As the Hammers prepare to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, Moyes might be considering a few key changes to his starting XI.
The Hammers will kick off their 4th round tie with current holders City in a bid to strive for a trophy after a magnificent start to the season.
With only 16 teams left, this is a must-win game for manager Moyes. His side have won six of their past seven games and beat Manchester United 1-0 last time out in the cup. Here is our predicted line-up for this fixture…
GK: Lukasz Fabianski
Although on-loan goalkeeper Alphonse Areola has been starting in cup competitions this season, Lukasz Fabianski is in fine form.
His impressive display against Spurs at the weekend is just one of the reasons why he should start on Wednesday.
RB: Ben Johnson
Questions marks still remain over Vladimir Coufal’s fitness, which means academy prospect Ben Johnson could get the nod again here against City.
The youngster has filled in excellently in the absence of Coufal and Fredericks, keeping three clean sheets in a row and impressing fans.
CB: Kurt Zouma
Kurt Zouma could keep his place in the starting XI to add solidarity to the backline.
West Ham’s summer signing has been playing remarkably since arriving and should start again on Wednesday night.
CB: Issa Diop
Ogbonna’s understudy this season, Issa Diop, could fill in for him in this fixture so the Italian can have a well-earned rest.
Diop has also impressed in every game he has played in so far this season, having not yet conceded a goal when he has been on the field.
LB: Aaron Cresswell
Sunday’s Man Of The Match Aaron Cresswell is in fine form coming into this game, and it seems unlikely that Moyes will drop him against a good side like City.
Although he may need a rest after playing so many games, the left back will be ready to face another tough challenge here.
CDM: Declan Rice
Star player Declan Rice keeps on getting better and better every single time he plays and it is hard to see him losing his place for this match.
He has been a vital part of our success this season and will be raring to get a result on Wednesday.
CDM: Mark Noble
Captain and leader Mark Noble could come into the side to help rest Tomas Soucek for this fixture.
In his last season with the Hammers, he has so far impressed and could partner up with Rice in the middle of the park to try and stifle City’s talented midfield.
RM: Jarrod Bowen
Hammers winger Jarrod Bowen has also played a key role for West Ham this season, and is praised every game for his high-energy performances.
His contributions on the attacking end are improving as well, scoring two goals and grabbing two assists in his last five games.
CAM: Manuel Lanzini
Said Benrahma could sit this match out for the Hammers, with Moyes often keen on bringing in the skillful playmaker Manuel Lanzini.
His creative services will be needed against Guardiola’s side and we could see him step up to the plate again this week.
LM: Nikola Vlasic
After playing against Genk in the Europa League in mid-week, summer signing Nikola Vlasic is slowly winning over West Ham supporters and could replace Pablo Fornals.
He put in a solid display for the Hammers but now needs more fixtures to cement his place in the side and Wednesday’s game could help that.
ST: Michail Antonio
Finally, we have the one and only Michail Antonio. The striker is in the form of his life at the moment, having scored seven goals and produced four assists in just 10 games this season.
The 31-year-old will be eager to continue his fine performances against City, and hopefully, cause a major upset against the eight-time EFL Cup winners.
