West Brom take on Premier League side West Ham in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the London Stadium this weekend.
The Baggies head in to this game as the firm underdogs despite West Ham’s poor form in the Premier League. However, Albion fans will surely hope that their side could cause an upset.
Plenty of changes are expected for both sides as the two clubs will be prioritising their respective league campaign. The Hammers will be aiming to avoid relegation from the Premier League, while Albion will be looking to get themselves back on track and get promoted to the top flight.
Despite West Ham’s concerning season, they have quality all over the pitch and have spent a lot of money in their attempt to build a strong squad. They’ll be hoping that a win against the Baggies in the cup could give them a much-needed confidence boost.
Ahead of the game, we’ve looked at four West Ham players who could cause Slaven Bilic’s side problems on the day.
Pablo Fornals
The Spanish youngster arrived from Villarreal and was an exciting signing after breaking into the Spanish national side. Unfortunately, he hasn’t quite hit the ground running at the Hammers but he still has quality in abundance and Albion will be looking to stop him picking key passes to open them up.
Albian Ajeti
The striker arrived from Basel and was heavily linked with a move to the Hawthorns before choosing West Ham. He hasn’t found the back of the net for the Hammers yet but a cup game could be the perfect opportunity for him to get on the scoresheet. The Albion defence will have to be on guard to make sure he doesn’t get a chance in front of goal.
Robert Snodgrass
Despite their struggles, the former Aston Villa winger has been one of the better players this season, registering three goals and three assists. Snodgrass has a dangerous cross and shot on him with his wand of a left foot and the Baggies defence will not want to afford him too much space. After suffering a tendon injury, David Moyes refused to rule Snodgrass out of the cup game.
Michail Antonio
Antonio is West Ham’s bright spark and is probably the man who could fire the Hammers out of relegation trouble if he can keep himself fit. Antonio is so strong on the ball and is a clinical finisher so the West Brom defence will have a tough afternoon if he starts.