Good afternoon and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League clash between West Ham United and Sunderland.

This is a massive game for both teams as they find themselves in a desperate scrap for points at the bottom end of the Premier League table.

The Hammers have dropped like a stone in recent weeks and have won just one of their last eight games which includes defeats to the likes of Crystal Palace and Norwich City. Pressure is mounting on boss Sam Allardyce as they have slipped to 17th in the table.

If West Ham have problems then Sunderland's are 10 times worse as they are bottom of the Premier League and find themselves five points adrift of the Hammers following back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur last week.

Black Cats boss Gus Poyet is starting to realise the enormity of the task facing him to keep his side in the top flight following the disastrous start to the campaign under Paolo Di Canio.

Sunderland are yet to win away from home this season so today would be an excellent time to get that first win against the Hammers, who they are unbeaten against in their last four matches.

The team news is in and we'll start with the home side.

WEST HAM STARTING XI: Jaaskelainen, Demel, McCartney, Collins, Tomkins, Noble, Diame, Morrison, Jarvis, J.Cole, Maiga.

WEST HAM SUBS: Adrian, Rat, Collison, Taylor, O'Brien, Diarra, C.Cole.

SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Mannone, Celustka, Bardsley, Brown, O'Shea, Cattermole, Ki, Larsson, Giaccherini, Borini, Altidore.

SUNDERLAND SUBS: Dossena, Cabral, Gardner, Fletcher, Johnson, Roberge, Pickford.

West Ham make two changes from the side that lost 4-1 to Liverpool last week. Kevin Nolan is suspended and misses out along with Stewart Downing who is injured, Joe Cole and Ravel Morrison replace them in the starting lineup.

Sunderland make three changes from their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur as Emanuele Giaccherini, Fabio Borini and Lee Cattermole come into the side and replace Jack Colback, Adam Johnson and Steven Fletcher.

Mark Noble will captain the Hammers in the absence of Nolan while Cole and Morrison will drop into the side in like for like changes with the former Newcastle man and Downing.

Poyet also makes a slight formation change with Fletcher dropping to the bench. Altidore will lead the line at the head of a 4-3-3 formation with Giaccherini and Borini flanking him either side while Cattermole drops into midfield to replace Colback, who doesn't even make the bench.

STAT ATTACK! Sunderland have dropped 11 points from winning positions this season, the most in the Premier League.

STAT ATTACK! West Ham have kept seven clean sheets this season, only Everton have more in the Premier League.

Poyet believes that his side need to stand up and be counted this afternoon at Upton Park, he told the club's official website: "We know what we are coming up against and how difficult it will be. We need to stand up and do the right things all the time, be very strong as a group as well as being brave on the ball and making things difficult for them. Then, you always have a chance to win. We need to start winning games and we’ve got another opportunity on Saturday.”

Allardyce has revealed that he knows the pressure is on in this game but doesn't feel that his position is under threat, he told reporters: "I wouldn't have thought I would have needed a discussion about my future with the owners. They are going to stick with me or they are not, it is entirely up to them and how they see me in the job and how they see the situation at the moment. I know that in the end it is about us getting results again to alleviate the pressure on us all."

The players are making their way out onto the pitch and we should be underway shortly.

West Ham are in claret and blue as per and Sunderland are in their changed strip of yellow and blue shorts.

We're underway at Upton Park.

Sunderland start brightly and move the ball through midfield, Giaccherini runs with the ball to the edge of the box and slides a pass to Ki on the left, who shoots first time but his low effort is saved by Jaaskelainen.

West Ham hit the Black Cats on the counter as Altidore loses possession upfield and Diame sprints down the left sideline and gets into the box before cutting the ball back to Maiga, who scuffs his effort over the bar.

Diame finds space down the left again and he cuts back onto his right foot and lifts a cross to the back post for Maiga but he heads his effort over the bar.

CHANCE! Altidore beats the offside trap as Giaccherini slips a through ball behind the defence, he takes the ball in stride and shoots but his low shot is parried behind for a corner. That was a great opportunity for the Black Cats.

The corner comes in from Larsson and the ball is headed clear but only as far as Ki who strikes the ball at goal but his effort is deflected behind for another corner.

Another corner from Larsson and again it's cleared to Ki who shoots on the volley but this time his effort goes well over the bar.

Sunderland have settled quickly at Upton Park and are knocking the ball around nicely between the midfield. That chance from Altidore could be crucial and those are the sorts of opportunities you need to take if you're bottom of the table.

The Hammers work the ball well across midfield and it comes to Jarvis on the left, he checks back onto his right foot from the edge of the box and lifts a cross to the back post but he overhits it and it goes out for a goalkick.

Sunderland are continuing to dominate possession of the ball but are not doing anything with it on the final third and the home side nearly exposed them at the back as Maiga picked up the ball on the turn and tried to slide Jarvis in behind but Brown makes an intervention.

The Black Cats win a free kick as Borini is brought down by Demel and Larsson whips the ball into the area but a foul by Celustka stops the attack.

CHANCE! West Ham go close as Collins can't turn the ball in from close range after Jarvis's ball into the box falls at his feet six yards out but the Black Cats get players back to block the effort behind.

West Ham have the ball in the net but the whistle of Andre Marriner blew well before it went in as Demel was penalised for a foul on Cattermole before he could poke the ball home.

YELLOW CARD! Noble goes into the book for a high boot on Borini that sent him flying on the edge of his own box.

West Ham have wrestled control of the game back from Sunderland after the visitors had a good start to the match. The possession is split at the moment.

Diame wastes some good build-up play from the Hammers as he takes the ball from about 25 yards and strikes it well over the bar with his left foot with teammates in plenty of space down the left.

CHANCE! Altidore blocks a free kick from Collins and the ball falls into the path of Borini who sprints into the box but his effort from a tight angle is straight at Jaaskelainen, with Altidore screaming for the ball in the area.

Larsson whips in another corner for the Black Cats that again is headed clear and falls to Ki on the edge of the box and he shoots again but the Hammers defence get themselves in the way of the ball and make the block and clear.

Very even game at the moment, neither side looks a particular threat in the final third of the pitch but they are seeing good chunks of possession each.

OFF THE BAR! Sunderland come within inches of taking the lead as Bardsley sprints down the left and checks back onto his right foot and from 25 yards he launches a powerful shot at goal which cannons off the crossbar and bounces to safety.

Ki raids down the left for the visitors beating the challenge of Demel and he lifts a cross into the area for Borini who heads the ball across the face of goal and out for a goalkick.

Sunderland pressure the Hammers again with a couple of corners but again they can't test Jaaskelainen as on the second attempt Altidore is flagged for a foul on Collins.

Cole wins the ball on the edge of the Sunderland box for the Hammers and takes a touch before firing an effort at goal but his shot goes well wide of the target. It didn't have a lot going for it that effort.

West Ham pressure as Morrison raids into the box but as he tries to shoot he gets crowded out in the penalty area, he plays the ball back to McCartney who overhits his cross but Cole gathers but his ball in is taken by Mannone.

CHANCE! Sunderland pump the ball long and Altidore wins the header down to Giaccherini inside the box who shots at goal but Demel makes a block and the ball trickles past the post.

There will be one minute of added time.

CHANCE! Sunderland take a short corner and the ball comes to Cattermole on the edge of the box and he drills a shot at goal and Jaaskelainen makes a brilliant save to turn the ball away and the Hammers hoof the ball clear.

It's goalless at half time at Upton Park but it shouldn't be as the visitors should be comfortably ahead at the break. Altidore, Borini and Giaccherini have all missed good opportunities to hand Poyet's side the lead, while Bardsley hit the bar, in this relegation six-pointer but they were unable to beat Jaaskelainen.

The Hammers have had their moments as well but they haven't carved out any clear cut opportunities bar a couple of scrambles in the area. Maiga has failed to hold the ball as the lone striker and as a result the Hammers have struggled to maintain possession. They need to up the ante in the second half to ease the pressure on themselves.

The players are back out on the pitch and we should be underway shortly.

We're back underway at Upton Park.

Sloppy start to to the half a both sides lose possession cheaply in dangerous areas of the pitch.

The Hammers win a free kick but Sunderland clear their lines after a bit of a scramble in the penalty area and Jarvis knocks a low cross into the area from the follow-up but Brown clears again.

CHANCE! Sunderland move well down right and Borini lays the ball to Ki who passes to Altidore who blasts an effort at goal but Demel makes a block as he flings himself in front of the ball and it goes behind for a corner.

West Ham manage to clear their lines from the resulting corner as Sunderland waste yet another good attacking platform.

Morrison picks up the ball 25 yards from goal and lets fly with a low effort but the shot is tame and Mannone makes the simple save down to his right.

SUBSTITUTION: Jack Collison replaces Jarvis for the Hammers.

Sunderland move the ball through midfield and Altidore knocks the ball back to Larsson on the edge of the area and he fires a right-footed shot just wide of the post.

SUBSTITUTION: Another West Ham change as Demel comes off and Joey O'Brien replaces him at right-back.

Sunderland again work the ball across the midfield and Bardsley loops a ball into the path of Borini who finds Giaccherini on the edge of the area but he fires his effort over the bar.

CHANCE! Another opportunity for the Black Cats as Giaccherini plays the ball to the feet of Altidore, he bustles his way past a defender and shoots a low effort on the turn but Jaaskelainen gets down low to his right to make the save.

Ki breaks down the left for Sunderland but he lacks support, finally Borini gets up with him but when the midfielder tries to find him Collins is able to cut out the cross.

The tempo of the game has really dropped off in the last few minutes as the pace is at a standstill at the moment, neither side is showing much urgency.

Borini breaks on the counter for the Black Cats and tries to find Giaccherini inside the box, the Italian tries to shoot but he just can't get the ball out of his feet and the Hammers manage to snuff out the danger.

West Ham finally get something going in the attacking third of the pitch as Maiga knocks a cross down into the path of Collison who shoots at goal but he scuffs his effort and it goes well wide.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Sunderland make two changes as Borini and Altidore are replace with Adam Johnson and Steven Fletcher.

CHANCE! A long ball into the area is headed on from Maiga and headed into the path of Diame who shoots on the half-volley but his effort is saved comfortably by Mannone.

Sunderland work the ball well but still struggle with the final ball as Giaccherini, Johnson and Ki exchange passes down the right and the ball comes back out to the Italian who crosses, but his ball goes over the head of everyone in the area and is cleared.

CHANCE! Jaaskelainen keeps his side in the game as he makes a brilliant save to deny Ki as the South Korean raided inside the box and pulled his man one way then the other and fired a left-footed shot at goal but the keeper made a good reaction stop.

Morrison has a great chance to counter for the hosts as he runs upfield in a three on three but he opts to take the ball himself instead of passing and then when he eventually does decide to cross the ball Brown is able to clear.

SUBSTITUTION: Final change for Sunderland as Dossena replaces Bardsley.

Morrison raids forward again for the Hammers and he shoots from about 25 yards but his effort goes wide of the post. Both teams are starting to get a little bit desperate now.

Giaccherini goes down under a challenge and Diame sportingly puts the ball out so he can receive treatment.

There will be four minutes of added time.

West Ham raid forward in numbers and Maiga lifts a cross to the back post looking for Cole but he just can't make contact and the ball goes out for a goalkick. It has been that sort of game.

Diame wins the ball from Ki deep in his own half and raids forward he knocks the ball out wide to McCartney who lifts a cross into the area and it nearly drops in the net but Mannone gets a big hand to the ball and tips it over the bar.

CHANCE! Noble whips the ball into the box from the resulting corner and Collins rises highest in the area but he somehow misses the target from nine yards out with his header.

Well that was much ado about nothing as neither side can muster a goal in the 90 minutes. Sunderland were the better team but couldn't take any of the chances that were presented to them as Jaaskelainen and the West Ham defence held firm.

West Ham are in freefall and didn't show anything in this game that convinces anyone that the situation will turn any time soon. They were bereft of ideas going forward and that will be a major concern to Sam Allardyce without Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan.

Gus Poyet will be pleased with his side's performance but worryingly for him they didn't pick up the win and they are still four points adrift at the foot of the table and need to start winning sooner rather than later.

Thanks for joining our commentary today, make sure to stay with us for the rest our Premier League coverage for the rest of the weekend. But from me, it's goodbye.