David Moyes axes exit-linked Said Benrahma in four changes – West Ham United confirmed XI v Bristol City
David Moyes has made four changes to his starting lineup for the West Ham game against Bristol City on Sunday (7 January).
Ahead of kick-off, the Hammers confirmed via their official Twitter account that Lukasz Fabianski will start in goal, with Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Emerson making up the back four.
Edson Alvarez will be joined in midfield by Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse, with Pablo Fornals, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen starting in the attacking positions.
That means Alphonse Areola, Ben Johnson, Angelo Ogbonna and Said Benrahma, who has been linked with a move away from the club in January, all drop to the bench at the London Stadium after starting in the 0-0 draw with Brighton on 2 January.
Opportunity
The West Ham players should certainly be seeing this as an excellent opportunity to earn a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
While it could still be a tricky game due to the unpredictability often surrounding these matches, Moyes will be pleased to have been drawn against a side from a lower division at home.
The Hammers come into the fixture in decent form after remaining unbeaten in their three difficult matches over the festive period against Manchester United, Arsenal and Brighton.
The Irons boss will be keen to see his defence continue their impressive recent displays, having also kept clean sheets in their past three outings.
It’s a game we should absolutely be looking to take seriously as it still remains a hugely important competition to the majority of the fans and it’s another chance to claim some silverware this season.
In other West Ham news, one player wants to leave the Hammers amid a £30million development.