FA Cup: Michael Owen predicts result of West Ham clash v Southampton
West Ham will be looking to maintain a winning momentum when they face Southampton away from home in the FA Cup fifth-round tie on Wednesday (2 March).
The Hammers are heading into this game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Wolves in the Premier League, but Michael Owen doesn’t fancy them winning here, predicting a 1-0 defeat in his Bet Victor column while previewing the clash.
Southampton are in impressive form at the moment and they have picked up three wins out of their last four games, drawing the other one.
Owen wrote: “Southampton’s form recently has been superb, particularly at home. They’ve been one of the best sides at home in the Premier League, and they’ll look to end the season in style. I fancy Southampton here; they’ve been on a better run of form. I don’t think there will be much in this, 1-0 Southampton.”
Thrilling contest
The beauty of the cup games lies in their unpredictability and that’s why this match promises to be a cracking contest.
The Hammers will enter St Mary’s with a renewed sense of belief after earning a slender victory over Wolves, but a crucial one. It has put them right into the top-four mix once again.
It will be interesting to see how David Moyes sets his team up for this game as he will definitely be looking to make a few changes to the side.
One thing is for sure – the Hammers need to perform better than what they did against Kidderminster in their previous FA Cup game. They need to improve their intensity, otherwise, Southampton can punish them badly.
In the last game against Wolves, Moyes made a tactical switch, using Pablo Fornals as a left-wing back, and it worked really well. Will he adopt a similar tactic once again?
In other West Ham news, the club want to sign a ‘Brilliant’ Chelsea player who will tick a major box for David Moyes
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