Manuel Pellegrini wants to take another step towards completing a personal Carabao Cup hat-trick when West Ham United take on Macclesfield Town.
The Hammers welcome the League Two side to London Stadium on Wednesday evening knowing victory over EFL League Two’s bottom club will take them through to the last 16.
And manager Pellegrini, who lifted the trophy twice in three seasons at Manchester City in 2014 and 2016, would love nothing more than to guide West Ham to their maiden victory in the tournament.
Our ambition is clear – to take the competition very seriously and progress as far as we possibly can
Manuel Pellegrini
“This is a competition that has many good memories for me,” he confirmed. “It was the first title I won in English football, as manager of Manchester City in 2014.
“It is a very important competition – the first major trophy that can be won in the season – and the experience of winning at Wembley in front of your supporters is something that stays with you forever.
“Our ambition is clear – to take the competition very seriously and progress as far as we possibly can. I know it is a trophy that West Ham United have not yet won in our history and, of course, we would like that to change, but first we must concentrate on showing the right approach against Macclesfield.”
West Ham face EFL opposition for the second round in succession, having recovered from the shock of conceding a very early goal to win 3-1 at League One side AFC Wimbledon.
Pellegrini would ideally like his team to avoid that stress this evening by completing a more routine victory over the Silkmen, but he knows Mark Yates’ team will arrive in east London determined to score a major upset.
“In the last round at AFC Wimbledon, we went a goal down early on and had to show patience and belief in order to get back into the game and eventually come out on top,” said the manager, who revealed he will hand opportunities to his fringe players. “We know that we may have to show the same qualities again this evening against a team who will be very motivated and eager to make a big impression.
“However, I have every confidence that we will be in the right frame of mind. This fixture will give us the opportunity to utilise our squad and bring in players who have not had as many minutes in the Premier League recently, and I am sure they will be hungry to do well.
“We are also looking forward to another good atmosphere at London Stadium. The support for the team on Sunday was magnificent, and I hope that everyone at the game enjoys a memorable evening.”