Chris Sutton predicts winner of West Ham United v Derby in FA Cup
Chris Sutton believes an FA Cup upset could be on the cards when West Ham United travel to Pride Park to face Derby County on Monday (30 January).
The Hammers returned to winning ways in the Premier League thanks to a Jarrod Bowen Brace against Everton – a win which helped them climb up to 16th and out of the relegation zone.
Despite looking to bolster his ranks this January, David Moyes has been hit by an injury crisis, with Kurt Zouma, Gianluca Scamacca, and new recruit Danny Ings all sidelined for the FA fourth-round tie.
When making his predictions for the BBC Sport website (Thursday 26 January), pundit Sutton admitted he thought the Scots side could get stung by the League One outfit, predicting a 1-0 loss for West Ham.
He said: “I’m so pleased to see Paul doing so well with Derby as a manager and not just because he used to play alongside me for my village team. He did a great job at Rotherham and I don’t think he got enough credit for his work there.
“He is a bit of an expert at getting promotion from League One and that is his aim this season too, but it means his side have a bit of a free hit at West Ham.
“The Hammers’ win over Everton last week was obviously huge for them, and for their manager David Moyes, but they have to be careful here.
“A defeat would heap the pressure back on Moyes, who has to cope without injured striker Danny Ings. This could turn into a difficult evening for him.”
Banana skin
Although positivity flooded back into the London Stadium after claiming three crucial points against the Toffees, Moyes has hit a number of roadblocks since.
The injuries to Ings and Scamacca are simply catastrophic and leave Michail Antonio as the only fit striker that Moyes can call upon in his squad.
Yes, Bowen can operate as a centre-forward when needed, but with FA Cup, Premier League and Europa Conference League fixtures clogging up their fixture list, these injury setbacks couldn’t have come at a worse time.
With Craig Dawson’s exit and Zouma’s injury also leaving the Scot short-staffed at the back, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see a string of academy players given the nod for this FA Cup tie.
With a restricted squad to pick from, and considering Derby’s domestic form, this has a nasty feeling of a cup upset, as Sutton predicted. Moyes will let out a big sigh of relief if he manages to navigate this banana skin and get the West Ham United name in the hat for the fifth round of the FA Cup.