West Ham United travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday evening.
The Hammers decided to sack manager Julen Lopetegui after only eight months following poor results. Graham Potter has been appointed as Lopetegui’s replacement already, and the former Brighton and Chelsea boss is expected to be in the dugout for the first time during the Irons’ FA Cup game.
The east London outfit were beaten 4-1 by Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend, so Graham Potter faces a challenging job to pick the players up and get a response from them against Villa, who beat Leicester City 2-1.
West Ham United Team News
Lukasz Fabianski is coming out of concussion protocol and stands a chance to feature against Aston Villa. Jean-Clair Todibo and Emerson Palmieri are both out injured, joining long-term absentees Michail Antonio and Michail Antonio.
Predicted West Ham United lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
While veteran Fabianski stands a decent chance to return, new boss Graham Potter should go with Alphonse Areola in goal at Villa Park.
Defence
Potter used a variety of formations at both Brighton and Chelsea, with 4-2-3-1 being the preferred one. He could opt for the same on Friday which will see Konstantinos Mavropanos partner Max Kilman in central defence.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Vladimir Coufal should be the full-backs, trying to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.
Midfield
Up ahead in midfield, Potter could go with Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez in the double pivot and ask the duo to sit just as a shield in front of the backline. The West Ham midfielders have to be at their best to disrupt Villa’s flow and create chances from deep.
Lucas Paqueta is expected to be given a free role. The Brazilian’s flair and imagination will be required to unlock the Villa defence.
Attack
Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville should provide width, energy and pace from the right and left flank, respectively. The two diminutive attackers can make life difficult for the Villa defence with their constant movement and runs in behind. They will be tasked with serving marksman Niclas Fullkrug, who scored a consolation in the 4-1 defeat to City.
Carlos Soler, Guido Rodriguez and Danny Ings could get chances to make an impression off the bench.
