When and where?
West Ham United v Accrington Stanley
EFL Cup Third Round
London Stadium
Wednesday 21 September 2016, 7.45pm BST
What’s the story?
West Ham United face their first domestic cup tie under the lights at London Stadium on Wednesday night, when they welcome Accrington Stanley of Sky Bet League Two to east London for an EFL Cup tie.
The Hammers enter this competition at the third round stage after participating in European competition this season, but Accrington have already had to see off two higher division clubs to make their way through.
After beating Bradford City in an epic first round penalty shootout, they then took the biggest scalp in their history by ousting Premier League Burnley from the competition.
Matty Pearson’s goal in the 120th minute sealed a 1-0 win, their first-ever triumph against top-flight opposition and a trip to London Stadium.
In the league, a record of three wins, two draws and three defeats has left last season’s beaten play-off semi finalists in eleventh place, with consecutive victories over Notts County and Portsmouth pushing them up the table.
For the Hammers, Slaven Bilic will be looking to arrest a run of four straight defeats in league and cup, with his team suffering reverses against Astra Giurgiu, Manchester City, Watford and West Bromwich Albion.
Twice semi-finalists in the last six years, the east Londoners will want to better last year’s EFL Cup run, when they lost at this stage to Leicester City.
Team news
Bilic confirmed in his pre-match press conference that he will field a mixed team against the Lancashire club.
Changes will be made, with some players deserving of a chance, according to the boss.
Alvaro Arbeloa and Edimilson Fernandes could make their debuts after signing for the Club in August, while Darren Randolph is expected to play in goal, as he did in the UEFA Europa League earlier in the season.
Andy Carroll, Aaron Cresswell, Andre Ayew and Diafra Sakho remain out injured.
Any links between the two?
A couple of tenuous ones! Stanley manager John Coleman’s son-in-law is a Hammers fan, while their midfielder Chris Eagles scored at the Boleyn Ground in a 5-3 defeat for Burnley in the 2009/10 campaign.
Accrington striker Terry Gornell, meanwhile, played against West Ham for Cheltenham Town in a League Cup tie in August 2013.
How do I get to the game?
Click here for all the information on how to get to London Stadium. The latest news on the Tubes and roads can be found here. Click here for the latest travel news on the trains.
How can I watch the game?
This match is not being broadcast live in the UK. However, you can follow the action with audio commentary on whufc.com, as well as in-running match updates, live stats, photos and more. Get involved with the conversation on social using the hashtag #WHUACC.