Morning all! Matchday 27 in the Premier League begins at the Boleyn Ground as West Ham welcome Sunderland. Team news just reaching us here at SM HQ, so let's get right to it...

WEST HAM XI: Adrian; Byram, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Noble, Kouyate; Antonio, Payet, Lanzini; Emenike

WEST HAM SUBS: Randolph, Henry, Oxford, Song, Obiang, Moses, Carroll

The big news for the home side is that Manuel Lanzini returns for his first start since January 2 after making his return off the bench in last Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round victory at Blackburn Rovers.

Slaven Bilic has made three changes from the Hammers' last Premier League match - a 2-2 draw at Norwich - with Emmanuel Emenike, Lanzini and Cheikhou Kouyate coming in for Enner Valencia, Alex Song and Pedro Obiang.

With Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia out injured today, it was always going to be a choice between Emenike and the returning Andy Carroll up front for Bilic today and he has gone with the former, who scored a brace at Blackburn last weekend.

SUNDERLAND XI: Mannone; Yedlin, Kone, O'Shea, Van Aanholt; Kirchhoff, Cattermole, M'Vila; Khazri, N'Doye; Defoe

SUNDERLAND SUBS: Pickford, Jones, Rodwell, Kaboul, Toivonen, Larsson, Borini

Sunderland went out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle to holders Arsenal, so they had a week off last week after their impressive 2-1 win over Manchester United on matchday 26. Unsurprisingly, Sam Allardyce names an unchanged lineup today.

There are changes on the bench, though, and the big news for the Black Cats is that Sebastian Larsson is back in the squad for the first time since November!

It's certainly a big day for Allardyce today as he returns to the Boleyn Ground for the first time since leaving West Ham on the final day of last season. Can he lead his side to a much-needed win today?

Click here to see how the Premier League table looks after 26 games of the season. Hosts West Ham are seventh and just a point behind Man Utd in fifth, while Sunderland are still down in 19th but now only one point from safety. Avoiding defeat today will move them out of the drop zone for a few hours at the very least.

So West Ham are sitting pretty in the top half, but they have not exactly been in the best form of late. Bilic's boys have won only one of their last five matches in the league and that was at home against rockbottom Aston Villa. They've also faced other strugglers Newcastle United and Norwich City in that time, so they will feel that they need to send a statement of intent today against a side that they really should beat.

Sunderland, meanwhile, ended a four-game winless streak against United a couple of weeks ago, but you have to say that their fixtures have been difficult of late. Before United, they also faced Spurs, Liverpool and Man City and after today's game against the high-flying Hammers, they face two more tough matches on paper against Palace and Southampton. Things will ease up soon!

STAT: Should West Ham get the job done today, they would reach 43 points after 27 matches and that would eclipse the Hammers' highest-ever haul of points after 27 Premier League games, beating the 42 they earned in 2005-06.

So the two teams have been in similar form of late, but if you look at their home and away records you would say that West Ham will be big favourites today. Bilic's side are unbeaten in 10 home Premier League games since August 22, winning three of the last four, while Sunderland have won just two of their last 15 Premier League away games (W2 D3 L10).

The Black Cats have also been conceding plenty on the road recently, letting in 27 goals in their last nine away games and keeping just one clean sheet in that time.

One man who will enjoy reading that stat is West Ham's star man Dimitri Payet, who has scored or assisted 12 Premier League goals this season (seven goals, five assists) - twice as many as any other West Ham player. What a signing!

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H2H: Payet was on the scoresheet in October's reverse fixture when West Ham fell 2-0 down early on at the Stadium of Light before fighting back and drawing 2-2 .

That point extended West Ham's unbeaten run against Sunderland to five games and here at the Boleyn Ground, the Hammers have won seven and lost just one of their last 10 Premier League matches against the Black Cats.

So West Ham have got Payet - as they chant all the time - but Sunderland seem to have got their own little gem from Ligue 1, with Wahbi Khazri really impressing the last couple of matches since joining the Black Cats in the January transfer window. The Tunisian international scored one and set the other up in the win over United and also had an assist the week before in the 2-2 draw at Liverpool. He clearly likes the big stage.

PREDICTION: Two great results of late for Sunderland, but I'm not sure they will get anything today. As mentioned, their away record is pretty shoddy and West Ham should score at least a couple against a side that has not kept a clean sheet for 13 games. 3-1 to the Hammers.

Today's match is the first of three in a week for both of these teams, with West Ham welcoming Tottenham on Wednesday before going to Everton next Saturday, while Sunderland host Palace on Tuesday then go to Southampton in a week.

Here we go then! The two teams are in the tunnel and kickoff is just a few minutes away now. Sunderland are in their rather garish green away kit today.

KICKOFF! Sunderland get us underway at the Boleyn Ground.

Early corner for the Black Cats as Cattermole's pass deflects out of play...

Khazri's initial delivery goes out for another corner and then the Tunisian's second attempt is headed out.

Half-chance for Sunderland as both Emenike and Lanzini fail to stop Khazri's run, but the in-form wideman can't pick out a teammate in the middle and Collins clears.

Not so good this time from Khazri as he miscontrols the ball and it rolls out for a West Ham corner...

Another corner for the Hammers as Payet is tackled by M'Vila...

Nothing comes of it, though. So both teams have had a pair of early corners, but not much of note yet.

After about a minute of boring passing in their own half, West Ham get in behind the Sunderland backline through Cresswell, but the left-back's pass inside is behind Emenike. Good ball over the top by Ogbonna there.

Conditions do not look easy at all out there today. The wind is blowing strong and the pitch seems very bobbly. Hard to imagine there will be a lot of free-flowing, incisive footy.

Khazri tracks the run of Antonio really well. As well as his dynamism in attack, the Tunisian has also shown good defensive attributes since his arrival on Wearside.

This really has not been a very good game so far. Both sides keep trying long balls over the top as it's so difficult to string any passes together on the bobbly surface. Lanzini is dropping very deep for West Ham trying to create something.

Some quality, at last! Cattermole threads the ball through for Defoe, but the former West Ham man was just offside and failed to beat Adrian anyway.

Down the other end, Mannone is called into action for the first time as he cuts out Cresswell's fierce low cross after a neat turn from the left-back.

Yedlin and Payet battle for possession early on.

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OFF THE BAR! Wow! Almost a stunning opener from Noble as the West Ham captain lets fly from 25 yards and has his shot rattle back off the underside of the bar. Replays show that Mannone got a little touch on it, so that's a fine save!

What is Adrian doing?! The Hammers keeper decides to do some keepy-ups in his own six-yard box and Khazri closes him down and almost deflects it in!

OFF THE BAR! Now Sunderland hit the woodwork! Khazri's free kick from the right edge of the box dips viciously and it grazes the top of the bar on its way over. Adrian seemed to have it covered but that almost dipped in.

Free kick for West Ham in a good position on the left wing. Payet to swing it in...

Good ball in from the Frenchman but it's defended well as O'Shea heads clear.

So those two shots against the bar are the best we've seen and it's just start to bubble up quite nicely. Sunderland will be happy with how it's gone so far and it's more up to West Ham to go for it a bit more.

The hosts take the lead! Byram's ball down the right is a hopeful one and the Sunderland fans think it's going out but the wind helps it in. Van Aanholt is across, but he loses the ball to Antonio, who cuts inside past two green shirts before curling into the bottom corner. Really good finish that with his weaker left foot.

Great celebration too from Antonio. Hard to explain but he was spinning himself round while lying on the ground. Not seen that one before!

Defoe spins about 20 yards from goal and has a pop, but Collins rushes out and makes an instant block. The former West Ham striker has not had much joy up top on his own so far.

West Ham's lone frontman Emenike has been really quiet as well. Not having much luck on his first Premier League start.

SHOT! Inventive effort from Antonio as he controls the ball and then shoots on the bounce from 25 yards. It looks like it was sneaking inside the near post, so in the end a good save from Mannone.

Cattermole and Kouyate in action:

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Half time just around the corner now and the half has got better as it's gone on, with Antonio's excellent finish still the difference.

STAT: Antonio has scored in each of his last three games at Upton Park and all eight of his goals for West Ham this season have been at home.

Just the one minute of added time at the end of the first half.

It's West Ham who lead at the break then thanks to Antonio's curling shot just before the half-hour mark. A good-natured affair, but not too much quality in difficult conditions. We'll be back shortly for the second half, don't go anywhere!

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KICKOFF! Off we go again then at the Boleyn Ground.

No changes from either manager at the break, by the way.

CHANCE! Sunderland with a great chance to equalise! Cattermole's ball over the top is misjudged by Collins to let Defoe in on goal, but he pulls his left-foot volley wide.

Defoe's first real opening of the match and you'd back him to score there.

Defoe misses again! This time it's an even easier opening as he collects Khazri's pass, but luckily for him the flag was up, so it would not have counted anyway. Replays show that it was the wrong call as Defoe was level with Cresswell.

Great start to the second half for Sunderland then, but West Ham now have a corner down the other end...

Payet drives the ball to the edge of the area for the onrushing Noble, but it just dropped short of the Hammers captain, who was trying to replicate Paul Scholes's famous goal at Bradford for Man Utd a few years ago.

Big Sam gutted to see Defoe shoot wide:

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CHANCE! Van Aanholt has scored three Premier League goals from defence this year and he almost gets another by firing over after charging into the box and receiving Khazri's reverse pass.

Noble trips Defoe just outside the box, a little left of centre. Great position for a free kick...

I thought Khazri would take it, but it's another January signing N'Doye who steps up and he hits it straight into the wall. Disappointing.

WEST HAM SUB: No surprise here as the completely ineffective Emenike is replaced by Carroll up front.

M'Vila lines one up from 20 yards but it's a tame effort that Adrian watches wide.

West Ham have been pants so far in the second half and they have a chance to do something in the box, but Lanzini's attempted backheel is behind Cresswell.

WEST HAM SUB: Tough game for Lanzini on his first start in almost two months and it's he that comes off for Victor Moses.

SUNDERLAND SUB: The visitors make a midfield change as well, with Cattermole off and Jack Rodwell on.

Antonio's lovely finish still separates the Hammers and Black Cats as we enter the final quarter of the match.

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Couple of speculative shots from West Ham, but both Payet and Moses fail to really test Mannone. You get the feeling that there is one more goal in this, but who will get it?

BOOKING! Costly yellow card this for West Ham as Byram earns his 10th of the season, so that'll be a two-game ban for the former Leeds man. Free kick just outside the box...

SAVE! Khazri takes it this time and he gets it up and over the wall, but Adrian had moved across and makes a comfortable stop. Sunderland's first shot on target, that.

West Ham want a penalty as Kone throws Payet to the ground after the Frenchman nicked the ball away just before it ran out of play. Certainly a strong shout, but referee Mike Dean is having none of it.

CHANCE! Oh what a chance for Sunderland! Yedlin gets in behind down the right and cuts the ball back for Rodwell, whose low shot is well saved by the foot of Adrian. The ball drops back for Rodwell, but he uses his hand to control it. Big, big moment.

OFF THE BAR! How has that not gone in?! Noble floats a cross to the back post where Byram heads back across goal and Carroll cracks a volley off the bar. Third time today the woodwork has been hit!

CHANCE! It's really opened up now! Rodwell misses another superb chance for Sunderland as he pounces after a heavy touch from Byram in the box but fails to poke home. Byram got back and made a crucial tackle to deflect the shot over the bar.

CLOSE! Sunderland must wonder how they're not at least level here! This time N'Doye finds space on the left of the area and his shot is palmed out by Adrian before Rodwell's header from Khazri's stabbed cross is saved on the line by Adrian.

WEST HAM SUB: Third and final change for the home side as captain Noble is replaced by Obiang.

West Ham break through Payet and he feeds Kouyate, who could shoot but instead tries to find the overlapping Cresswell and plays it behind the left-back.

SHOT! Lovely stuff from Payet as he brings the ball down with his chest before instantly volleying a couple of yards wide.

Sunderland corner...

Aaaand Khazri's delivery goes over everyone in the middle and out for a goal kick :(

Ha! Khazri just tried to cross the ball with a rabona trick and completely missed it! No need for that when your team is chasing the game.

Into the final minute of normal time we go and Sunderland threaten once more as M'Vila digs out a fine cross that Khazri fails to head on target.

There will be three minutes of added time.

Free kick in the centre circle and one last chance for the visitors to get the ball in the box.

Thirteen matches unbeaten at home in all competitions as West Ham edge out Sunderland. They did not really deserve the win today, but Sunderland were guilty of missing several good chances. They miss the chance to move out of the bottom three.

West Ham are up to fifth for the time being, climbing above Man Utd and Southampton. They could well stay there as well given that Southampton face Chelsea this afternoon and Man Utd face Arsenal tomorrow!