Sir Trevor Brooking discusses the importance of West Ham’s upcoming home fixtures

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The Hammers were expected to push on and aim for the Champions League this season after last year’s seventh placed finish.

Sir Trevor Brooking has admitted to West Ham United’s official website that their next two home games, against Burnley and Hull City, could prove pivotal in their season.

Saturday’s 5-1 thumping at the hands of Arsenal left The Hammers on the verge of the relegation zone and manager Slaven Bilic reportedly clinging onto his job, although co-owner David Sullivan came out midweek to confirm that they would be sticking by the Croatian.

However, with a trip to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool up next, West Ham’s predicament could yet get worse before it gets better, meaning the following clashes with Burnley and Hull take on added importance.

And Brooking admits that those fixtures in particular represent an ideal opportunity for the ailing capital club to find their winning ways once again.

“Liverpool have got a couple of injuries at the moment but it is not an easy place to go and they are a bit like Chelsea this season that they don’t have European distraction and were always going to be challenging for the title,” Brooking, who spent 18 years as a player at West Ham before taking charge on a caretaker basis on two occasions, told the club’s official website.

“They have got a lot of strength in depth and it will be a tough game. We had a great result there last year but I can’t remember having the best of times at Anfield during my playing days.

“The next two home games against Burnley and Hull are massive and we want to try and get back on a winning run.”

Sean Dyche’s Burnley appear to have added creativity to their ranks this season, a factor that was badly missing during their previous Premier League campaign in 2014/15, but have been uncharacteristically haphazard on their travels, conceding 15 goals in just 6 away trips.

Meanwhile, Hull look certain to be mired in a relegation battle for the entirety of the campaign, so anything less than maximum points in these two fixtures at the London Stadium could prove disastrous.