West Ham's extreme defensive fragility at the London Stadium, where they have conceded two or more goals in seven of their eight home matches this season, will likely be exploited by a Fulham attack that has found rhythm with five goals in their last two away victories.

The simultaneous loss of key defensive pillars and creative engines to the Africa Cup of Nations—specifically Bassey and Iwobi for Fulham, and Wan-Bissaka for West Ham—will likely disrupt tactical coordination, shifting the game into a high-scoring transition battle where Fulham's superior momentum should prevail.

West Ham's current psychological crisis, stemming from a six-match winless run and sitting 18th in the table, effectively negates their historical home dominance over Fulham, especially with the Hammers lacking a reliable strike force due to Füllkrug’s imminent departure.