West Ham news

As we reach Christmas and approach the midway point in the Premier League season, the time has come to reflect on the first half of a campaign that has delivered drama and unexpected twists in abundance. It's also the opportune moment to assess those players who completed a transfer to, or within, the English top-flight back in the summer, with a decent sample size of games now under their belts.

There are many Premier League games scheduled as 2025 ends and 2026 begins. However, which teams have the easiest run of fixtures on paper?

Manchester United have decided to delay a decision on whether to sell Joshua Zirkzee during the January transfer window. The striker has found minutes hard to come by this season, sitting firmly down the Old Trafford pecking order. Summer signings Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha have been preferred as the team's No.9 by head coach Ruben Amorim.

Pure excitement has been the theme of this Premier League season. Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are locked in a three-way title race while practically the rest of the division is competing for a European place. Indeed, the table is so crowded it feels more like the Championship than the top-flight, with back-to-back wins being all it takes to propel teams from 15th to the top five.

The stingy "treat" that Dani Dyer’s husband Jarrod Bowen is allowed has been revealed, with the West Ham captain unable to indulge at Christmas. The holiday season is a busy one professionally for Bowen, with Premier League fixtures coming thick and fast, and that means the England international must steer clear of the excesses that are enjoyed by others.

Former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard says he is “open” to new opportunities in the January transfer window as he looks to continue his playing career following an emotional departure from FC Seoul earlier this month. The England international has opened up about the “strong legacy” he has left behind in South Korea following his near two-year spell in Asia.

Another sensational performance from Erling Haaland sent Manchester City to the top of the Premier League courtesy of a dominant 3-0 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland bagged two goals to take his tally to 19 in the league this season and also laid on the assist for Tijjani Reijnders in a comfortable win which moves them a point ahead of the Gunners.

How to watch the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham, as well as kick-off time and team news.

United States men's national team star Christian Pulisic is set to be joined by Premier League flop at AC Milan in a shock transfer as the Rossoneri's desperate search for a new striker nears conclusion. The German forward has failed to settle in London since joining from Borussia Dortmund and is understood to be keen on an immediate exit in the next window.

The Africa Cup of Nations is back this December and January, with the continent's very best set to battle it out in Morocco as they aim to take Cote d'Ivoire's crown after their unlikely victory at the start of 2024. AFCON's prestige, drama and quality remains up there with the Euros and Copa America, but the downside for European clubs is it's another tournament which falls slap bang in the middle of their seasonal calendar, meaning most teams will be losing players for up to a month.

AC Milan are reportedly weighing up a January swoop for struggling West Ham United striker Niclas Fullkrug as sporting director Igli Tare looks to provide manager Massimiliano Allegri with a physical focal point in attack. The German international has failed to settle in London since joining from Borussia Dortmund and is understood to be keen on an immediate exit, though a return to the Bundesliga remains an option.

Michail Antonio is reportedly training with Championship side Leicester as he seeks to make a sensational return to professional football. The 35-year-old forward has been without a club since being released by West Ham in the summer of 2025. No fresh terms were offered there on the back of Antonio suffering a near-fatal car crash in December 2024. He is not ready to hang up his boots just yet.

Mason Greenwood continues to thrive for Marseille in France, leading to growing speculation over whether a return to the Premier League could be possible for the former Manchester United outcast. Links with a move to La Liga have also gathered pace, while tentative links with both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have led to questions after the highly controversial circumstances which led to his exile from Old Trafford in 2022.