Lincoln City will aim to upset West Ham United in their Carabao Cup clash on Wednesday night.
West Ham United will seek to continue their Carabao Cup run when they travel to Lincoln City in their third-round fixture on Wednesday night.
The Hammers won the UEFA Europa Conference League last season and have started the current campaign in good form. David Moyes’s men fell 3-1 to Liverpool at Anfield at the weekend and will be keen to get back to winning ways on the night.
Given that their opponents are sitting pretty mid-table in League One, Moyes will know that his side are the overwhelming favourites to come away with a win. The Hammers have bigger fish to fry and are likely to make several changes to the side that struggled at Anfield. However, despite the rotation, both clubs are miles apart in the football pyramid and West Ham will be wary of suffering a shock defeat.
Lincoln City are not new to giant-killing having defeated Sheffield United enroute to the third round. The Hammers represent a significantly tougher challenge, but given the right circumstances, anything can happen in knockout competitions.
However, they are winless in the last four games and will be seeking a result that can help them rekindle their season ambitions. The Hammers have the quality but could be in for a rough night should Lincoln rediscover their mojo. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Lincoln City
📅 Tomorrow.#WeAreImps pic.twitter.com/SFHwaVzoW9
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) September 26, 2023
Only four players have played all of Lincoln City’s Carabao Cup fixtures this season, and Mark Kennedy is expected to ring in changes for the game.
The Imps defeated Notts County and Sheffield United (On penalties) on their way to the third round. Lincoln were eliminated in the fourth round last season, their joint-best run in the competition’s history.
In fact, they have made it past the third round just twice since 1968 and could add to that tally on the night. However, despite home support, they go into the clash as underdogs. Lewis Montsma is the only injured player, and Kennedy has an otherwise fully-fit squad to choose from. He is expected to line his side up in a 3-4-2 formation for the night.
Lukas Jensen should start in goal behind the defensive trio of Paudie O’Connor, Adam Jackson and Alex Mitchell. Lasse Sorensen and Jack Burroughs will aim to provide the width while also dropping back when needed.
Alistair Smith and Ethan Erhahon should hold the fort in midfield, aiming to give Lincoln a base to build on when in possession of the football. Hakeeb Adelakun scored at the weekend against Portsmouth and is expected to lead the line again.
He will be supported by both Reeco Hackett-Fairchild and Teddy Bishop. The duo could also drop deeper to form a 3-4-2-1 formation that will aim to seize control of the midfield by sheer weight of numbers.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Jensen; O’Connor, Jackson, Mitchell; Sorensen, Smith, Erhahon, Burroghs; Hackett-Fairchild, Adelakun, Bishop
West Ham United
The Hammers have started the season well, beating Chelsea and accumulating ten points on the board in the first six games. In fact, their only two defeats this season have come against Manchester City and Liverpool.
West Ham have also kick-started their UEFA Europa League campaign with a win but are expected to make changes for the night. Aaron Cresswell is out injured and unavailable for the game. David Moyes has an otherwise fully fit squad but will want to give some of his best faces a breather on the night.
A 4-2-3-1 formation is on the cards with Lukasz Fabianski in goal. He will be deployed behind the defensive quartet of Thilo Kehrer, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Angelo Ogbonna and Ben Johnson.
Preparations underway for the @Carabao_Cup 👍 pic.twitter.com/nEXCYmUuZv
— West Ham United (@WestHam) September 26, 2023
Tomas Soucek and Pablo Fornals should hold down the fort in midfield, giving the trio of Said Benrahma, Mohammed Kudus and Maxwel Cornet the freedom to get forward and support Danny Ings in attack. James Ward-Prowse and Lucas Paqueta are both key players and should be rested alongside star winger Jarrod Bowen.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Fabianski; Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Johnson; Soucek, Fornals; Benrahma, Kudus, Cornet; Ings
Key Stats
- Lincoln City have never won the League Cup. Their best run in the tournament was until the fourth round. This occurred in 1967/68 and 2022/23.
- West Ham United have also never won the League Cup in their history. They finished as runners-up twice in 1965/66 and 1980/81.
- Both teams have played each other 23 times so far with the Imps coming out on top in seven games. West Ham United have won ten while the remaining six have ended in a tie.
- This is the first meeting between Lincoln City and West Ham United since their League Cup clash in 1982. West Ham won the tie 2-1.
- Lincoln City have not defeated West Ham United in a competitive clash since 1956.
Player to Watch
Danny Ings
The former Liverpool man has fallen down the pecking order in recent years and will want to stake a claim for a more regular role this season. Michail Antonio is the first-choice striker at West Ham, but Ings can make a case for himself when afforded the opportunity.
A reliable striker, the Englishman is a difficult player to mark on his day. His mobility and clinical ability in front of the goal make him a dangerous player to mark. Going scoreless on the night should he start would be a massive blow to his chances of securing a larger role in London this season.
Prediction
Lincoln City 1-2 West Ham United
The League One side can give it their all, but West Ham United have both strength in depth and the upper hand in quality to boot. While they have bigger fish to fry, the Hammers will be keen to avoid the humiliation of being knocked out by a lower-league side. It is unlikely to be pretty but West Ham should come out on top to book their spot in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup this season.
