Last Sunday’s FA Cup third-round result against Bristol City was a draw, but it probably felt like a loss to manager David Moyes and his men; for several reasons. First off, Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen were both injured, and given how the Hammers had absences in the final third to begin with, you now have a full blown crisis in attack.
The Irons may have to dip into the January transfer window now in order to fill the gaps in the attacking third.
FA Cup 3rd Round Replay FYIs
West Ham United vs Bristol City
Kick Off: Tue. Jan 16, 2024, at 7:45 pm UK time, Ashton Gate
West Ham United Previews: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Premier League book authored by The Sports Bank Founder Paul M. Banks: go here
Fun Fact: Bristol City haven’t beaten West Ham since 1978.
West Ham Team News
Another reason it felt like a loss, is well, any draw against a lower division side is naturally going to feel like a setback. Not to mention they also now must face a trip to Ashton Gate, and having to a stage a replay is always going to add additional wear and tear on everyone. Plus there is always the risk of further injury to someone, whenever the need for another game arises.
Shifting gears back to Paqueta and Bowen, it’s good news and bad news. With Paqueta, his calf injury is apparently worse than first feared. The Brazilian could be out as many eight to ten weeks.
With Bowen, he’ll miss out on this match as well, but the long-term prognosis is positive. He could be back for the next Premier League clash, against Sheffield United, next weekend.
Elsewhere Michail Antonio remains out long-term with a severe knee injury while Africa Cup of Nations duty has taken Mohamed Kudus (Ghana) and Nayef Aguerd (Morocco) away from the side.
As it’s time for the Hammers to gear up for the replay, we’ll dive into the tactical speculations and lineup predictions in the next post. Manager David Moyes has some strategic decisions to make, we’ll break down the possibilities in our starting lineup prediction article.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.