After the emotion of their final match at the Boleyn Ground, West Ham United will finish their 2015-16 season at the Britannia Stadium as they take on Stoke City on Sunday.

European qualification is still up for grabs for the Hammers, while Stoke need a win to guarantee a top-half finish this season.

Stoke

It wasn't too long ago that Stoke were battling with Sunday's opponents for a potential European spot this season, but 14 points now separate the two sides in the table.

That is down to a dramatic collapse in form for Stoke, who have seemingly taken their foot off the pedal over the final month-and-a-half of the season.

The Potters go into the final day having won just one of their last nine outings, with that coming on March 19 over another out-of-form team in Watford.

Since then, Stoke have picked up just two points from a possible 18 to slip down to 10th in the standings, and another defeat on Sunday, coupled with a win for Swansea City over Manchester City, would see them finish in the bottom half.

Ninth place, which would equal the club's impressive showing in the last two seasons, is still possible if Stoke win and Chelsea lose to champions Leicester City, but their points tally is still some way off the 2014-15 campaign and it is hard to point to any progress made this term.

That will be especially disappointing for Mark Hughes after a significant amount of money was spent trying to push them from top-half finishers to European contenders, and their lack of Europa League action next term may see one or two of their key players look elsewhere.

One such player is Marko Arnautovic, who needs just one more goal on the final day to become the club's outright top-scorer in a single Premier League campaign having found the back of the net 11 times this season.

Stoke's home record has been unusually poor so far this calendar year, though, with the Potters having gone four matches at the Britannia without a win - one more would equal their worst-ever run in the Premier League.

Indeed, their only three wins in front of their own fans so far in 2016 have come against the relegated trio of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Norwich City, although they did also beat the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United during the first half of the campaign.

Recent form: DLLLDL

West Ham

With the Boleyn goodbyes now all said and done, West Ham will be looking to end a memorable season on a high and clinch a place in Europe for their first year at the Olympic Stadium next term.

A win on Sunday would be enough for that, with West Ham currently sitting in sixth place, which is the final guaranteed Europa League qualification spot.

However, with only two points separating them from Southampton and three from Liverpool, any slip-ups from the Hammers would allow the chasing pack a chance to catch them.

Slaven Bilic's side could also still finish fifth in the table should they win and Manchester United fail to beat Bournemouth at Old Trafford, although goal difference means that fourth is realistically out of their reach.

They should go into the game in good spirits too following their memorable final match at Upton Park, with the stadium being given a fitting send-off with a five-goal thriller against Manchester United.

The occasion was marred somewhat by fans attacking the Man Utd coach before the game, but it was matters on the field that stole the headlines in the end as West Ham produced a stirring late comeback to win 3-2.

It means that Bilic's side have only been beaten once in their last 12 Premier League games stretching back to the first week of February, and across the entire campaign only the top two of Leicester and Tottenham Hotspur have lost fewer times.

What's more, they have scored in each of those games, which is their longest ever run in the competition, while only Spurs, Leicester and Manchester City have found the back of the net on more occasions this season.

Goal difference could still come into play when it comes to the race for Europa League football, and while West Ham's figure of +15 is similar to those around them in the table, it means that they will finish a top-flight campaign with a positive figure in that column for the first time in 30 years.

They have already comfortably set a new club record for Premier League points this term, and even if they were to drop out of the top six it must go down as a good campaign for the Hammers, with their main pre-season objective being to stay in the division.

Only the top three have picked up more away points than West Ham this season, and they go into the game unbeaten in their last seven on the road in all competitions - a run that includes trips to Goodison Park, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the King Power Stadium.

However, their record away from home on the final day of a Premier League season is not great, with just one win and four defeats from six such outings.

Recent form: DDWWLW
Recent form (all competitions): LDWWLW

Team News

Stoke will be without midfielder Stephen Ireland well into next season after he suffered a broken leg in training early this week.

He joins the likes of Jack Butland, Shay Given and Ibrahim Afellay on the sidelines for the season finale, while Glen Johnson and Marc Wilson are also expected to miss out.

Bojan Krkic has not started any of Stoke's last three games, but could lead the line in place of Peter Crouch this weekend.

West Ham, meanwhile, are still without the injured Adrian, so Darren Randolph will once again deputise between the sticks.

Dimitri Payet will look to cap off an impressive first season at the club with another good performance having been directly involved in 11 goals in his last 12 Premier League appearances.

Stoke possible starting lineup:
Haugaard; Bardsley, Shawcross, Cameron, Pieters; Whelan, Imbula, Shaqiri, Adam, Arnautovic; Bojan

West Ham possible starting lineup:
Randolph; Antonio, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Lanzini, Kouyate, Noble, Payet; Sakho, Carroll

Head To Head

West Ham have failed to win any of their last five games against Stoke, a run that stretches back to a 1-0 win at the Britannia in March 2013.

The last three of those games have been draws, including a stalemate in the reverse fixture at Upton Park in December.

West Ham's most recent visit to the Britannia saw them come from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw in November 2014.

We say: Stoke 1-2 West Ham

Stoke have been in poor form over the closing weeks of the season and, with West Ham having something left to fight for, that could continue on the final day. The Hammers have been good on the road this season and we expect them to sign off with another victory that will guarantee them European football.