The league's top scorers meet one of its lowest, and both clubs have changed manager within the last two months. The numbers favour West Ham, but each side has a way into this game, and we set out both.
At a glance
- When: Saturday 21 November 2026, 3pm
- Where: London Stadium
- Competition: Championship, round 16
- Referee: to be confirmed
- West Ham: 9th, 23 points (won 6, drawn 5, lost 4), goals 37 for, 23 against
- Preston: 24th, 8 points (won 2, drawn 2, lost 11), goals 13 for, 30 against
- Gap to the play-offs: West Ham are 5 points off 6th place (28 points). Preston are 7 points off safety (21st place, Lincoln, on 15 points).
- Managers: Scott Parker (West Ham, appointed 4 November) and Graham Alexander (Preston, appointed 28 September)
- Last meeting: West Ham 1-0 Preston, Championship play-off final, May 2005
The story of the game
West Ham have scored 37 league goals, the most in the Championship and seven more than anyone else. Preston have scored 13, joint-fewest with Watford and Charlton, and they are bottom of the table.
Both clubs are under new managers. Parker has had two games, both away: a 3-3 draw at Cardiff, after being 3-0 down at half-time, and a 2-1 defeat at Blackburn. Alexander has had seven league games, and won one of them, 1-0 at home to Southampton on 7 November.
On paper this is the most one-sided fixture West Ham have had all season. The numbers below show why, and what each side needs to make of it.
The two teams side by side
All figures are for league games only, to 7 November. Shots, corners and cards come from football-data.co.uk.
| West Ham | Preston | |
|---|---|---|
| Position | 9th | 24th |
| Points | 23 | 8 |
| Won, drawn, lost | 6, 5, 4 | 2, 2, 11 |
| Goals for | 37 | 13 |
| Goals against | 23 | 30 |
| Goal difference | +14 | -17 |
| Goals a game | 2.47 | 0.87 |
| Goals conceded a game | 1.53 | 2.00 |
| Shots a game | 15.9 | 10.7 |
| Shots faced a game | 10.7 | 15.2 |
| Shots on target a game | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Shots on target faced | 3.3 | 4.7 |
| Corners a game | 6.4 | 4.5 |
| Corners against a game | 4.3 | 5.5 |
| Yellow cards a game | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Red cards | 1 | 1 |
At the venue they will play at, the picture is the same. West Ham at home: 3 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats, 18 goals for and 11 against. Preston away: 0 wins, 1 draw and 6 defeats, 5 goals for and 17 against.
League games to 7 November. Longer bars are not always better: shots faced and goals conceded are against.
- West Ham
- Preston
View as a table
| West Ham | Preston | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 2.47 | 0.87 |
| Goals conceded | 1.53 | 2 |
| Shots | 15.9 | 10.7 |
| Shots faced | 10.7 | 15.2 |
| Shots on target | 6.3 | 2.3 |
| Shots on target faced | 3.3 | 4.7 |
| Corners won | 6.4 | 4.5 |
Two new managers
| Scott Parker (West Ham) | Graham Alexander (Preston) | |
|---|---|---|
| Appointed | 4 November | 28 September |
| Replaced | Nuno Espírito Santo | Paul Heckingbottom |
| League games in charge | 2 | 7 |
| Record | 0 won, 1 drawn, 1 lost | 1 won, 1 drawn, 5 lost |
| Goals for and against | 4 for, 5 against | 5 for, 15 against |
| Home games in charge | None yet, this is the first | 4: won 1, drawn 1, lost 2 |
Neither side has had a clear lift from the change so far. Preston took 4 points from their 8 games before Alexander arrived and 4 from the 7 since. West Ham scored in both of Parker's games but conceded five.
The season so far
West Ham: all 18 games in all competitions (the League Cup games are marked LC).
- 8 Aug: West Ham 3-1 Portsmouth (LC)
- 16 Aug: Burnley 2-2 West Ham
- 22 Aug: West Ham 1-2 Charlton
- 25 Aug: Southampton 1-4 West Ham (LC)
- 29 Aug: Watford 1-1 West Ham
- 1 Sep: West Ham 4-2 Wolves
- 5 Sep: West Ham 3-0 Derby
- 8 Sep: Bolton 2-3 West Ham
- 11 Sep: West Ham 6-0 Wrexham
- 15 Sep: West Ham 2-3 Fulham (LC)
- 19 Sep: Millwall 2-2 West Ham
- 9 Oct: West Ham 1-1 QPR
- 14 Oct: Lincoln 0-6 West Ham
- 17 Oct: Swansea 0-1 West Ham
- 24 Oct: West Ham 2-3 Southampton
- 31 Oct: West Ham 1-3 West Brom
- 4 Nov: Cardiff 3-3 West Ham
- 7 Nov: Blackburn 2-1 West Ham
That is 8 wins, 5 draws and 5 defeats, with 46 goals scored and 28 conceded. West Ham have scored in every one of the 18 games, and in each of the last 20 going back to last season.
Preston: all 17 games in all competitions.
- 8 Aug: Preston 1-1 Huddersfield (LC)
- 15 Aug: Bolton 2-1 Preston
- 22 Aug: Preston 1-3 Wolves
- 26 Aug: Preston 0-4 Everton (LC)
- 29 Aug: Charlton 1-0 Preston
- 1 Sep: Preston 1-3 Bristol City
- 5 Sep: Preston 2-1 Blackburn
- 8 Sep: Watford 2-1 Preston
- 12 Sep: Preston 0-1 Lincoln
- 19 Sep: QPR 2-2 Preston
- 10 Oct: Preston 0-1 Millwall
- 13 Oct: Birmingham 4-0 Preston
- 17 Oct: Wrexham 4-1 Preston
- 24 Oct: Preston 1-1 West Brom
- 31 Oct: Stoke 2-0 Preston
- 3 Nov: Preston 2-3 Sheffield United
- 7 Nov: Preston 1-0 Southampton
That is 2 wins, 3 draws and 12 defeats in 17 games (a 1-1 draw in the League Cup, then a 4-0 loss), with 14 goals scored and 35 conceded. Preston have failed to score in 6 of the 17 games. Their win over Southampton ended a run of nine league games without a win.
All competitions. Hover or tap a square for the game.
- Won
- Drawn
- Lost
View as a table
| Team | Results, oldest first |
|---|---|
| West Ham | W D L W D W W W W L D D W W L L D L |
| Preston | D L L L L L W L L D L L L D L L W |
West Ham in depth
Attack. At home in the league West Ham average 2.57 goals a game (18 in 7), third in the Championship. Across all 15 league games they have had 239 shots to their opponents' 160, and 94 on target to 50. At home they take 18.6 shots a game, third in the league, and 7.4 of them are on target, the most of any team.
Defence. West Ham have conceded 23 league goals, and at home they let in 1.57 a game. They have kept 4 league clean sheets, in the wins over Derby, Wrexham, Lincoln and Swansea. Four opponents have scored penalties against them (Burnley, Bolton, QPR and Cardiff), while West Ham have scored one, Bowen against Wolves.
Corners and cards. West Ham have won 96 corners in the league to their opponents' 64. They have been booked more than their opponents (30 yellow cards to 18) and have had one red card, Kanté in the 89th minute at Millwall.
The first goal. West Ham have scored first in 7 of their 18 games and won 6 of them, drawing the other and never losing. The opponent has scored first in 11 games, and West Ham have won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5.
Half-time. West Ham have been behind at half-time in 5 games and taken 3 points from them (draws at Millwall, QPR and Cardiff). When ahead at half-time they have won 6 of 7 and drawn the other, at Burnley.
Home form. Three wins, one draw and three defeats at home in the league. The wins came by 4-2, 3-0 and 6-0. The defeats were 1-2 against Charlton, 2-3 against Southampton and 1-3 against West Brom, and the last two were at 3pm.
Kick-off times. In the league West Ham have won 4 and drawn 2 of their 6 evening games (19:45 or 20:00 kick-offs), which is 14 points from 18. At 3pm it is 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats, 7 points from 18. This game is at 3pm. At home at 3pm it is one win in four.
Preston in depth
Attack. Preston have scored in 10 of 15 league games, 13 goals in total. Away from home they have scored 5 in 7 and average 2.1 shots on target a game, the fewest in the division. They have scored once in the second half away all season. Their goals do come early when they come: 4 of their 14 goals in all competitions were in the first 15 minutes.
Defence. Preston have conceded 30 league goals, second-worst only to Burnley's 31 (level with Derby). They have kept one clean sheet all season, the win over Southampton. Away from home they concede 2.43 a game and face 18.6 shots, the second-most in the league. In all competitions they have conceded 35, 20 of them after half-time, and 9 of those after the 75th minute.
Corners and cards. Preston have won 67 league corners and conceded 82. They have been booked at the same rate as West Ham (2.0 a game), have had one red card in the league (Mills, in the 4-0 defeat at Birmingham) and another in the League Cup (Gibson, against Huddersfield). They commit more fouls than they suffer, 11.3 a game to 8.9.
The first goal. Preston have scored first in 6 of their 17 games, and won 2, drawn 2 and lost 2. The opponent has scored first in 11, and Preston have drawn one and lost the other 10.
Half-time. Preston have been behind at half-time in 9 games and taken 1 point (the League Cup draw with Huddersfield). When level at the break they have drawn one and lost three. When ahead at the break they have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 1. They led Watford 1-0 and lost 2-1.
Home form. Preston's home league record is 2 wins, 1 draw and 5 defeats, 7 points from 8. Away from home they have drawn one and lost six, 1 point from 7.
Kick-off times. In the league Preston have lost all 4 of their evening games (19:45 or 20:00), and at 3pm they have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 5, which is 5 points from 24. They have won once at a 12:30 kick-off, against Blackburn.
When the goals come
All competitions, to 7 November.
Two things stand out. West Ham's best scoring spell (31 to 45 minutes, 10 goals) is one where Preston concede a lot (8). And the one period where West Ham are shaky, the opening 15 minutes (6 conceded), is the one where Preston have scored most (4).
All competitions, to 7 November. Same scale on both charts.
- Scored (team colour)
- Conceded (grey)
View as a table
| Minutes | West Ham scored | West Ham conceded | Preston scored | Preston conceded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| 16-30 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 31-45 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 8 |
| 46-60 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 61-75 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 76+ | 12 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
West Ham's players
- Jarrod Bowen: 9 goals and 8 assists in 18 games, so he has scored or set up 17 of the team's 46 goals. He has had one yellow card all season.
- Castellanos: 4 goals and 4 assists in 17 games, 10 of them starts. Four yellow cards.
- Mavropanos: a defender with 5 goals in 15 starts. He scored in 5 separate games, one of them the Wolves game in which he also put through his own net.
- Kanté: 3 goals and 3 assists in 17 games. All three goals came off the bench, against Derby, Wrexham and Millwall, and he was sent off at Millwall.
- Piroe: 4 goals in 768 minutes, a goal every 192 minutes.
- Mukasa: 4 goals and an assist at the age of 19, with 14 starts.
- Souček: 3 goals in 141 minutes, all as a substitute. Substitutes have scored 10 of West Ham's 46 goals.
- Engels: 3 assists and a goal in 16 games, and the third-highest average rating in the squad, after Bowen and Mavropanos.
- Kilman: has started all 18 games and played 1,629 minutes, more than anyone else in the squad. He also has the most yellow cards, 5.
- In goal: Hermansen has played 17 of the 18 games.
Preston's players
All competitions, from API-Football.
- Lang: top scorer with 4 goals in 17 games, nearly a third of the club's goals, though no assists.
- Burgzorg: 3 assists, the most at the club, in 15 games (8 starts), but no goals.
- Thompson: 2 goals and an assist in 16 games, and 4 yellow cards. He has played 1,325 minutes.
- Leroy: 1 goal and an assist in 15 games, and the most yellow cards at the club, 5.
- Devine: 21 years old, 1 goal and an assist in 16 games, 14 of them starts.
- Kenny: 2 goals in 8 games, 7 of them starts, a goal every 233 minutes.
- Erabi: 2 goals in 15 games, but only 5 starts.
- Vukčević: 2 assists in 15 games and 3 yellow cards.
- Hughes: a defender with a goal in 12 games, and 4 yellow cards.
- Mills: 1 assist and 3 yellow cards, and a red card at Birmingham. He also put through his own net in the win over Blackburn.
- In goal: Iversen has played 15 of the 17 games and made 44 saves.
Players to watch
West Ham
- Bowen: 17 goal involvements from 18 games.
- Mavropanos: a defender who has scored 5.
- The bench: Souček and Kanté have 3 goals each off it.
Preston
- Lang: their only player with more than 2 goals.
- Burgzorg: the creator, with 3 assists.
- Kenny: 2 goals in 466 minutes, the best rate in the squad.
How each side can get something from this
West Ham: use the numbers they have at home, 18.6 shots and 7.4 on target a game, against a defence that faces 18.6 shots and 5.4 on target away. Preston concede 8 of their 35 goals between the 31st and 45th minutes, which is the period when West Ham score most. And Preston have lost 10 of the 11 games in which they conceded first.
Preston: score first, and hope for it to be early. Four of their 14 goals have come in the opening 15 minutes, and West Ham have conceded 6 of their 28 there. West Ham have conceded first in 11 of 18 games and won only 2 of them. Preston have also been level or ahead at half-time in 8 of 17 games, so staying in it until the break is not out of reach. The case against: when Preston are behind at half-time they have taken one point from 9 games.
Both: the first goal matters more than any other fact. West Ham have never lost after scoring first. Preston have taken 8 points from 6 games where they scored first.
All competitions. West Ham 18 games, Preston 17.
- Won
- Drawn
- Lost
View as a table
| Won | Drawn | Lost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Ham: scored first | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| West Ham: conceded first | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Preston: scored first | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Preston: conceded first | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| West Ham: ahead at half-time | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| West Ham: level at half-time | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| West Ham: behind at half-time | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Preston: ahead at half-time | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Preston: level at half-time | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Preston: behind at half-time | 0 | 1 | 8 |
History
- West Ham v Preston, all competitions: played 35, won 16, drawn 7, lost 12, goals 63-48.
- In the league: played 28, won 11, drawn 6, lost 11, goals 46-39.
- This is the first league meeting since March 2005, a gap of nearly 22 years.
- The last three league meetings were all 1-2 defeats for West Ham: at Upton Park in January 2004 and March 2005, and at Deepdale in December 2004. West Ham's last league win against Preston came at Deepdale in August 2003, 2-1.
- The last meeting of any kind was the 2005 Championship play-off final at the Millennium Stadium, which West Ham won 1-0.
- West Ham's last league win at home against Preston was 5-0 in January 1981.
- The clubs also met in the League Cup in 1986: 1-1 at Deepdale, then a 4-1 win for West Ham at Upton Park.
Team news
Confirmed line-ups, injuries and suspensions for both sides are added on matchday, once the teams are announced about an hour before kick-off.
Ten numbers to take away
- 37 league goals for West Ham, the most in the Championship. 13 for Preston, joint-fewest.
- 20 games in a row in which West Ham have scored. 6 games out of 17 in which Preston have failed to.
- 6 wins and a draw from the 7 games in which West Ham scored first.
- 10 defeats from the 11 games in which Preston conceded first.
- 11 games in which West Ham have conceded first, the same as Preston.
- 28 of West Ham's 46 goals have come after half-time. 20 of Preston's 35 conceded have too.
- 0 wins in 7 league games away from home for Preston. 3 in 7 at home for West Ham.
- 4 of Preston's 14 goals in the first 15 minutes, 6 of West Ham's 28 conceded.
- West Ham unbeaten in 6 evening league games, and Preston winless in 4. At 3pm it is 2 wins in 6 for West Ham and 1 in 8 for Preston.
- 22 years since West Ham and Preston last met in the league.
What the numbers say
On every measure of goals, shots and results, West Ham are well ahead: the best attack in the league against one of the worst away records. On those numbers West Ham are the favourites.
But the numbers also say where it could go wrong. West Ham have lost two games at home in a row at 3pm, conceding three each time, and they have conceded first in 11 of their 18 games. Preston have not won a game after conceding first, and they have taken 4 points under Alexander in 7 league games, so an early goal for either side is the thing to watch.
Figures from our match records to 7 November 2026. League table, form, goal timing and home and away splits from results; Preston player figures from API-Football.