West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted that he is surprised by Everton's early-season form which has left the club in the relegation zone.
Marco Silva's side have lost four games in a row, leaving them with just seven points from their opening eight games and in the bottom three.
The Hammers, meanwhile, sit eighth in the table after a six-game unbeaten run was ended by Crystal Palace last time out at the London Stadium.
And Pellegrini admitted to reporters that it is surprising to see such a strong squad in the drop zone this season, but stated that he expects to see an improved team this weekend.
"[Surprised by their position?] Maybe, yes. They have very good players and a team that is very strong every year," Pellegrini stated.
"I suppose I expected them to not be in that position in the table.
"Because we won that game last season, it is in that moment we played in the way we wanted to. We want the same result again this time as well.
"It is difficult to analyse their situation. Last season we beat them there when we were in a position that they are now.
"Games are always different though, I am sure we will find an Everton with high pace and looking to get better results than their last games."
