This weekend Wolves entertain West Ham for the first time in the top flight since March 1984. Mick McCarthy’s side will be buoyed by an excellent home record of 15 wins from their 23 league games in last season’s Championship title win. Wolves lost just three matches at Molineux on their march to the title and will have a bumper crowd behind them for their first match back in the Premier League.

Mick brought in Reading’s Kevin Doyle in a £6.5m deal which will add firepower to the side alongside the 2008/09 Championship’s top scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Combined these two scored a total of 43 league goals last season. Former Royals goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann also joined and his experience of the Premier League may be vital to a relatively young team.

Wolves certainly won’t want to begin the Premier League season in a similar fashion to how they started their last top flight campaign as they began the 2003/04 season with a 5-1 hammering at Blackburn. West Ham made vast improvements under Gianfranco Zola last season but a similar result seems very unlikely.

Zola has not been able to strengthen the Hammers with many new recruits although Chilean star Luis Jiminez has arrived on loan from Inter Milan which should add more flair to the team. Carlton Cole looked in impressive form for England and he will be looking to give his old club a tough time.

Despite a record of just one draw in the Hammers last 14 opening day matches; I think this one will end up being an even encounter. Therefore, I’m backing the draw on Premier 10 as Wolves make their top flight return with a point.

Alan Hansen’s Premier 10 pick: DRAW

Read the rest of Alan’s previews below:

Tags: Alan Hansen, Premier 10, West Ham, Wolves

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