were fighting relegation at that moment and at the end of the season that point was crucial for us. "Now it is a different story and we are in a good position in the table and now we are playing for other things. "We are a different team and we have the chance to beat them and I think it will be a very good game on Saturday."

Adrian understands why the Hammers fans are starting to dream about Champions League football next season following the Club's superb run of form. But the Spanish keeper is refusing to get carried away and says the players must stay focused on the final nine league games to ensure they give themselves the best possible chance of finishing in the top four. Adrian added: "Everybody can dream about this (Champions League) but we have to take it step-by-step and we just have to focus on the next game. "The West Ham philosophy is like this that we have to keep working and prepare for the next game. We now have Chelsea and if we beat them it will put us in an even better position in the table. "The league is so tight and the top of the table is so close. If you lose two games in a row you can lose your position so we have to keep our concentration.
"We are in a good position in the table and are confident and we will keep looking to achieve that goal. "We have a big chance to beat them and they are not having the best Premier League season but they will want to beat us playing at home and move towards the top of the table. "But we have shown that we will fight towards the end and it will be a great game for both teams."

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Cheikhou Kouyate: West Ham midfielder signs new deal
BBC.co.uk

West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has signed a new contract with the club until the end of the 2020-21 season. Kouyate, 26, joined the Hammers from Anderlecht in 2014 and has made 63 appearances, scoring eight goals. "There is a lot of work for me still to do and I need to continue working hard," Kouyate told the club's website. West Ham are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points off a Champions League place, and move to the Olympic Stadium next season.

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Chelsea v West Ham United
SAT, 19 MAR 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
15:00
Venue: Stamford Bridge

Dimitri Payet has had a hand in 21 goals for West Ham this season.

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard will be out for up to four weeks with a hip problem, according to his national coach Marc Wilmots. Diego Costa is suspended after his red card in the FA Cup defeat last weekend.
West Ham remain without James Tomkins and James Collins because of calf and hamstring injuries respectively. On-loan winger Victor Moses is ineligible to face his parent club, but Sam Byram is available after being cup-tied last week.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Simon Brotherton: "Claudio Ranieri is a shoo-in for manager of the year, but Slaven Bilic should be on the podium too, with West Ham now genuine contenders for Champions League football.
"They're only a couple of points behind Manchester City and have only lost two of the last 16 league games. "This looks a good time for the Hammers to go to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea hardly on the crest of a wave after being knocked out of both the Champions League and FA Cup in their last two matches. "Guus Hiddink has steadied the ship well, and they remain undefeated in the Premier League since his return, but too many draws have limited their progress up the table."

Twitter: @SimonBrotherton

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "Chelsea are thinking there's nine games to go and if they click they can finish very, very high also. "In that sense it's not a great time [to play them] because now they have only Premier League. Make no mistake - I'm expecting them to be really hungry and totally focused on the Premier League."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Chelsea's season was effectively ended by that FA Cup defeat by Everton, and they will be without suspended striker Diego Costa at the weekend. I am tempted to back the Hammers to win again, but Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink remains unbeaten in the Premier League since taking over before Christmas and I think he will rack up another draw here.

Prediction: 1-1

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

West Ham have won just one of their last six meetings with Chelsea (D1, L4) - but that came in the most recent clash, a 2-1 victory at Upton Park in October. Nemanja Matic and then-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho were sent off in that game.
Chelsea are unbeaten the last nine times they have hosted West Ham in the Premier League (W7, D2).

Chelsea

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 13 Premier League matches, the best current run in the top flight. They have not lost in the competition in Guus Hiddink's second spell at the club.
The Blues have drawn five of their last six home games in the league, keeping a clean sheet in only one of those matches.
Only Everton and Manchester City have scored more than Chelsea's 27 home goals in this season's Premier League.
Chelsea are the only team in the Premier League not to concede a goal inside the opening 15 minutes of a match this season.
West Ham

West Ham have won their last three Premier League matches. The last time they won four in a row in the league was in February 2014.
The Hammers have scored more goals away from home than at Upton Park this season.
They have scored three goals in a game on five occasions in this season's Premier League: four of those have come on the road, including last time at Everton.

Dimitri Payet has five goals and five assists in his last seven competitive appearances for West Ham United.

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FA Cup semi-final: Everton v West Ham or Man Utd live on BBC
Bbc.CO.UK

Everton's FA Cup semi-final tie against West Ham or Manchester United will be shown live on BBC One. The match will take place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 23 April, kicking off at 17:15 GMT. Crystal Palace will take on Watford at the same venue on Sunday, 24 April at 16:00 GMT, with the match to be shown on BT Sport. The winning semi-finalists, who receive £900,000 from the FA's prize fund, will meet in the final on Saturday, 21 May.

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Payet wins another award!
March 18, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
BKHammer

Dimitri Payet has been voted PFA Fans' Player of the Month for February after his string of terrific performances propelled the Hammers to fifth in the Barclays Premier League table reports whufc.com. The Frenchman, who enjoyed a sensational month in the league and Emirates FA Cup, just pipped teammate and Hammers skipper Mark Noble, who came second, to the award voted by supporters. The 28-year-old's impressive displays saw him register a goal and assist at Norwich City and contribute to wins over Aston Villa and Sunderland for Slaven Bilic's side.
His brilliance was clear in the FA Cup too. There, he again showed his talent by setting up Angelo Ogbonna's dramatic fourth-round replay winner and in the 5-1 destruction of Blackburn Rovers by scoring a 25-yard free-kick and marvelous individual goal. Payet was voted winner just ahead of Noble, who plays in his Testimonial match at the Boleyn Ground on Monday 28. The captain smashed in a late leveller at Carrow Road and was influential throughout the month of February. The latest accolade comes just a fortnight after Payet picked up the London Player of the Year award in recognition of his super season as a whole. The Frenchman, who has ten assists and eleven goals to his name since moving to east London from Marseille last summer, was also recalled to his national side for upcoming friendly matches with the Netherlands and Russia. Everyone at West Ham United would like to congratulate Dimitri on his latest achievement.

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West Ham United are attempting to seduce Alexandre Lacazette
March 18, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
BKHammer

According to L'Équipe, Premier League side West Ham United are attempting to convince Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette to join them in the summer. The Hammers continue to send scouts on a weekly basis to observe Lacazette, with the Frenchman having already been the subject of a concrete bid from Newcastle United in January. Slaven Bilic has also asked Dimitri Payet to attempt to convince Alexandre Lacazette about the advantages that would afforded to the player of Premier League exposure and a London lifestyle. Owing to the increased Premier League TV deal, West Ham United have between €35m and €40m to spend on a striker this summer. West Ham's ultimate success in terms of convincing Lacazette will be down to the fact of whether or not they can offer Champions League football, because if they cannot, then it will be difficult to convince Lacazette and/or Michy Batshuayi, who the Hammers are watching intently. Lacazette's agent David Venditelli had the following to say on the matter: "At the moment, the idea is that Alexandre Lacazette will be at Lyon next season. In any case, we will discuss things when the time comes with Jean Michel Aulas. We have enough experience us two to know what we need to do for Alex's interests and for the club."
If West Ham fail in their pursuit of Lacazette, then they will turn to Batshuayi, who is a player that Slaven Bilic adores. However, the Hammers will face the competition of Atletico Madrid, Juventus and other Premier League sides for the Marseille man's signature in the summer. André Ayew is another player on West Ham's shopping list for the summer, according to the report.

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Dimitri Payet wins PFA Fans' Player of the Month award for February
Last Updated: 18/03/16 10:56am
SSN

West Ham forward Dimitri Payet has been named the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for February in the Premier League. Payet's performances last month helped Slaven Bilic's side to two wins and a draw as they stayed in the hunt for Champions League qualification. The Frenchman, who has been called up to his national squad for the friendlies against the Netherlands and Russia, won 41.6 per cent of the vote to beat off competition from West Ham team-mate Mark Noble (39.6 per cent) and Tottenham forward Christian Eriksen (18.8 per cent).
That selection was reduced from an initial 12-man list featuring Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa (both Chelsea), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Heurelho Gomes (Watford), Jamie Vardy (Leicester), Robert Huth (Leicester), Ross Barkley (Everton) and Salomon Rondon (West Brom).

Every month, throughout the English football season, fans will have the opportunity to vote on skysports.com for who they think has been the best player in the Barclays Premier League, Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two, after Sky Sports teamed up with the PFA to be the digital platform for the Awards. Before the vote opens each month, an expert panel will produce a shortlist of contenders. Fans will then be able to vote for the player they think deserves the award. The panel includes Sky Sports football pundits Paul Merson, Ian Holloway and Peter Beagrie. That trio will be joined by Mike Riley, general manager of Professional Game Match Officials, and Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, as well as the winning fan from each month.

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Chelsea v West Ham preview: Slaven Bilic meets Guus Hiddink in Premier League for first time
Last Updated: 18/03/16 1:05pm
SSN

West Ham travel to Stamford Bridge this weekend confident of heaping yet more misery on a Chelsea side which have exited the Champions League and FA Cup. Chelsea are 10th with nine games to play after climbing from perilously close to the relegation zone a week before Christmas. West Ham are fifth, two points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, and take their quest for the top four and Champions League qualification across London. The Blues were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and FA Cup by Everton last week, but the ailing champions will be aiming to finish the season on a high.

Team news

Guus Hiddink will be without striker Diego Costa, who is suspended for the game following his red card against Everton last weekend, while the Dutchman may also have to do without Eden Hazard, who missed the loss at Goodison Park with a minor hip injury. Kurt Zouma and Radamel Falcao remain sidelined through injury.

West Ham defender James Tomkins was expected to resume full training this week but will miss Saturday's trip. Tomkins is recovering from a calf injury and, like James Collins (hamstring), is anticipated to be available following the international break. On-loan Chelsea winger Victor Moses is ineligible to face his parent club, but Sam Byram comes into contention after being cup-tied for last week's draw at Manchester United.

Opta stats

Chelsea have won seven and lost none of the last nine Premier League games against West Ham at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have kept six clean sheets and conceded just three goals in that nine game run. Overall, West Ham have won just two of the last 19 Premier League meetings with Chelsea (W2 D3 L14). The Blues are unbeaten in 13 Premier League games since Jose Mourinho left (W6 D7), but have only won two at home (W2 D5). The Hammers have lost just two of their last 16 Premier League matches (W7 D7 L2).

Merson's predictions

Chelsea will be desperately trying to stop Slaven Bilic's side reaching the Champions League when the two sides meet at Stamford Bridge. West Ham are right in the hunt for European qualification but to get a result at Chelsea they will have to play from the first whistle. In recent weeks they've only come alive when they've been behind. They came back from 2-0 down against Norwich and they did the same at Everton, before going on to seal all three points. They can't afford to give Chelsea a head start. Again, there's not a lot between these two sides and I'm going for another 1-1 draw.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet's odds: 11/2)

Betting

Chelsea are odds-on at 7/10 with Sky Bet despite their contrasting campaign to their London rivals, with West Ham available at 19/5 to win and 11/4 to secure a point. The Hammers are currently marginally odds-on for a top-six finish at 10/11, compared to their hosts' price of 7/2, and 8/1 to finish in the Champions League qualification places. Find out what the Soccer Saturday pundits and Jamie Redknapp are backing in their Sky Bet tips here.

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Irons admit striker interest – plus 11 others!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 18, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have tonight admitted the club has been tracking Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette but have warned fans not to get fixated on the odd one or two strikers mentioned in the media.

We were told by our most senior source: "He is one of 12 we have been looking at. We scout a huge number of players every season and Lacazette is one of them.

"It would be wrong for anyone to run off with the idea – as always seems to be inferred – that the name which may escape into the public domain is the only one that interests us."

The Sun reported earlier today that Slaven Bilic is believed to have asked Dimitri Payet to help convince his fellow countryman to move to the Premier League.

French international Lacazette has scored 64 goals in 165 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon, attracting the attentions of Newcastle in the January transfer window.

The player's agent declared that the Lyon star wouldn't decide his future until summer adding that at the moment his future was seen as being at the French club.

And our source said: "That is our understanding too. He's on the list – along with all the others!"

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Keep Saturday evening 23rd April free
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 18, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Our potential FA Cup semi-final at Wembley stadium against Everton will be played on Saturday 23rd April with a 5.15pm kick off so keep that date keep just in case.

Watford's semi-final with Crystal Palace at Wembley will be played on Sunday April 24th at 4pm

Each club will get an allocation of 31,500 for the semis.

The FA cup replay between West Ham and Manchester United will be played Wednesday 6th April under the Boleyn ground lights.

The FA have already announced ticket price reductions for both the FA Cup semis and the final at the Wembley. The lowest priced tickets for the semis will be £33 which will account for 14% of the the overall tickets while the highest priced tickets will cost £63 which will account for 19% of all the tickets.

Should we make the FA Cup final this year, lowest priced tickets start at £50 (14% of all tickets) with the highest at £120 (19% of all tickets)

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OS contract decision on the way
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 18, 2016 in News, Whispers
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A reconvened appeal hearing against the decision to release full details of West Ham's Olympic Stadium deal with the LLDC was heard in London yesterday. OSA coalition of 14 supporters' trusts and groups had a complaint to the Information Commissioner upheld last year, the judgement ordered publication last year by the LLDC decided to appeal the decision. The coalition which has been backed by a number of GLA members, former Government ministers, MPs and others, has been seeking the contract's full publication of the agreement. Much of yesterday's hearing was heard in private and the judge is not expected to reveal their judgement. BBC sports journalist Chris Slegg has said the result will not be known for 2-3 weeks. Slegg posted on twitter "Tribunal into LLDC's appeal against decision that Olympic Stadium deal with West Ham must be made public has ended. Judge to rule in 2-3 wks"

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Irons star reckons we can turn Chelsea over
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 18, 2016 in News
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Michail Antonio's verbal approach is precisely the same as his playing style – fearless and to the point. So it's no real surprise to hear him declare: "We can turn them over!" Speaking to www.whufc.com he declared: People are starting to take notice. They probably thought we'd be a top 12 team, that kind of position, but right now we're pushing and even if we fell off right now, which I don't feel we will, I reckon we would probably finish seventh this season. " We're going to go to Stamford Bridge on Saturday and try to get the three points and we believe that we can. They're on a good run, but their run's not as good as ours, so I reckon we can turn them over. All we can do is look forward. Last season we finished 12th, but right now we're pushing for Champions League spots. You never know, anything can happen, quarter finals of the FA Cup, last year at the Boleyn Ground, things are looking up for us. "I hear it will be Manchester United for the final game. Amazing game, what a game to end our time at the Boleyn Ground. What a game to end the Boleyn Ground on, having Manchester United, under the lights, at home. "It's going to be amazing. The fans are going to be up for it, bring it on. You can't rule Manchester United out of anything, so it could be a shoot-out for Europe! "

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West Ham plot to lure Arsenal and Liverpool striker target after £21.5m Newcastle snub
WEST HAM have reportedly entered the race to sign highly-rated Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette.
By LIAM SPENCE
PUBLISHED: 11:15, Fri, Mar 18, 2016 | UPDATED: 11:29, Fri, Mar 18, 2016
Express

The 24-year-old has been attracting interest from a host of Premier League clubs including Arsenal and Liverpool. Arsene Wenger's side are looking for cover for Olivier Giroud, while the Reds have earmarked the French international as a replacement for £32.5million flop Christian Benteke. Lacazette was even the subject of a January move to struggling Newcastle, but he rejected their £21.5m approach. Slaven Bilic's side currently sit fifth in the Premier League and are hopeful of securing a top-four spot and Champions League football for when they move to the Olympic Stadium next season. And French newspaper L'Equipe report that European football, the London lifestyle and the relationship Lacazette has with Dimitri Payet will be key factors in trying to tempt him into a move to the Hammers in the summer. The report adds that West Ham send scouts on a weekly basis to monitor Lacazette and have up to £31m to spend on a striker of his quality. Lacazette has scored scored 15 goals so far this season and would provide the Hammers with the required firepower to compete against the European elite. But Lacazette's agent David Venditelli admits that Lacazette's future lies with Lyon for the time being. He said: "At the moment, the idea is that Alexandre Lacazette will be at Lyon next season. In any case, we will discuss things when the time comes with Jean Michel Aulas. We have enough experience us two to know what we need to do for Alex's interests and for the club."

It is understood if the east London club were to miss out on Lacazette then they will turn their attention back to Marseille star Michy Batshuayi, who they are willing to pay £25million for. The report also claims they will approach Swansea's Andre Ayew about a move if they fail in their pursuit of both Lacazette and Batshuayi.

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Eden Hazard ruled out of Chelsea's West Ham clash as manager confirms lengthy injury
CHELSEA forward Eden Hazard faces up to a month on the sidelines, according to Belgium head coach Marc Wilmots.
By DAVID WRIGHT
PUBLISHED: 11:53, Fri, Mar 18, 2016 | UPDATED: 12:04, Fri, Mar 18, 2016
Express

The 25-year-old declared himself fit to face Everton on Saturday after picking up a hip injury in the Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain three days before. But Blues manager Guud Hiddink refused to risk Hazard in the 2-0 defeat in the FA Cup quarter-finals. And now Wilmots has revealed Hazard faces three to four weeks out of action, which will keep him out of Belgium's upcoming friendlies against Portugal and Switzerland. "I have told Eden Hazard to have some rest," Wilmots said. "We are not too worried about. He has a muscle injury. He'll be out for 3-4 weeks." It will been Hazard will miss Chelsea's visit of London rivals West Ham tomorrow, as well as next month's games against Aston Villa, Swansea and Manchester City.
Wilmots also effectively ruled out City and Belgium captain Vincent Kompany for the rest of the season with another calf injury.

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West Ham plotting club-record move for in-demand Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Friday, March 18, 2016

West Ham are lining up a sensational club-record move for in-demand French striker Alexandre Lacazette, who is a target for both Newcastle and Arsenal. According to L'Equipe, the high-flying Hammers are the latest Premier League side to express an interest in the Lyon hotshot, who has emerged as one of the best strikers in Ligue 1. The 24-year-old has netted 13 times in 26 outings this term, following on from his 27-goal haul last season, and Lyon are bracing themselves for summer interest. And that may come from east London, especially if West Ham manage to cap a fine season by qualifying for next season's Champions League. L'Equipe claim that Slaven Bilic could have as much as £32million to spend this summer and they reckon he could use it to prise Lacazette away from southern France. West Ham struck gold by landing the striker's compatriot Dimitri Payet from Marseille in 2015 and they could be about to combine the French duo in the Premier League.

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