Julen Lopetegui was always going to have changes to make to the starting eleven who took on Spurs two weeks ago. Thanks to Mohammed Kudus’ red card and suspension, West Ham United would have to have a different look to the team that lost so heavily in north London.
Lopetegui in fact makes multiple changes: Veteran Fabianski comes in for out of form keeper Alphonse Areola – probably thanks to his wayward distribution – Konstantinos Mavropanos returns in place of Jean Clair Todibo who is on the bench. Edson Alvarez returns to a midfield which desperately needs to ‘work’ ahead of the back line. No starting place for Crysencio Summerville who is on the bench. Lucas Paquetá, and Guido Rodriguez somehow keep their places whilst Tomas Soucek is benched in what is presumably a 4-4-2 formation:
West Ham United: Fabiański, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Rodríguez, Álvarez, Paquetá, Soler, Bowen ©, Antonio
Subs: Areola (GK), Coufal, Cresswell, Todibo, Irving, Souček, Luis Guilherme, Summerville, Ings
