Football Bet of the Day: Hammers to be boosted by star’s return from AFCON

West Ham United host AFC Bournemouth at the London Stadium in the Premier League on Thursday evening (19:30) looking to extend their five-game unbeaten run in the top-flight.

They welcome a Cherries side that have been on a slump in recent weeks, having lost two on the bounce in the league, but they did post a 5-0 victory over Swansea City in the FA Cup a week ago, which will have raised their confidence slightly.

The Hammers are going to be boosted by the return of one of their best-performing players, Mohammed Kudus, following Ghana's disappointing group stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations. And we think the attacker will have a huge role to play in this clash.

When the Ghanaian was snapped up by West Ham in the summer it was perceived as one of the best pieces of business and the player has been living up to the billing with his performances and contributions.

Kudus has scored 9 goals in 24 appearances across all competitions for David Moyes' side this term and he has already made himself a key figure in E20. He has completed a very exciting attacking force alongside Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse as the Hammers battle for a top-six finish this year.

They currently sit sixth in the table with 35 points, and they are five behind local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.

With fourth-placed Aston Villa dropping points against Newcastle United on Tuesday night in what was their first home league defeat in 346 days, West Ham will have an opportunity to reduce the deficit on their fellow claret and blue wearers with a victory over Bournemouth.

There is no denying that West Ham have been at their best this year when Kudus, Bowen and Paqueta have all been on the pitch together. There is a much greater fluidity in attack and a creative spark that has often been lacking when they are not involved.

While Kudus returns to east London disappointed and earlier than he would've liked, he continued his Hammers form out in Ivory Coast. The 23-year-old scored two goals in as many appearances as the Black Stars crashed out at the group stage.

The West Ham faithful will be delighted to have him back as he will give them a huge boost for their meeting with Bournemouth, as they look to bounce back from their 2-2 draw with Sheffield United last time out.

Kudus will also look to vent his AFCON frustrations somewhere and there is no better place to do it than the football pitch. He will be fired up for his Premier League return, and we think 7/4 offers excellent value for him to find the back of the net.