West Ham United vs Bournemouth: Preview and Prediction
Premier League clubs West Ham United and Bournemouth are all set to square up against each other in the second round of the EFL Cup.
Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham United are all set to host rival Premier League club Bournemouth at the London Stadium in the second round of the EFL Cup. Both clubs have made a promising start to the season, and this fixture could help them build momentum.
The home team have added a lot of quality to their squad during the summer as Lopetegui looks to succeed David Moyes. While they started the season with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at home, the Hammers bounced back with a 2-0 win away to Crystal Palace.
While it was an evenly contested fixture, West Ham were more clinical in the final third, and they got the result they wanted. The Hammers have competed in Europe over the last three seasons. As a result, this is their first second-round EFL Cup fixture in four years. With a Premier League rival up against them, they are not going to find it easy.
Bournemouth might have parted ways with Dominic Solanke, but they have made quite a few additions in the final third of the pitch. While the Cherries are yet to win a game this season, they haven’t lost either. After playing out a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, they followed it up with another draw against Newcastle United at home.
Andoni Iraola’s team might not have been at their best yet, but they have played some interesting football and will surely give the Hammers a tough time in the EFL Cup. It will be an interesting fixture between two Premier League clubs who have quite a few new faces. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
Julen Lopetegui will look to mix things up and make a few changes to their starting eleven from the last outing. Expect quite a few of their summer signings to start in this fixture. The Spanish manager has a fully-fit squad to choose from, and he is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation for this fixture, with veteran Lukasz Fabianski in goal.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson Palmieri will start as the full-backs for the Hammers, with Max Kilman taking charge in the heart of the defence alongside Jean-Clair Todibo. Edson Alvarez will feature in the centre of the park alongside Tomas Soucek and the exit-linked James Ward-Prowse. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball.
