Starting XI | Lopetegui names unchanged team for Ipswich clash ...
Julen Lopetegui has kept faith with the team which started last week’s 1-1 Premier League draw at Brentford for Saturday’s home fixture with Ipswich Town.
The Hammers recovered from a goal down to secure a point at Gtech Community Stadium, and will now hope to build on that as they welcome the Tractor Boys to east London.
The Irons have not lost any of their eleven previous matches against newly-promoted opposition, and will want to extend that to 12 when they host an Ipswich side without a victory in their opening six Premier League matches.
The visitors have drawn their last four games, however, and Kieran McKenna’s side have impressed in holding the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa in recent weeks.
Head Coach Lopetegui hands a second Premier League start to Jean-Clair Todibo, who was part of the stingiest defence in Ligue 1 last season, as Nice conceded just 29 goals in 34 matches on their way to finishing fifth in the table and qualifying for Europe.
The 24-year-old performed well at Brentford and will hope to improve a West Ham defence which has conceded 54 Premier League goals in 25 top-flight matches in 2024.
Todibo will partner Maximilian Kilman, with the full-back berths filled by Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson.
In front of them, Argentina international Guido Rodríguez maintains his ever-present record in Lopetegui’s Premier League lineup.
Tomáš Souček netted the equaliser at Brentford last weekend to move joint-eighth in West Ham’s all-time Premier League goalscorer list alongside Frédéric Kanouté. Another goal today will take the Czech Republic midfielder onto 30 in England’s top-flight.
Lucas Paquetá is also looking to hit personal landmarks this afternoon, as the Brazilian goes into the game with nine Premier League goals and nine Premier League assists to his name in Claret and Blue.
Edson Álvarez returns to the matchday squad after serving a one-match suspension, and the Mexican replaces new Scotland call-up Andy Irving on the substitutes’ bench.
Captain Jarrod Bowen has reached 75 direct Premier League goal involvements for West Ham, but he remains 25 behind centre-forward Michail Antonio, who got to 100 with his 33rd assist to go along with his record haul of 67 goals.
Mohammed Kudus completes the team. The Ghana star has eight goals and six assists to his name in 39 Premier League appearances for the Club.
Alongside Álvarez on the bench will be goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański, defenders Aaron Cresswell, Vladimír Coufal and Dinos Mavropanos, midfielders Carlos Soler and Luis Guilherme and forwards Crysencio Summerville and Danny Ings.
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Rodríguez, Paquetá, Souček, Bowen ©, Kudus, Antonio
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Coufal, Mavropanos, Álvarez, Soler, Luis Guilherme, Summerville, Ings
Ipswich Town: Muric, Johnson, Greaves, O’Shea, Davis, Morsy ©, Phillips, Burns, Hutchinson, Clarke, Delap
Subs: Walton (GK), Clarke, Woolfenden, Chaplin, Taylor, Ogbene, Townsend, Szmodics, Hirst
Referee: Anthony Taylor
