The EFL Cup is now upon us, and you know what that means- it is already time for mid-week, on top of the weekend, fixtures. Yes, the September international break will get here before you know it, and when it arrives we’ll remember weeks like these, and feel very grateful for them. West Ham United welcomes in AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday night in an all-top flight matchup.
EFL Cup 2nd Round FYIs
West Ham United vs AFC Bournemouth
Kickoff: Wed. Aug 28, 745pm, London Stadium
Individual Matchup to Watch: Max Kilman vs Antoine Semenyo.
It is one of just two on the slate, with Nottingham Forest hosting Newcastle United the other one. Fun Fact (if you’re a West Ham United supporter that is): the Hammers have an 8-2 advantage, on aggregate, across the last four competitive meetings against the Cherries.
Given that Julen Lopetegui has a nearly fully fit squad to work with, you can expect a lot of squad rotation here. And even with that squad rotation, the side will still be pretty strong. Kurt Zouma remains unavailable, due to personal reasons.
West Ham Starting XI Prediction vs Bournemouth (EFL Cup 2nd Round)
Lukasz Fabianski; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, Emerson Palmieri; James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez; Crysencio Summerville, Jean-Clair Todibo, Danny Ings; Niclas Fullkrug
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.