Nuno can’t afford unnecessary misstep as West Ham primed for FA Cup upset
West Ham find themselves locked in a relegation battle, but they can’t afford to disregard the FA Cup.
The Hammers travel to Burton Albion in the fourth round of the famous competition this weekend, after dispatching QPR 2-1 at the London Stadium in last month’s third round.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sit 18th in the Premier League, three points away from Nottingham Forest, the other side of the drop zone.
Though West Ham mustn’t take their eye off the ball, and stall their current momentum by crashing out of the FA Cup embarrassingly.
Ahead of the run-in, Nuno’s side must use the competition to keep on building their form while, of course, avoiding the embarrassment of losing to lower league opposition.
West Ham have to avoid banana skin and secure safe FA Cup passage
Any Premier League outfit facing League One opposition will always be the favourites, but as seen with Crystal Palace’s loss to non-league Macclesfield last month, the FA Cup does produce miracles.
Burton away has banana skin written all over it if West Ham are not careful.
The Brewers are the leading scorers in the competition thus far, having scored 14 times across ties with St Albans City, Brackley Town and Boreham Wood – the most goals scored by a side from the third tier or below since Oxford United in 1996.
Plus, Nuno himself has a history of near upsets in the competition, with his Wolves side rescued by a Matt Doherty equaliser in the dying moments against Shrewsbury in 2019.
Should the Hammers take Saturday’s clash seriously, a pathway to the next round should be theirs, but they cannot afford to solely focus on the league with crucial momentum on the line.
- Read more: Nuno Espirito Santo hands full debut as changes rung – West Ham predicted XI vs Burton Albion
West Ham must keep up momentum in relegation battle
It goes without saying that the current campaign has been a dismal one at the London Stadium.
But, West Ham have continued to shift through the gears throughout the opening months of 2026, leaving them just three points from safety while the Premier League takes a short break.
The Hammers have won four out of their last six in all competitions, with massive wins against Tottenham and Sunderland coming during this run, while they will be disappointed to have only picked up a point against Manchester United this week having led for large periods.
With a crucial home fixture coming up against Bournemouth, alongside a trip to Liverpool, Nuno’s side simply must keep up the momentum gained this calendar year, and fully pile the pressure on the currently managerless Nottingham Forest.
To read more expert analysis on West Ham, head to Football Insider for all the latest