Chris Sutton predicts result of West Ham United FA Cup showdown v Bristol City for BBC Sport
Chris Sutton has predicted that West Ham United will extend their unbeaten run to four matches when they face Bristol City in the FA Cup third round on Sunday 7 January.
The BBC Sport pundit believes the Irons will get back to winning ways after their Premier League stalemate with Brighton when they welcome the Robins to the London Stadium, suggesting the Hammers will “squeak through” winning 1-0.
Bristol City have only lost one of their last five games in all competitions and will be hopeful of causing an upset on Sunday, but Sutton expects a changed West Ham side to have enough to book their place in the fourth round.
Writing in his BBC Sport FA Cup third-round predictions (3 January) he said: “Bristol City have more of a chance against West Ham because this is exactly the type of tie where David Moyes rests a few players.
“But the Hammers are at home and should just squeak through.”
Just get through
West Ham are flying under Moyes’ management at the moment and have fought on all fronts this season. They’ve booked their place in the Europa League knockout stages, are competing at the top end of the Premier League and even reached the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.
The FA Cup is the latest competition facing the Irons and they have an excellent chance of reaching the fourth round. Bristol City have been in reasonable form under Liam Manning, but they are far from the finished article.
Even with a couple of changes, the Hammers should have more than enough quality to breeze past the Hammers, especially at home. The Robins will likely give it a good go on Sunday, but West Ham will already be thinking about who they could be meeting in the next round.
All that Moyes’ side needs to do is avoid a potential banana skin. If they were to lose to Championship opposition it could be a result that threatens to end their recent excellent form. It doesn’t matter how they win, they just have to claim all three points.
In other West Ham news, Alex Crook has shared a fascinating update on the Hammers’ interest in Tottenham defender Eric Dier