David Moyes makes four changes – West Ham United predicted XI v Arsenal
David Moyes is expected to name a strong West Ham side to face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup on 1 November, after the disappointment of a 1-0 defeat to Everton in the Premier League.
While rotation will be necessary given the short turnaround between the Everton, Arsenal and Brentford games, Moyes will be looking to bounce back from recent poor form with a shock result.
The boss rotated heavily for the previous round of the League Cup where the Hammers beat Lincoln City by a goal to nil, but Arsenal will prove much tougher opponents and a strong side could be needed to deal with them.
Lukasz Fabianski will face his former club as he comes in for Alphonse Areola, as he did in the previous round against Lincoln, while Konstantinos Mavropanos and Thilo Kehrer could also step in alongside captain Kurt Zouma and Emerson Palmieri.
Vladimir Coufal has struggled with muscle tightness recently and may require the extra rest, while Nayef Aguerd’s performances have been below par and Mavropanos could now be given the chance to prove his worth. Emerson missed the game against Everton through suspension so will be well-rested for this one.
In midfield, Thomas Soucek will be expected to return to the starting XI as the Hammers missed his physicality against Everton, with James Ward-Prowse rested. After starting last week’s clash against Olympiacos, he may need a rest in midweek this time.
Both Edson Alvarez and Lucas Paqueta should start, as they will miss the Brentford clash due to one-match bans for an accumulation of yellow cards, and as such they will not need the extended period of rest to prepare.
Going forward, Moyes could keep the attacking lineup the same as he played against Everton despite failing to score, with Mohammed Kudus to be given more time to gel with the first-team, while Jarrod Bowen has become undroppable so far this season.
Michail Antonio will likely start up top more through lack of options than having played himself into that role, with Danny Ings failing to impress when called upon in a disastrous performance against Olympiacos in which he managed just six passes and lost the ball seven times [Sofascore].
In other West Ham news, the club could look to sign a £40million+ sensation.