Wolverhampton vs West Ham: Which Premier League club will exit the English League Cup in the second round?
In the second round of the English Football League Cup, Wolverhampton will face West Ham on Tuesday, August 26. The opening whistle will sound at 20:30 Central European Time, and here’s my preview and prediction for this encounter.
Wolverhampton vs West Ham: Match preview
Already at the second round stage of the tournament, Wolverhampton must battle West Ham—both representatives of England’s elite division.
Wolves have kicked off the new Premier League season in dreadful fashion, and things are no better for West Ham. In their opening match, Wolves suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat at home to Manchester City. In round two, they traveled to Bournemouth and lost again, this time 0-1. After two rounds, Wolverhampton sit 19th in the table with a goal difference of 0:5.
Surprisingly, but true—below them in the standings is West Ham, who started even worse. In their first match, the Hammers were crushed by Premier League newcomers Sunderland—0-3. In round two, West Ham hosted Chelsea and, despite scoring an early goal, conceded five times. Another heavy defeat and a catastrophic start to the campaign.
In last season’s League Cup, both teams exited in the third round. West Ham were thrashed 1-5 by Liverpool, while Wolverhampton lost 2-3 to Brighton.
Match facts and head-to-head meetings
- Wolverhampton are winless in ten matches: two draws and eight defeats.
- West Ham have lost their last two fixtures.
- West Ham have conceded at least one goal in each of their last ten matches.
- In their most recent head-to-head, Wolverhampton beat West Ham 1-0.
Probable lineups
- Wolverhampton: Jose Sa, Doherty, Toti Gomes, Agbadou, Hoever, Wolfe, Joao Gomes, Bellegarde, Munetsi, Arias, Larsen
- West Ham: Hermansen, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Aguerd, Diouf, Lucas Paqueta, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Bowen, Füllkrug
Prediction
Both sides have endured disastrous starts to the new season and will be desperate to salvage some pride with a League Cup run. My pick: both Wolverhampton and West Ham to score.
