West Ham predicted XI vs Leeds – Nuno learns lesson as two changes made to keep Irons up
West Ham United are fighting for their lives with Leeds United up next in a make-or-break final game.
The Hammers have left themselves with work to do as they welcome Leeds to the London Stadium on Sunday.
Alongside the need for three points, the Irons are relying on an Everton win against rivals Tottenham, who sit two points ahead in 17th.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have shown an uptick in performances at times since the turn of the year, though they have only spent two weeks out of the bottom three.
Hosting Leeds on Sunday, West Ham are in desperate need of three points, while they remain reliant on a favourable result in North London.
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Nuno to learn from Newcastle error and form strike partnership
Last time out, the East Londoners fell to a 3-1 defeat away at Newcastle, with first-half goals from Nick Woltemade and Will Osula leaving them with work to do.
Osula would net a second after the break, before Taty Castellanos grabbed one for West Ham with a stunning strike from range.
Sticking to the same 3-4-3 formation that fell to defeat against Arsenal the week before proved a costly error from Nuno, with it resulting in Callum Wilson starting up top on his own.
While Newcastle remained out of sight, the visiting Hammers looked much more productive with both Wilson and Castellanos on the pitch.
As a result, the pair simply have to start together against Leeds.
As a result, the Argentinian forward comes in for Jean-Clair Todibo to form a partnership with Wilson up top.
Elsewhere, Kyle Walker-Peters comes in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back to round off the second change.
Wan-Bissaka has been disappointing this season, with his lack of attacking output limiting Nuno, particularly in the wing-back role he has played in recent weeks.
Much more capable in the final third, Walker-Peters comes in as a more reliable option, with the Hammers in desperate need of a win.
West Ham must take advantage of Leeds issues
Opponents Leeds are left without anything to play for at the weekend, with their safety secured two weeks ago as a result of West Ham’s loss against Arsenal.
With this in mind, Nuno and his side have to remain ruthless, and take advantage of that situation.
At the same time, Whites boss Daniel Farke is limited with his options, with the likes of Anton Stach, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle all out among a host of others.
Facing a side littered with small issues, who also happen to be safe, the Hammers absolutely have to make the most of the opportunity.
It may not be enough come the end of the 90, but their only chance of survival is if three points are gained, before West Ham even think about Tottenham.