Key events
Today’s match officials
Referee: Lewis Smith
Assistant referees: Alex James and Hristo Karaivanov
Fourth official: Anthony Backhouse
NB VAR is not being used in this season’s FA Cup until the fifth round.
Gary Bowyer: “The players must think I’m bonkers”
The Burton Albion manager’s eccentric and unconventional techniques are designed to bring fun as well as results and this afternoon he has West Ham in his sights. Interview: Ben Fisher …
Nuno Espirito Santo: “We’re going to compete”
“It’s a beautiful competition,” said Nuno Espirito Santo of the FA Cup. “We’re going to compete, we’re going to try and go through. The cup is always a good chance to give minutes to players who don’t get many, for them to improve – we will need them further ahead.”
West Ham: In making 10 changes and deciding to give Bowen, Thomas Soucek, Mateus Fernandes and Taty Castellanos the weekend off, Nuno Espirito Santo seems to have taken a huge gamble with his team selection.
On the face of it before a ball has been kicked, this tie looks ripe for an upset. West Ham fans may not be particularly fussed about being dumped out of the FA Cup when Premier League surivival is the main priority for their club.
“I don’t consider it a risk,” he tells TNT Sports. “I consider it a good opportunity and a good chance for players who are not usually starting the games to add minutes, to get ready and to enjoy the game and go through the next round..”
Those teams: Gary Bowyer makes one change to the team that started against Port Vale last time out. Jack Armer replaces Alex Hartridge in defence.
Nuno makes no fewer than 10 changes to the side that snatched a draw from the jaws of victory against Manchester United and has given Jarrod Bowen a rare day off. The England winger is not in West Ham’s matchday squad. Konstantinos Mavropanos is the only survivor from Tuesday’s match, while January signing Keiber Lamadrid makes his debut. Mohamadou Kante and Adama Traore make their first starts for the club.
Burton Albion v West Ham line-ups
Burton Albion: Collins, Godwin-Malife, Armer, Vancooten, Revan, Lofthouse, Evans, McKiernan, Shade, Beesley, Krubally
Subs: Dudek, Chauke, Sibbick, Tavares, Moon, Sraha, Larsson, Adom, Cannon
West Ham: Areola, Mavropanos, Mayers, Kilman, Walker-Peters, Magassa, Kante, Lamadrid, Scarles, Traore, Wilson
Subs: Herrick, Disasi, Summerville, Taty, Diouf, Wan-Bissaka, Potts, Orford, Ajala
Early team news
Burton midfielder Charlie Webster is recovering from ankle surgery, while Dylan Williams and Julian Larsson are also both unavailable for the Brewers. Midfielder Kgaogelo “Kegs” Chauke was a doubt but could be fit. With five goals to his name in two games in this season’s FA Cup, Tyrese Shade will be hoping to add to his tally against more exalted opposition than St Albans and Brackley, while the Portuguese striker Fabio Tavares, who has three in three in the competition, may start alongside him.
With Premier League survivial very much a priority, there’s every chance Nuno will give several of West Ham’s fringe players a start today and he told reporters yesterday that Alphonse Areola will start in goal. January signing Pablo Felipe has been sidelined indefinitely, while Jean-Clair Todibo is serving the final instalment of the three-match ban he received for getting sent off against Chelsea two weeks ago.
FA Cup fourth round: Burton Albion v West Ham
Will it still count as a Cup shock if you expected the underdog to win? Today marks the first ever competitive match between Burton Albion and West Ham on an occasion when the hosts become the 150th different club the Premier League side have faced in all competitions. How did we ever survive without those tireless stats gurus at Opta, eh?
Separated by 47 places, both teams are fighting against relegation from their respective divisions but if West Ham are to avoid embarrassment at the hands of a League One side perched just one place above the drop zone, they will have to see off the top scorers in this season’s FA Cup thus far.
In beating St Albans City, Brackley Town and Boreham Wood, Burton have already scored 14 goals in this season’s FA Cup. West Ham made it to the fourth round courtesy of a 2-1 win over QPR at the London Stadium. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side come into this game on a decent run of form and are probably still sore at conceding a late, late equaliser against Manchester United at the London Stadium on Tuesday.
Gary Bowyer’s are without a win in five but drew at Port Vale last time out. Freezing weather has been forecast but the pitch has been covered by a heat blanket for the past couple of days so the game should go ahead as planned. Kick-off at the Pirelli Stadium is at 12.15pm but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
