West Ham United begin life back as a Championship team with an EFL Cup first-round clash against Portsmouth at the London Stadium on Saturday.
While both sides will be aiming to make a positive start to the new campaign, the hosts enter the contest looking to build momentum after a productive pre-season, whereas Pompey are hoping to finally end their recent struggles in the competition.
For West Ham, the match represents the beginning of a new chapter. Following relegation from the Premier League after finishing 18th last season, the Hammers are preparing for EFL Championship football for the first time since earning promotion in 2012. Despite the disappointment of dropping out of the top flight, the club have opted to retain faith in manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who now faces the task of guiding one of England’s biggest clubs back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
The summer has brought significant changes to the squad. Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville have departed in lucrative transfers, but West Ham have managed to keep hold of captain Jarrod Bowen, whose leadership and goals are expected to be central to the promotion push. The Hammers have also strengthened defensively by signing experienced full-back Joel Veltman from Brighton & Hove Albion, while Keiber Lamadrid’s loan move has been made permanent after an encouraging spell at the club.
Results during pre-season have given supporters reasons for optimism. West Ham are unbeaten in five friendly matches, recording two victories and three draws, with their latest outing ending in a goalless stalemate against German side Magdeburg. More importantly, the team have looked defensively organised while gradually adapting to Nuno’s tactical approach, suggesting they are entering the competitive campaign with growing confidence.
Portsmouth also remain in the Championship after successfully avoiding relegation last season, finishing 18th and comfortably preserving their second-tier status. John Mousinho’s side are now targeting further progress rather than another survival battle and have been active in the transfer market to improve both quality and squad depth.
Pompey have added several new faces, including Odin Bailey, Rocco Shein, Eion Kenny, Luke Brooke-Smith, Marko Milovanovic, and Daniel Bielica. The club are also working on deals to bring Chelsea youngster Kavuma-McQueen on loan and complete the permanent signing of Hull City winger Abu Kamara, who enjoyed an outstanding loan spell during Portsmouth’s League One title-winning campaign.
Pre-season has been somewhat inconsistent for the visitors. Seven friendlies have produced two wins, three draws, and two defeats, although Portsmouth ended their preparations on a positive note by drawing 0-0 with Darmstadt before beating Kuwait SC 2-0 behind closed doors. Those results should provide a welcome confidence boost heading into the new season.
History also favours the home side. West Ham are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Portsmouth and completed a Championship double over Pompey when the clubs last shared the same division during the 2011/12 campaign. The additional quality available to Nuno Espirito Santo, combined with home advantage at the London Stadium, makes the Hammers clear favourites to progress.
From a tactical perspective, West Ham are expected to dominate possession and attempt to pin Portsmouth deep through the creativity of Jarrod Bowen and the attacking support from their full-backs. Portsmouth, meanwhile, are likely to remain compact, defend in numbers and look to exploit counter-attacking opportunities whenever West Ham commit bodies forward.
Cup competitions often produce surprises, particularly early in the season when fitness levels and tactical cohesion are still developing. However, West Ham’s superior squad depth, encouraging pre-season form and strong recent record against Portsmouth should give them enough to avoid an upset. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
West Ham United are expected to use this EFL Cup tie to blend first-team experience with several younger players, although Nuno Espirito Santo is still likely to name a strong enough side to avoid an early exit. The Hammers should retain their familiar 4-2-3-1 structure, with Jarrod Bowen providing the main source of creativity and attacking leadership.
In terms of injury and suspension news, Tomas Soucek remains unavailable because of the ankle injury he sustained at the World Cup. Keiber Lamadrid is also ruled out after picking up an injury in the recent friendly against Magdeburg, with the winger expected to spend between two and three weeks on the sidelines. West Ham have no confirmed suspension concerns for this match.
Joel Veltman could be included in the matchday squad following his recent arrival from Brighton & Hove Albion, although he may begin among the substitutes while he builds familiarity with his new teammates and Nuno’s tactical demands. The manager could instead rely on a more settled defensive unit from the start.
West Ham are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mads Hermansen starting in goal. Kyle Walker-Peters should operate at right-back, while Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman are likely to form the central defensive partnership. Ollie Scarles is expected to start at left-back and provide width when the Hammers move forward.
In central midfield, Mohamadou Kante should provide defensive protection and ball-winning quality alongside Lewis Orford, who will be tasked with helping West Ham progress possession from deeper areas. Jarrod Bowen is expected to start on the right wing, Pablo should operate in the central attacking midfield role, and Maxwel Cornet is likely to feature from the left.
Taty Castellanos should lead the line as the lone striker. His movement across the front, pressing intensity and ability to attack crosses should give West Ham a clear focal point against a Portsmouth defence likely to spend long periods under pressure.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles; Kante, Orford; Bowen, Pablo, Cornet; Taty
Portsmouth
Portsmouth head into the EFL Cup tie with a lengthy injury list, leaving John Mousinho with limited room to rotate his squad. Despite those absences, Pompey are still expected to retain their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Colby Bishop providing the focal point in attack.
In terms of injury and suspension news, Josef Bursik, Connor Ogilvie, Jacob Farrell, Marlon Pack, Mark Kosznovszky, Harvey Blair, and Josh Murphy are all unavailable because of injury. Franco Umeh is also a fitness doubt after being withdrawn as a precaution during Wednesday’s behind-closed-doors victory over Kuwait SC. The winger had only recently returned from a groin problem and will require a late assessment before his availability is confirmed. Portsmouth have no reported suspension concerns for this match.
Marko Milovanovic is unlikely to start as he continues to work towards full match fitness following his summer arrival. Colby Bishop should therefore retain his place at centre-forward, where his physical presence, hold-up play and penalty-box movement will be crucial to Portsmouth’s attacking approach.
Portsmouth are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Nicolas Schmid starting in goal. Terry Devlin should operate at right-back, while Regan Poole and Conor Shaughnessy are likely to form the central defensive partnership. Zak Swanson is expected to start at left-back and will need to remain disciplined against West Ham’s dangerous wide players.
In central midfield, Ebou Adams should provide defensive protection and ball-winning ability alongside Rocco Shein, who will be responsible for helping Portsmouth progress possession. Adrian Segecic is expected to start on the right wing, with Odin Bailey operating as the central attacking midfielder and Eoin Kenny featuring from the left.
Colby Bishop should lead the line as the lone striker. Portsmouth are likely to use his strength to hold up direct passes and bring their attacking midfielders into play, particularly when attempting to break quickly against West Ham’s defence.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Schmid; Devlin, Poole, Shaughnessy, Swanson; Adams, Shein; Segecic, Bailey, Kenny; Bishop
Key Stats
- West Ham are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Portsmouth, including completing a Championship league double over Pompey in the 2011/12 season.
- The Hammers head into the new campaign on the back of a five-match unbeaten pre-season run, recording two wins and three draws while keeping three clean sheets.
- Portsmouth have won just two of their seven pre-season friendlies this summer, drawing three and losing two before beating Kuwait SC 2-0 in a behind-closed-doors fixture.
- Pompey have been eliminated in the first round of the EFL Cup in each of the last two seasons, losing to Millwall in 2024-25 and Reading in 2025/26.
- West Ham are competing in the Championship for the first time since the 2011/12 campaign after being relegated from the Premier League last season, while Portsmouth are entering their third consecutive season in the second tier.
Player to Watch
Jarrod Bowen
Jarrod Bowen will once again be the player West Ham United look to for inspiration as they begin their EFL Cup campaign. The club captain remained at the London Stadium despite significant transfer interest during the summer and is expected to be the driving force behind the Hammers’ push for an immediate return to the Premier League.
Operating from the right wing, Bowen combines intelligent movement, creativity and a clinical eye for goal. His ability to drift inside onto his stronger left foot, create chances for teammates and finish opportunities himself makes him West Ham’s biggest attacking threat. Against a Portsmouth side likely to defend deep, Bowen’s quality in one-on-one situations and knack for producing decisive moments could prove the difference as the Hammers look to secure a place in the second round.
Prediction
West Ham United 2-0 Portsmouth
West Ham appear to be entering the new season with renewed confidence following an encouraging unbeaten pre-season, and they possess greater quality and depth across the pitch than their Championship rivals. Playing at the London Stadium should also give Nuno Espirito Santo’s side a significant advantage as they look to begin their EFL Cup campaign on a positive note.
Portsmouth have strengthened during the summer, but a lengthy injury list and inconsistent pre-season results suggest they may struggle to match West Ham’s attacking quality over 90 minutes. Jarrod Bowen is expected to be the key creative outlet, while Taty Castellanos should provide the finishing touch in the final third. The visitors are likely to remain competitive for long spells, but West Ham’s superior individual quality and home advantage should ultimately prove decisive.
