Four of West Ham United’s loanees were involved in a busy weekend of Emirates FA Cup third-round action...
Having scored on his Emirates FA Cup debut in a 3-2 win over York City, West Ham United's FA Youth Cup winning captain Gideon Kodua continued his fine form in the oldest cup competition in world football by setting up Wycombe Wanderers’ first goal as the Chairboys ran out 2-0 winners against their EFL Championship opponents, Freddie Potts’ Portsmouth, to progress to the fourth round.
Despite a nervy start, where he slipped on the icy pitch and inadvertently conceded a dangerous chance, Kodua grew into the game, his wing play catching the eye. In the 17th minute, he played a crucial role in Wycombe’s opener. Picked out by Matt Butcher on the right, Kodua skilfully controlled the ball with his head to keep it in play, driving past Paddy Lane and Robert Atkinson, before the ball broke to Brandon Hanlan who finished past goalkeeper Jordan Archer at the near post.
Brandon Hanlan gets the first of the night for @wwfcofficial 💪
The wing-play from Gideon Kodua made the goal 👏#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/OZTnXWrya7— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 10, 2025
Ten minutes later, Sonny Bradley doubled Wycombe’s lead from a set-piece, which ultimately proved enough to defeat their Championship rivals. For Kodua’s fellow Hammers loanee, Freddie Potts and his Portsmouth side, it was a fairly forgettable night. With manager John Mousinho rotating his squad and prioritising their Championship survival, Potts was one of only two players to keep his place in the Pompey side, and was brought off at half-time as they prepared for their midweek trip to Blackburn Rovers.
West Ham United loanee James Ward-Prowse was also in FA Cup action for in-form Nottingham Forest as they earned their seventh win in a row with a 2-0 victory over Luton Town. With head coach Nuno Espírito Santo mainly opting for midfield partnerships consisting of Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Domínguez, Forest’s third-round FA Cup fixture was an opportunity for Ward-Prowse to show his quality.
During his 88-minute stint, the 30-year-old showed great character with a solid performance in midfield, as always his set-piece delivery standing out, while also maintaining a perfect passing accuracy, completing all 54 passes, including four long balls. Captain Ryan Yates opened the scoring just before half-time, with Ramón Sosa adding a second on 68 minutes to comfortably send Forest into the fourth round at the City Ground.
Making his FA Cup debut, George Earthy featured for Bristol City as they fell 2-1 to Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. Early strikes from Rayan Aït Nouri and Rodrigo Gomes left the Robins chasing the game, but a goal from Scott Twine just before half-time halved the deficit. Replacing the injured Marcus McGuane, and despite contributing to a much improved second-half performance, Earthy and his Bristol City teammates were unable to complete the turnaround, with Wolves advancing to the next round.
