A struggling West Ham United side are ready for another important test when they host Arsenal for the EFL Cup fourth-round tie.
David Moyes may have brought himself back under the scanner following three successive defeats in all competitions. Before that, the Hammers managed an impressive draw against Newcastle United. But last weekend’s home loss to Everton may have created more doubts about West Ham United, who face Arsenal next.
West Ham United could not respond to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 51st-minute strike as Everton went on to hold that slender lead and take valuable three points. For Moyes, every competition appears important, and he will certainly target winning the EFL Cup, although the manager has found it difficult to juggle between multiple fronts.
Before the weekend’s loss, West Ham also suffered their first UEFA Europa League loss away to Olympiacos. Some of their previous results do not fill the fans with hope ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Arsenal, considering they are here courtesy of a narrow win over Lincoln City after a Tomas Soucek goal 20 minutes from time in the third round.
While the Hammers continue to struggle, Arsenal are making steady strides towards perfection. The Gunners swept aside bottom-placed Sheffield United with a five-star show. After the fans saw Gabriel Jesus put on a show away at Sevilla, his replacement, Eddie Nketiah, replaced him and scored his first Premier League hat trick against the Blades.
💬 “To do it at Emirates Stadium, in the Premier League, in front of my family and friends is an amazing feeling."
🗞️ Eddie Nketiah speaks on his hat-trick 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 29, 2023
He could have added a fourth but willingly gave the spot-kick to Fabio Vieira before Takehiro Tomiyasu scored his maiden Arsenal goal to make it five. The Gunners are unbeaten domestically, with their only blip coming against Lens in the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta mentioned Arsenal have a ‘chance to progress’ in the EFL Cup. But in truth, their fans will care less whether their side progress here. They are into the fourth round courtesy of a Reiss Nelson strike against Brentford, which secured a hard-fought victory at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
David Moyes will certainly use this competition to rest some of his overworked stars and help them recharge their batteries a bit. That may include Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, and the first-choice central defenders. Had Lucas Paqueta and Edson Alvarez not picked up yellows against Everton, they might have benefited from a rest, too.
The manager reacts to today's defeat. pic.twitter.com/Bf3Kj6XxV8
— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 29, 2023
Instead, the key duo will miss Saturday’s Premier League encounter against Brentford and will instead start against Arsenal. Overall, Moyes is blessed with a full complement of players for the fourth round. With that comes the chance to use many of his fringe stars eager to add more minutes under their belt.
At the back, Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd might make way for former Arsenal man Konstantinos Mavropanos and Angelo Ogbonna. Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell will vacate their roles for Thilo Kehrer and Emerson Palmieri, respectively.
Last round’s goalscorer Soucek might come in for James Ward-Prowse and partner alongside Alvarez in central midfield. Danny Ings might come in to lead the line for the Hammers, while Said Benrahma might find a place on the left wing. Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus will likely complete the attacking setup for Moyes.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Kudus, Paqueta, Benrahma; Ings
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will also use this fourth-round EFL Cup clash to rest some of his key stars who are in need of a break. Chief among those is Declan Rice, but this fixture marks the midfielder’s return to his former club since the £105 million summer transfer to the Gunners.
💬 "I live it exactly the same as the Premier League. I have the same feeling in my tummy, the same uncertainty, the same way to prepare."
Mikel looks ahead to our Carabao Cup clash with West Ham 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 31, 2023
Whether the London Stadium will reserve a warm welcome in store for Rice remains the question. But Arteta might look to keep him on the bench ahead of the weekend clash with Newcastle United. Jorginho might come in to replace him, while the manager might make further changes to his midfield.
Vieira also has a chance to come in, while Arteta might consider Mohamed Elneny for a start alongside Jorginho. On the injury front, the manager confirmed the prolonged absences of Thomas Partey and Jesus, with the duo set to miss the next few weeks of action.
At the back, Jakub Kiwior could get another start and replace Oleksandr Zinchenko. William Saliba might drop down to the bench in favour of the well-rested Gabriel Magalhaes, while Tomiyasu might come in at right-back, with Ben White moving centrally. Further behind, Aaron Ramsdale could see himself between the sticks, as Arteta will likely rotate his keepers for the cup competition.
Arteta might also rest Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, although he will likely keep Nketiah in the leading striker role for this clash. Leandro Trossard on the left and Reiss Nelson on the right will complete the attacking setup.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel, Kiwior; Vieira, Jorginho, Elneny; Nelson, Nketiah, Trossard
Key Stats
- West Ham United are winless in their last four games across all competition, losing their last three in the process.
- West Ham’s scoreless display against Everton was the first time in 18 home games they failed to score.
- Arsenal have scored at least two goals in 13 of their last 15 away matches against West Ham in all competitions.
- Arsenal are undefeated in 15 of their last 16 away matches against West Ham in all competitions.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in domestic competitions this season.
Player to Watch
Aaron Ramsdale
Aaron Ramsdale has finished 8️⃣th in the 2023 Yashin's trophy rankings. 🧤👏❤️ pic.twitter.com/w83Z6gQNXb
— Arsenal Inside (@arsenalinside_) October 30, 2023
Since being dropped down to the bench by Mikel Arteta in favour of David Raya, Ramsdale has been in the news far more often than anyone expected. Every single action of the Spanish goalkeeper has been put under the microscope, and then the camera pans up on the England international for a reaction.
The only reaction Arteta expects from his keeper is on the pitch, and Ramsdale has a golden opportunity to showcase that against West Ham United. The England star must work his socks off to convince the manager about his quality, but these are testing times for the stopper.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal
The Hammers are not in a good run of form to enter this match as favourites. They have regressed with each game in the last many days, and their three consecutive defeats are proof of that. Then again, David Moyes may not want his players to go out and play an intense game, considering they have other pressing needs elsewhere.
Similarly, Arsenal may also not want a taxing game on their hands when they visit the London Stadium. With both teams likely to make many changes, the Gunners have the quality in depth to manage fixtures like this and come away with a win. Mikel Arteta’s side must come here and take the victory as they are the overwhelming favourites to do so against Moyes’s side.
